All of these Zippos are best viewed using "full screen" option.
THIS is the first National Zippo Day lighter with a really rare matching knife.
Nice 1946 taller Zippo
This is a Allis Chalmers Zippo, mint in the box from 1951.
The only Zippo from my dads estate. He gave these out in the course of his time working for Allis Chalmers in Milwaukee. This was a very common practice and was a big part of Zippos business in the 50's and 60's.
The back of my dad's Zippos. He had a patent for producing Silco-Flex insulation for Allis Chalmers. He worked for the division of AC that produced turbines and generators for the electrical utilities. Mostly water powered turbines that were installed in many of the dams in the US.
This mint in the box Zippo advertising Active Gear is from 1953.
The back of the 1958 Aldrin Chemical Zippo.
The front of the 1958 Aldrin Chemical Zippo
I worked for American Bosch (United Technologies/AMBAC) in the early '80s. We were making GM's ill advised, doomed automotive Diesel injectors in Columbia South Carolina. What a disaster! I worked for Robert Bosch GMBH for the last 16 years. I retired in September of 2011. This is a mint Pantograph engraved Zippo from 1956. New to me 10/1/11
Mint 1953 Aunt Jemima Zippo
Mint 1947 line drawing Baseball Player Zippo.
I have owned these before (in 1998) and the first ones I owned came from a Apple representative in Los Angeles. I believed that they were spec samples (paperwork that came with them seemed to back this up) and sold them all as such. I came across these and had to have them. I am no longer certain that they are spec samples and if anyone has more information, please let me know. They may be European releases. Perfect Mint from 1997. New to me 3/15/12
This is a mint in the box 1950 Zippo advertising Beckwith Machinery. The company was founded in 1907 and is still based in Murrysville, Pennsylvania.
1958 Beechcraft Zippo. I had to replace the terrible picture that I had posted earlier. This one is a little bit better.
In 1955 Beechcraft designed the Model 1001, as the initial version of this target drone was designated, in response to a US Navy requirement for gunnery and air-to-air combat training. Production of the type began in 1959, with the drone being given the Navy designation of KDB-1. Mint 1959 Zippo. New to me 8/7/10
This is the reverse of my Mint 1956 Bell Helicopter Zippo.
This is the front of my Mint 1956 Bell Helicopter Zippo.
Bill Williams Chicken House in Houston opened in 1936. At one time, Rice University had no eating facilities for students and the Chicken House near the University was something of a student cafeteria. Williams retired from the restaurant business by the end of the 1970's and his restaurants, serving "savage style" chicken, are no more. Mint in Box 1959 Zippo
Very mint 5 color 1958 Birds Eye Zippo.
1942 Four barrel Zippo with just some minor loss on the hinge.
Rare 1942 MINT Zippo with a even rarer green shipping box (not pictured)
I have been a huge Dylan fan since the 1960's thanks to my brother. I have wanted one of these for a while but they are SO damn hard to find. Particularly in mint, scratch free condition. The seller says he got this from one of the Swap Meets. I don't think Jim has missed one of them ;-). If anyone knows the origins of these (I think there are three variations) please let me know. From 1998, new to me 1/3/12
A mint 1953 Bowler Zippo.
A mint 1960 Bowler Zippo.
This is a mint 1955 brushed finish set. New to me 11/2/10
Mint 1955 Zippo celebrating the only time the Brooklyn Dodgers won the World Series.
Dead mint 1948 Zippo in a perfect box.
A mint in the box 1950 Somerville Buick Dealer Zippo.
A mint 1972 Buster Brown Zippo. Buster Brown has been the shoes logo since 1904!
I found some history for N22T. Over the years, it had been re-registered under several different N-numbers. N22T was hull number 4784 which was delivered to the USAAF on October 3, 1942 as a C-47-DL. Its serial number was 41-18623. It was registered as N7119 when it was used for geological surveys in Africa. It was a WW2 vet and is of the type my Dad flew in Burma. The aircraft lost engine power on take off at Tamanrasset Algeria on June 17, 1973 and crashed. It is still there.
This in one of the few Camel Zippos I still have. I got this one from Len Shorter back in 2002. This is my favorite of all of the many MANY Camels that have been made over the years.
