Zippo, a collection that keeps growing

Zippo needs little introduction: the well-known lighter brand has passed through the decades without ageing. Whether among collectors or among people with a passing interest, the brand has its followers, and its reputation for quality is firmly established.

The basic models and the Zippo collection ranges

Zippo has its classic models, the ones described as timeless. Inspired by an Austrian storm lighter, the first Zippo was designed to be elegant, simple to use and above all very reliable. Across successive models, mechanical changes have outpaced physical ones: the appearance of the Zippo lighter has changed very little.

Special editions are released regularly. Some carry the image of a public figure or a band, such as the Zippo bearing the image of Johnny Hallyday. The company also brings out limited-edition series, often to mark the anniversary of a key date, the 75th anniversary of D-Day being one example.

500 million lighters already manufactured

Zippo has manufactured and sold no fewer than 500 million lighters worldwide. Collectors hunt for the rarest pieces, which is worth knowing given that the brand repairs every Zippo it has sold free of charge, whatever condition it arrives in at the factory.

Films featuring the Zippo, on both the big and the small screen, are numerous. Zippo lighters have become genuine collector’s items and their value can sometimes be considerable. Collectors’ clubs exist in many countries.

Why collect Zippo lighters?

The Zippo is an object that can be refilled and reused for a lifetime. Zippos are formal, well-made accessories. Collecting these objects is a way of tracing a piece of history, as well as a source of satisfaction in itself.

Some collectors do not smoke. They are simply looking for rare, fine pieces to display or keep. The interest in Zippos is hard to contain, and it satisfies an urge, a desire. That collecting habit, well known among enthusiasts, often leads them to track down the lighters used in films and series such as The Walking Dead, Tomb Raider or The Tourist, as a way of showing off the film buff in them.