While most Zippo lighters come assembled and sealed with a warranty sticker on the back, most of the custom lighters for the collectors market are a bit different.
They do not have the warranty sticker as the glue on these can cause staining to the metal if left on too long.
Neither do they come assembled. The inside unit comes in a bag of it's own, without flint as this is prone to decay and clog the mechanism if it is left unused. As always, or should I say as never? I don't buy anything as an investment, I buy what I desire.
With the two lighters shown below I might have been lucky. The original price in Japan in 1996 was ¥10.000 or about £65. I stretched my budget around 2005 and paid twice that. Today they are very rare to find, and expect to pay around £400.
Music box - plays "Yesterday"
Numbered Limited Edition - 0801/1000
Date mark: D XII = April 1996
Music box - plays "I Could Have Danced All Night"
Numbered Limited Edition - 0522/1000
Date mark: D XII = April 1996
Zippo Logo
Standard issue lighters.
Chrome finish and one sided design.
Some of these are in continuous production, like the Zippo car that can be found with date codes at least from 2004 up to as recent as 2021.
Dates bottom left on each picture. Click picture for larger image.
Windy (The Varga Girl)
The female lighting her cigarette in a headwind have become as connected with Zippo as the flame logo. She's known as Windy and first appeared in 1937.
She has then become known as "The Varga Girl" after famouse pin-up artist Alberto Varga. Although the original version was painted by Enoch Bolles.
Alberto Varga's paintings on the other hand have been used for other Zippo designs, like his illustrations for Esqire Magazine between 1940-46, which brought him to fame.
Collectors Tin
Standard Windy
Standard issue.
Limited Edition
by pop-art airbrush artist Mazzi.
Windy Inspired
Standard issue.
Medusa
Standard issue.
Notice the Zippo logo?
CAMEL
Zippo with Camel advertising before the birth of Joe Camel in 1987 are rare, if any.
Enter Joe and there were constantly new designs released until his "death" on 12th July 1997.
R.J. Reynolds kept issuing Zippo lighters but now with more subtle Camel connections.
Some came in collector tins, others in the regular Zippo cardboard box. Some sold through Zippo dealers, others only available for "Camel Cash" through the annual Camel merch catalog.
From 1994 to 1997 Camel was a team sponsor in NASCAR, and #23 became known as "Smokin' Joe Racing". Advertising items are abundant, including an extensive number of Zippo.
There are occational re-issues of both Joe Camel and Smokin' Joe dated long after he was "banned" in 1997 and the NASCAR team sponsorship was cancelled.
Smokin' Joe Racing
Joe Camel
General Camel
Gift Boxes & Collector Tins
Table lighter
The first Zippo table lighter was produced in 1949-1951 and nicknamed "Lady Bradford" after the town where it was produced.
For the 65th anniversary in 1997 this got a slight redesign and became known as the "Lady Barbara".
It was issued in two versions, one plain and one with the 65th logo. Then later in the year in a 3rd half height version with the Camel logo.
The same logo is impressed on the lighter case and as an attached badge on the holder.
The pewter base give the lighter more weight and it stands pretty stable compared to just a bare Zippo. It originally came in a silver gift box, mine is used and came without, showing some signs of wear.
Others I found interesting...
As a whisky nerd it's hard to pass on a combo of
Jack Daniel's and Zippo
Everyone needs something basic.
And the more square shaped vintage look.
2013 Esquire - The Pin-Up Girl Series
Limited Edition of 100