Shriners are the "fun" branch of Freemasonry. Fun as in "silliness" and childish pranks. The serious side of Shrinedom is supporting our Orthopaedic Hospitals. Camels Milk? Something you might hear at a gathering of Shriners is "who's buying the next round of Camel's milk?" (beer)
Mint 1964 Campbell 66 Zippo. Frank G. Campbell used a horse and wagon in the 1920’s to make enough money to buy his first truck. Campbell’s Trucking became Campbell’s “66” Express with the purchase of 66 Rapid Express in the early 1930’ s. An employee by the name of Bill Boyd, hand painted the camel logo on the side of his trucks more than 12,000 times. Careful observation of Bill’s work would reveal that he seemed to give each camel a different personality in its face and one day he added a puff of white in front of the camel’s nose, stepped back and called him “ Snortin’ Norton”. Campbell 66 Express company declared bankruptcy in 1986.
The Casite Story had its beginning in the town of Weiner Arkansas. Traveling through the town of Weiner one day, Mr. Case needed a minor repair to his Model T Ford. He stopped at the Machine Shop of Mr. Frank Housman for service. Finding that a rusty bolt needed to be removed, but failed to yield to the tools at hand, Mr. Housman remarked that a neighbor had a homemade preparation that would soften and remove rusty deposits on metal. This proved true with the Model T and realizing the market potential for this amazing product, the two men bought the formula in 1922 for practically nothing and added it to the other items Mr. Housman was manufacturing. This is a mint in the box 1951 Zippo advertising Casite.
I received info on this beauty from Mr. Paul Chandeysson on 10/29/09. "This logo is from the Chandeysson Electric Company. Starting off in St Louis in the early 1900's as a manufacturer of small electric items such as fans (family legend has is that P I Chandeysson invented the electric racetrack rabbit). By WW2 they were manufacturing large motorgenerators used for plating and bought by every American manufacturer except Ford (we still don't buy Fords). By 1953 my grandfather was in ill health and the technology had changed. In around 1955 Chandeysson was bought by the illinois electric firm, but it still exists in some form today. I still use the logo which I believe is loosely based on the Oldsmobile logo." My sincere thanks to him.......
A mint in the box 1951 Chrysler Corporation Zippo. It is engraved J. M. Miller Auto Company on the reverse by the factory.
This mint in the box Zippo was presented to Arthur J. Robbins in 1953 by Chrysler Corporations Dodge and Plymouth Division for outstanding leadership. The red "Conference Leader" version of this Zippo is much rarer than the blue one that was given out to all participants.
Chuck Jones worked 35 years as a district representative for ZIPPO in Durham North Carolina. He passed away July 2, 2009 at age 83. A beautiful MIB tribute.
A mint in the box 1957 Cities Service Zippo.
A mint in the box 1956 Cities Service Zippo.
A mint in the box 1955 Cities Service Zippo. Another great phone number!
For the record.....NOT a fake. So much for "gut feelings" and "experience". ;-)
This is a beautiful perfect mint 1955 Cockshutt Farm Equipment Zippo with their famous original full color logo. This logo is MUCH prettier than the later 1960 that I have. Once again, the difference between later acid etch and the more labor intensive Pantograph engraved design. Very pleased.....not a flaw. New to me 9/29/11
Mint in the box 1960 advertising Zippo for Cockshutt Farm Equipment. Great name, rare Zippo.
In 1979, the advertising campaign for Coca-Cola, "Have a Coke and a Smile" was launched - it further emphasized the 'young' and 'cool' spirit. This is a nearly mint 1979 Zippo.
Absolutely perfect 1955 Coca Cola attached bottle Zippo in the correct deep box. New to me 5/2/11
Very rare mint Town and Country Zippo rule. I have seen only one other on eBay in 13 years.
Commercial Motor Freight Inc. of Indianapolis Indiana, Bankrupt in 1983. One of a very long line of bankruptcies in the 1980’s and 1990‘s. Hardly any information available about this one on the Internet (except legal judgments) Deregulation of the trucking industry in the form of the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 caused increased competition in the Less Than a TruckLoad (LTL) industry. Non-union carriers quickly began taking advantage of their lower labor costs to gain market share. Most of the companies that left us were union carriers who were unable to compete, though a few were non-union carriers. Beautiful Mint in the Box 1955 Zippo. New to me 9/6/10
Conoco began in 1875 as the Continental Oil and Transportation Co., one of the first petroleum marketers in the West. Isaac E. Blake, Conoco's founder, observed that townspeople in Ogden, Utah, still used candles and whale oil to light their homes. Although kerosene was available, hauled by the case from a primitive refinery in Colorado, it was too expensive for the thrifty pioneers. Blake figured if kerosene were imported from eastern refineries by railroad tank cars and sold in bulk, prices would drop and demand would rise. Continental was formed to capitalize on this idea. On Nov. 25, 1875, the Continental Oil and Transportation Co. was born. This is a mint 1962 Zippo
In 1929 the Continental Motors Company introduced its first aircraft engine, a seven-cylinder radial of 543.91 cu in displacement, designated as the A-70 that produced 170 hp. In 1969, Teledyne Inc. acquired Continental Motors, which became Teledyne Continental Motors. This is a mint in the box 1956 Continental Motors Zippo.
