Category: Lighters

With just a little attention, many of these old relics would be as useful as ever.

The Wheat from the Chaff

I recently purchased several large lots of old cigarette lighters. There are always certain attributes of a lot that pique my interest. If the lighters were purchased online then ordinarily I don’t really know much about them until I get them in my hands but once I do, there are a myriad of vintage lighter repair projects that could be necessary.

For instance, I may purchase a lot containing 40 lighters that I have to judge off

Continue reading “What To Do With Old Cigarette Lighters: Can They Be Repaired?”

A Lighter Mechanic’s Conundrum

A Needle in a Haystack

One of the coolest things about buying and selling collectible vintage lighters is the sheer number of different lighters that pass through my hands. I love seeing them but what I really want is to use them. Continue reading “Collectible Vintage Lighters: Allen-Haddock Co. Sterling Silver 3 Barrel”

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Modern Technology Makes Amazon Your Best Bet For Authentic Zippos

Where’d All The Salesmen Go?

Back in the day there were actually guys(not being sexist, remember this was a long time ago, they didn’t even have the internet) that went door to door with briefcases full of samples of products that they were authorized to sell.

The world doesn’t work that way anymore. People don’t sit around waiting for some poor salesman to show up and sell them something. They get on Google, type in something like “Zippo lighters for sale on…” and they buy it. Continue reading “Zippo Lighters for Sale on Amazon: A Lighter Mechanic’s Review”

An exploration of a lighter that time forgot.

I Am a Lighter Mechanic

I buy and sell vintage lighters on EBay. Most of what I buy are in bigger lots purchased from various sources. As you can imagine, I come across some very interesting things and am constantly being educated about vintage cigarette lighters for sale that are still relevant in today’s market. Continue reading “Vintage Cigarette Lighters for Sale: Salvaging Our Past to Save Our Future”

A brief sampling of very old lighters that still get the job done.

A Warning.

If you have come to the conclusion that using collectible vintage lighters to make

fire is the path you’re going to follow, then I want to say be careful. Any time you are working with any kind of fuel you need to make certain that your workspace is properly vented.

I’ve been doing this for a while and fortunately I haven’t had any catastrophic events. I have however, had a fire or two that if I hadn’t been prepared could have led to something really bad. Continue reading “Collectible Vintage Lighters: Are They Worth Using?”

A Benevolent Post-Industrial Manifesto

How Much Convenience Do We Require?

Have you ever paid attention to the Zippo lighters for sale at your local Wal-Mart, Winco or other retail chain? No? Well, if you have come to this post then you likely have some interest in lighters. Maybe you don’t smoke but have family and friends who do.

Either way, you’re going to want to keep reading and pass this information along to anyone who uses a lighter.

So, I was there in the store looking at the display of all the lighters available. It looked something like Continue reading “Zippo Lighters for Sale at Wal-Mart: An Alternative”

So, you know the vintage lighter you want to purchase, how do you know you’re getting a fair price?

Functional or Collectible?

One important variable to consider before buying vintage lighters on EBay is your purpose for the lighter. Are you planning to use it or are you simply adding another lighter to your collection to admire?

I’ll use myself as an example. The most important aspect of collecting and repairing lighters for me is that they succeed at making fire. I don’t really care about collectability. I care a ton about quality. I care most of all that it lights when I need it to. If it won’t make fire then it is just a curio and I don’t really have a lot of space in my life for things of that sort. Continue reading “Buying Vintage Lighters on Ebay: Our guide to pricing.”

Is there any real value in all those so-called collectible lighters?

Zippo, Ronson, Dunhill and the like…

We’ve all heard the distinctive “ping” sound made famous by the classic Zippo Windproof Lighter. Less common but just as useful is the American made Dunhill Service Lighter or trench lighter which may actually be the most dependable lighter that I myself have ever owned. And how about those old fancy Ronson Case and Table lighters? If you’re asking, “Are vintage cigarette lighters collectibles?” Continue reading “Are Vintage Cigarette Lighters Collectibles? Maybe”