Vintage Zippo cigarette lighters

Cigarette lighters can be subdivided into three types: pocket lighters, table lighters and compact lighters with cases.

Dunhill is the most popular and desirable name for collectors. Their first lighter was released in the early 1920s and they are still producing today.

Other collectable manufacturers are Ronson, who have been making lighters for over 100 years and invented the automatic lighter in 1926, and Zippo, which was founded in 1932.

Lighter collectors should look for inset watches or concealed features such as compacts.

Early lighters were powered by naphtha, a petroleum mixture, and these are more desirable than the butane gas lighters, that were introduced in the late 1940s.

Lighters made from precious materials, often by jewelers, or those in novelty shapes such as aeroplanes and animals are popular. Wear to plating or loss of parts of covering will affect value detrimentally, as will dents or splits. Replaced parts will more... also affect value. less...