As shown on the front, this is a mint in the box 1955 Coral Sea Zippo. Christmas on a Aircraft Carrier, very cool.
Attack Squadron 42 (VA-42) also known as the "Green Pawns" (1950–1992) was a United States Navy attack squadron based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. The gullwing Corsairs were manufactured by Vought, in 16 separate models, in the longest production run of any piston-engined fighter in U.S. history (1942–1953). This is a Mint 1951, new to me 2/3/11
The reverse of my Attack Squadron 42 Zippo. The green pawn insignia is a simple, uncluttered and highly recognisable design. The symbol of the pawn was chosen because it has the most potential power of any piece on the chess board. It is also said that the aircrews said they were called the Green Pawns for two reasons: it was the Fleet Replacement Squadron (Responsible for training new aircrew and aircraft maintainers; thereby, they were green, or new); and their squadron was a pawn which could be pushed around by the fleet and the senior commands. Unable to find anything out about William Sampson except that he was a 30 year veteran Navy Lieutenant Commander who passed away in 1998 in Florida. The eBay seller found it at a consignment store in Florida 12 years ago. His family must have "tossed it out".
Crosley manufactured radios and cars in the 40's and 50's. They still make radios. This is a Mint 1952 Zippo.
Pretty rare dead mint early 1950's Canadian Curler Zippo.
Pretty hard to find 1956 line drawing Zippo.
Nice 1962 transitional silk screen Town and Country Zippo.
The Dictaphone trademark was registered in 1907 by the Graphophone Company founded by Alexander Graham Bell and Charles Sumner Tainter in 1888 that sold the first office dictation machines. Thomas Edison began to sell business dictation cylinder phonographs in 1905, and introduced the Ediphone in 1916. The Columbia Graphophone Company made Dictaphones until it sold the business to the new Dictaphone Corporation in 1923. Recordings were made on wax cylinders until 1947 when belts were introduced. Mint 1953 Zippo from this historic company.
Another transitional Town and Country Zippo.
Dr Pepper Company is the oldest major manufacturer of soft drink concentrates and syrups in the United States. It is America's unique flavor and was created, manufactured and sold beginning in 1885 in the Central Texas town of Waco Texas. This near mint Zippo with a red insert and the kinda rare (and cool) "Chevron Logo" is from 1967. New to me 8/15/11
The history of Mid-Continent (D-X Sunray) is somewhat fuzzy, due to the extreme complexity of the businesses involved in its formation and the limited availability of records from the period 1910 to 1916 when they were founded. This is a mint in the box 1955 Zippo
Very nice mint in the box 1967 Efferdent Zippo with a red felt insert. This one goes in the drawer with the other very cool 1960's advertisers. New to me 10/28/10
Perfect mint 1959 Borden company Elsie. New to me 1/20/11
Mint Town and Country Borden's "Elsie" Zippo.
In 1917 the first Boy and Slate sign appeared. It carried a straight advertising message. In no time, thousands of these happy looking advertisements appeared all along the North American highways at EN-AR-CO and White Rose gas stations. Working on the belief that if you can make a prospective customer smile, he is more likely to buy you product, the company sought to use the slate for humorous messages. They were an immediate success and soon a calendar of these messages- they were called En-Ar-Co Grams- was being sent out to dealers so that every Boy and Slate sign in North America carried the same message on the same day. EN-AR-CO and White Rose were both part of the same company and I am pleased to have one of each now. This is a DEAD mint 1956 new to me 12/2/10
Mint 1954 Zippo advertising Eaton Corporation. Eaton was born is 1911 and still exists. The figure is “Kid Reliance”. Etons logo is on the reverse. I finally found out WHAT he represents..... I chose to just show the front so the lock washer details are a bit more visible.
