Reason For Collecting.

[Ed5066]

yeah Jeff that's one reason why I started collecting rembering my grandfather's clicking that Zippo and the smell of the fuel and my uncle smoke a pipe he had about 5 Zippos next to his chair I was always messing with them and my aunt she must have had 20 barcrofts I remeber breaking the lid off one of them and my other grandfather had a few I remeber him showing me a outside hinge he said this is how the use to make them. this was all before I was 10 I started smokeing when I was 11 (Way to young, cough cough) but remeber finding a Zippo like lighter at a campground thought I was cool then, but Dad found it not to long afterward. But when I turn 18 I bought my first Zippo I lost it about a year later and bought another one as soon as I got my next paycheck and when I was 20 I went to a auction down the street from my house I must have gotten 20 there, some had broken hinge I sent one off to ZIppo to get fix well they sent me a new lighter back and keep the old one I wanted that lighter back but didn't know I could have gotten it back at the time all I knew it was old I guess Zippo knew it too LOL
That's about how I got started. now 23 years later with over 500 Zi$$o lighters plus other Zi$$0 items.

[zipposr4me]

I collect for the sake of the ZiPPO. I rescue them from store cases, ebay auctions, and yard sales (when I can find them) Who KNOWS where these prescious little gems would wind up if I dint give them a good home? Poor little things, being slipped into pockets full of coins getting scratched up, dropped onto the ground and dented, left on the bar and being kidnapped...so if y'all have any ZiPPOs in need of a good home drop me a line!!!

Currently my collection mainly consists of US Navy and Non Advertisment type ZiPPOs. I think I might have as many as 80-90 now? A few COTY's, a few oddballs (like me) and a few I picked up cuz the price was right.

[freddythefox]

unlike most other lighters the zippo can tell a story,been ex navy i have some zippos from my travels and adventures the bars i won them in playing pool,the people ive met through zippos.im up to my 100 ships zippos now,i display them in japanese cases which cost a bomb but look ace in my front room.but i guess the main reson i collect is a person with a zippo is far more attractive to the opposite sex,ive got a gorgeous wife.nuff said.

[phdmatt2002]

for me its the chimney, i like that machine gun/muffler look to it, some of the cases complement the insert well.

[freddythefox]

do you have a thing for machine guns also,or do you run about with a zippo pretending to shoot people??

[loweden]

I almost forgot what the title of this thread was,lol. Very interesting responses. I am not sure why I started collecting. I think the historical part of it and the naval influence played a role but I am a collector at heart anyways. I have stamp,coin,train and hockey card collections! Of course those are no longer pursued since zippos occupy most of my time and of course money,lol.

[phdmatt2002]

do you have a thing for machine guns also,or do you run about with a zippo pretending to shoot people??

i did not find that funny, millions of people each year get shot by zippos, mostly children.

[The Saint]

Don't go there guys. we don't want firemen to force us to close down.

[freddythefox]

slightly confused,ive never heard of anyone been gunned down by a zippo,just an outbreak of morale on my part.

[phdmatt2002]

well anyways i think firemen are bigger pyros than anybody. no i dont have a thing about guns (even though guns are an extension of the body, guess which part) i just like the chimney pattern thats all.

[The Saint]

nothing wrong with guns, but I prefer zippos, am not a pyro but fire always interests me, people with bad burns are not that nice though, a lot of work and complications, so be sure to know what you are doing.

[loweden]

I prefer the ones I have since there hang on the wall so you don't have to wait for the display come around. My inventory is pretty good but I have not done a total since I reached 200. I think some people are just natural collectors. I have collected coins,stamps,cards and even model trains at various times for each. I think my time in the Navy played a role for ship lighters and military ones. I wish I had been more agressive in collecting them (over 10 years ago) since my collection would be better. Zippos have been my best collecting ever. Like others have said here each one has a story to tell. Liking history also helps with this collecting zippos. Since I am disable it is a good distraction and keeps me occufied. Like others I am soon facing retiring from collecting due to funds. I am "okay" with that well sort of. My collection is at a fair enough stopping point.

[zippokrazy]

did you become disable in the navy?

[bigbaddad]

Mike,I did do a lot of collecting while still on active duty and was lucky enough to get some really great military/Navy lighters.I also have to agree with collecting and disability.I have collected a lot more after becoming totaly disabled.Seems I have too much time for ebay and flea market hunting.Oh well we all have our crosses to bear.Jeff aka bigbaddad

[The Saint]

got to aggree funds are the problems now a days for me too, but my collection is awesome.every now and than I get something new.