Post by polakzippofan on Oct 11, 2005 20:13:06 GMT 1
My adventure with Zippo started in 1997 when I bought my first lighter. It was beautiful. I used gasoline so it smelt badly, it was untight and it evaporated as a result of which it created "beautiful", flammable mark in my pocket. When I was searching for information about Zippo more deeply, I found out that it wasn't original but I got to know more about Zippo and I was charmed by variety of those beautiful items. That is when I decided to get an original one.
It was very hard to find information and facts about characteristics of authentic Zippo lighters but I got my chance on holidays that I spent in Italy. I visited the republic of San Marino. I found a souvenir shop there in which (as I believed) I could buy original Zippo. Some of them were more expensive and some were cheaper so I decided to start my collection with a cheaper model. I choose one, paid and left the shop very happy.
Few months later I got a possibility to use internet and I found out that it was not original either. It was a shock, I couldn't stand thinking that I could have had a real one but I wanted to save money and bought an unoriginal one.
I promised myself that I would buy Zippo only when I would be sure of its originality. I was lucky because this time first lighters were launched on the Polish market. With a large knowledge I went shopping to find my beauty.
That was my next shock - Zippo lighters in Poland were veeeeeeeery expensive, but I had to get it so after few months I went to the exclusive shop in Warsaw and bought my first Zippo. It was Venetian (model no. 352B) from 1998 - a beautiful model (I was happy as a child).
From that time I knew that I would be a Zippo lighter collector but I could not afford expanding my collection. One day I was reading a newspaper and found out that there were discounts in one of shopping malls in Warsaw. I read the sentence: "20% discount for Zippo lighters" which seduced me for 3 days.
After 3 days I gave up and went there to see only. That day I bought a Golden Tortoise (model no. 36).
Since that day I have been collecting Zippo. Some of them were bought by myself, some were presented and others were bid on internet auctions. That is how my collection expanded to the dimension that you can see on my web-side.
PIOTR
It was very hard to find information and facts about characteristics of authentic Zippo lighters but I got my chance on holidays that I spent in Italy. I visited the republic of San Marino. I found a souvenir shop there in which (as I believed) I could buy original Zippo. Some of them were more expensive and some were cheaper so I decided to start my collection with a cheaper model. I choose one, paid and left the shop very happy.
Few months later I got a possibility to use internet and I found out that it was not original either. It was a shock, I couldn't stand thinking that I could have had a real one but I wanted to save money and bought an unoriginal one.
I promised myself that I would buy Zippo only when I would be sure of its originality. I was lucky because this time first lighters were launched on the Polish market. With a large knowledge I went shopping to find my beauty.
That was my next shock - Zippo lighters in Poland were veeeeeeeery expensive, but I had to get it so after few months I went to the exclusive shop in Warsaw and bought my first Zippo. It was Venetian (model no. 352B) from 1998 - a beautiful model (I was happy as a child).
From that time I knew that I would be a Zippo lighter collector but I could not afford expanding my collection. One day I was reading a newspaper and found out that there were discounts in one of shopping malls in Warsaw. I read the sentence: "20% discount for Zippo lighters" which seduced me for 3 days.
After 3 days I gave up and went there to see only. That day I bought a Golden Tortoise (model no. 36).
Since that day I have been collecting Zippo. Some of them were bought by myself, some were presented and others were bid on internet auctions. That is how my collection expanded to the dimension that you can see on my web-side.
PIOTR
I am a plumber buy trade! 4th generation. so I am well known in this town! or at least my name sake is, and live 45 min from Bradford ! so I run across many people with lighters who are willing to give them to me and others who think they are worth a million bucks! so needles to say I got most of mine for free either from camel or from customers! but if any of you have been to a swap meet you will know there are tons of people trying to sell lighters for big bucks ! I found ebay to be a great way of buying lighters . I turned ed onto a barcroft that some one had had listed poorly and don't you know that bum got a 3rd model barcroft for 50 some bucks! 
and I still don't have one! but thats my story and I'm sticking to it!!! ;D 