The logo represents Eaton Manufacturing Company Reliance Division - Massolin, Ohio. This ashtray was made in the early 1950's. Kids body is designed like the product the company made– lock washers. Lock washers must be, above all, RELIABLE, hence the name. I am very pleased to have finally found out what he represents. So much of our manufacturing history has disappeared. Eton no longer makes lock washers and the Massolin plant is now in Brazil as part of TransTechnology Corp.
Added 7/8/09. Rare red felt insert Exide battery Zippo.
This mint in the box Zippo advertising Filter Queen vacuum cleaners is from 1959.
A mint in the box 1951 fisherman Zippo.
A mint in the box 1959 Fisherman Zippo.
Very sweet mint in the box Fisk Tire 1956 Zippo. The slogan was "Time to re-tire". :-)
A mint in the box 1954 Ford Zippo.
A dead mint in the box 1952 Ford Zippo.
A very cool mint in the box Ford Zippo from 1954. This uses the natural brass for the color for major parts of the design.
This mint Zippo from 1958 advertises a company that was located not to far from where I lived in Milwaukee at that time.
A rare mint 1959 Friden Zippo. Founded by Carl Friden in 1934, Friden was one of the leading providers of high quality mechanical calculating machines.
One of my favorites. A mint perfect 1956 Gator Bowl Zippo. Cool!
This division of GE developed re-entry vehicles for the military and the space program. This is a 1959 MIB Zippo.
GE Ultra-Vision Zippo #1
The second of my two Ultra Vision Zippos. And the better.
This is another one of those that arrives even better than you could hope. Perfect, crisp box, that beautiful hand brushed finish. Somebody took real good care of this one for 56 years! A historic GM Training Center Zippo from 1955. All of these Centers are now closed my friends on the Corvette Forum tell me. Not much on the Internet. New to me 5/26/11
A mint in the box 1951 Golfer Zippo.
A mint in the box 1962 Golfer Zippo.
Mercury Astronaut Gus Grissom's Zippo presented to him in 1962 to celebrate the opening of The Houston Space Center. Each of the original seven astronauts received one with his signature on the lid. Wally Schirra's is pictured in the Japanese Zippo manual vol. four. Autographed by Scott Carpenter in 2008. Scott does not remember what happened to his Zippo but he does remember getting it.
Some pitting on reverse. Pity. Note the designation of "Houston Space City" instead of "The Johnson Space Center".
Early deep cut air brush Town and Country Grumman Zippo.
Later, not so deep cut air brush Town and Country Grumman Zippo.
Transitional silk screen Town and Country Grumman Zippo.
Transitional deep cut silk screen Town and Country Grumman Zippo.
Hard to find Mint Grumman AgCat Zippo.
Grumman Cougar Zippo received from the family of A.J. Lish. Mr. Lish was a Aerospace engineer who did some work for Grumman in the 50's. It was VERY common for engineers to exchange Zippos in the 50's during meetings. My dad had quite a few with the Allis Chalmers logo on them, one of which is in my collection. A rare and beautiful thing.
These are the two types of LEM Zippos that were sold at the Grumman store in Bethpage in the 60's.
This is a 1966 Lunar Module Zippo autographed by Al Bean, 4th man on the moon and LEM pilot for Apollo 12.
This is a 1963 LEM Zippo autographed by Fred Haise, LEM pilot for Apollo 13 in 2008. Soon after, NASA stopped calling them "Excursion Modules". Sounded too much like a carnival ride.
Autographed by Buzz Aldrin in 2001. This is a 1968 commemorative for the builders of LM5 at Bethpage. Engraved as such by Zippo on the back. This Lunar Module base is still on the Moon!
Mason & Co. was based in Newark NJ. In their heyday they were perhaps the largest gambling chip distributor in the country. This is a very colorful mint 1962 Zippo.
The original Hamm's was established in 1865 when Theodore Hamm, a German immigrant, inherited the Excelsior Brewery from his friend and business associate, A. F. Keller. Keller had constructed his brewery over artesian wells in a section of the valley of the Phalen Creek valley near Saint Paul, Minnesota, known as Swede Hollow. This is a mint in the box 1976 Zippo.
Dead mint in the box 1956 Hammerblow cable cutter Zippo. They still sell these!
