Zippo collectors!

[Legion]

I start this thread for two reasons. Firstly so you can all show off your prized Zippo possessions, and secondly so I can ask a question.

I have this Zippo which I bought back in about '03, '04, just because I thought it was cool, and I was still a smoker at the time. Its case is made of solid titanium, which I thought was pretty neat. I carried it for a while, so it is used, but it's in pretty good shape still, and I kept the box.

My question is, and I know we can't give valuations here, but is it something of value to collectors? Should I be looking after it properly, or is it cool just to leave it in the draw where it has been for the last eight or nine years? I'm not really in a hurry to sell it or anything, but I just don't want to devalue it if it is worth money. I only found one for sale on the internet, and it was really expensive, but it was NIB, and mine is used. And what those people were asking, and what they are worth could be very different things.

Anyway, just curious, more than anything.

Have any of you guys got any cool zippos to show?

[Artistik]

I have a Zippo (plain, ordinary) and it was blessed by the Pope!

[Mark1966]

I have a Zippo (plain, ordinary) and it was blessed by the Pope!

Ok, so you know that - but how would a collector in future be assured of the veracity of that claim? Oh, simple, the standard rule here - pictures or it DIDN'T happen :)

[captp]

David, I think they only made them one year, so there could be some value in keeping it in good condition. I got one that I never used and never will; I actually never use any of my Zippos, I only collect them, up to about 93 now, with another 10 or so on order from the 2012 catalog. Curious as to what they were asking for the one on the Bay.

[Prof. Moriarty]

Will throw a picture of my Zippo's (only have 10 or so... nowhere near the amount that Georg has but anyways), but will do that sometime later this week. I have no idea about the value of the lighter, but there is no reason not to keep it in good condition as nothing bad can come of it.

[Artistik]

Ok, so you know that - but how would a collector in future be assured of the veracity of that claim? Oh, simple, the standard rule here - pictures or it DIDN'T happen :)

Actually, the Zippo belong to my younger brother. He arried it in the Navy and, while deployed, he was at a gathering where the Pope was having an out door mass (don't know which Pope). The Pope told the crowd to hold up their religeous artifacts and he would bless them. All my brother had was his trusty Zippo lighter so he held that up. Sorry, no pictures exist.

[captp]

A little sample of my collection

[Legion]

David, I think they only made them one year, so there could be some value in keeping it in good condition. I got one that I never used and never will; I actually never use any of my Zippos, I only collect them, up to about 93 now, with another 10 or so on order from the 2012 catalog. Curious as to what they were asking for the one on the Bay.

I actually couldn't find a single one on eBay, which is what made me wonder about the rarity of it. The one I saw for sale NOS was On a different site and it was $650, but as I said before, asking and getting are two different things.

[captp]

David, if I remember correctly, the solid titanium was $100 new. I saw some titanium coated ones going for up to about $350. Way over priced IMO. I can't imagine a new solid one going foe over, maybe $200, but that's just me. I just gave away my 1999 World Series Yankees champ lighter to a big time Yankees fan. It cost $40 new; no idea what it would be worth and I really don't care; I rarely sell anything, I usually give things away. Lighters like the Yankees one are usually bought expressly to give away to someone at some time.

[Legion]

Yep, I think I paid about $100US for mine, which in 2003 was more like $200 Australian.

This is the only one I can find for sale now.

http://www.zlighters.com/Sought-Afte...nd-p/110zl.htm

[captp]

A few more. The 2ndI pic is the Zippos I don't have space to display. A few choice ones in the box

[Prof. Moriarty]

Meh don't think I want to post my Zippos anymore. My collection does not match yours Georg.

[captp]

Prof. Don't let that stop you. I always like to see more Zippos. That's a collection over 10 yrs in tthe making

[Prof. Moriarty]

Prof. Don't let that stop you. I always like to see more Zippos. That's a collection over 10priced yrs in tthe making

My collection has been going for 6years now, but I believe I only have 1/10th of the amount of Zippo's you've got. Will try and post a picture tomorrow or so, bit pressed for time at the moment thanks to Courseworks for University.

[rickboone1]

I don't smoke, so I got rid of all the others I had. Kept this one. It's just a beater tool. Been refurb'd internally by Zippo. Dunno what the initials mean. They're not mine.

[Prof. Moriarty]

A bit late, but here is my Zippo collection minus 1:

[Legion]

Cool!

If I ever start "collecting" zippos for real, I think I am going to aim at the personalised ones. My old man was telling me, when he was in the army all the guys would make their own corp badged zippos by glueing military buttons and so-forth onto the lighters. I think that is kind of neat.

The one I carry everyday actually has an old Luna Park token glued on it, which makes it a bit unique. I like that sort of stuff. Wear and tear, engraving, strange souvenirs.

[craig87c]

I'd actually like to pick up a 1961 Zippo since that's my dad's Birth year. Prices for them on eBay are ridiculous though.

[rwdflynavy]

I have a very small Zippo collection which I will post later. Here are some zippos I saw for sale in Ho Chi Minh City at their War Museum.

[chrissss]

Here is a couple of mines :

38-39


39-41


Early 46


47


43 black crackle