Mint 1952 Country Club/Golf Zippo. Mr. Obitz was a famous Golf instructor before the war. "The Swings the Thing" is the title of his Golf instruction book.
Hastings Manufacturing was born into the automotive industry in 1915. By 1923 their focus became dedicated to the design and manufacture of piston rings. In 1956 thy invented the Flex-Vent® oil control ring, which quickly became the international standard for most engine applications, and made famous in the aftermarket by our legendary “Tough Guy” character. Nearly mint 1955 Zippo. New to me 9/15/09
Opened in 1942, Hawthorn Mellody Farms was located in northeast Illinois 30 miles north of Chicago. Hawthorn Mellody was not only a successful dairy farm, but also a mini theme park with a petting zoo, steam train, wagon rides, sports stars, cowboy heroes, and western town and provided visitors with a glimpse into farm life. The Hawthorn Mellody Farm attraction was closed in 1970. I grew up in Milwaukee in the 50’s and 60’s and I remember school “field trips” to the farm. This brings back memories. This dead mint 1968 Zippo is new to me 2/22/11.
William Henrich, a native of Roxheim, Germany, came to the United States in 1843 as a child. He founded a lumber business, Henrich Lumber Company, in Buffalo in 1866, and in 1886 opened a mill at 193 Spring Street which was regarded as one of the most modern mills in all of Buffalo. Henrich Lumber Company closed it’s doors in the mid 1960’s. This Mint 1953 Zippo is new to me 3/10/11
A very deep engraved 1955 Mint Zippo advertising HoleMaker rock bits. Pretty.
While traveling in New York State in 1908, sign painter W.E. Long saw the brand name "Holsum." He inquired about the availability of the brand name and soon obtained the exclusive right to the name "Holsum" for the W.E. Long Company. By 1909, the young painter had established his company as being a specialty house in bakery advertising. This is a mint in the box 1962 Zippo.
Homelite made one of the first chainsaws in 1949. This is a 1951 Zippo with light hairline scratches but otherwise nearly new.
A mint 1948 Zippo with "To my matchless wife" engraved by the factory on the reverse.
Rare Hudson Automobile Zippo.
An advertising copywriter for Humble Oil in Chicago came up with the advertising slogan “Put a tiger in your tank.” This is a mint 1968 Zippo.
Heartly "Hunk" Anderson played football at Notre Dame from 1918-1921 under Rockne, earning him All-American honors at guard. Anderson was also Rockne's assistant at Notre Dame from 1922-1926 while he played with the Chicago Bears. Small loss of white paint, otherwise mint 1955 Zippo.
A mint in the box 1951 Hunter Zippo.
A mint in the box 1959 two panel Hunter. A little bit of glue residue where the sticker was. New to me 11/15/11
I traded with Philip Taggart at the 2000 Swap Meet for this Zippo. It is pictured in his book, Advertising Lighters, Cars & Trucks.
This mint Zippo advertising Kaiser Metal Products dates from 1955. It was undoubtedly a prize/incentive for some new production process. I have been in manufacturing for 40 years now and a year does not go by without some "NEW" scheme to increase production. At my company today it's called "Bosch Production System" based on Toyota's similar system
The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was the result of a partnership between automobile executive Joseph W. Frazer and Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser of Kaiser Company/Kaiser Industries in 1945. The concern was the only new US automaker to achieve success after World War II, if only for a few years. A mint 1948 Kaiser Frazer automobile advertiser Zippo. I think this is the earliest one.
This is a not quite mint 1950 Kendall Oil advertiser Zippo. Kendall was the first company to advertise on a Zippo in 1934-35.
This is, to me, the most desirable of all of the 1932 -1982 Commemorative Zippos. I always wanted a Kendall Commemorative and finally found one I could afford. No fingerprints or stains that are so typical of these Brass Commemoratives. New to me 3/31/10
KFJZ TV Channel 11 first went on the air on September 11, 1955 as KFJZ-TV, the first independent station in Texas. It was owned by a group of Fort Worth businessmen, and was a sister station to KFJZ radio (1270 AM, now at 870), and later (in 1959) KFJZ-FM. This is a Mint in Box 1955 Zippo
KIMA signed on July 19, 1953 as the 200th television station in the United States and the first in central Washington. The station was originally owned by Cascade Broadcasting Company along with KIMA radio (AM 1460, now KUTI). This is a mint in the box, high polish (as opposed to brush chrome) 1953 Zippo. New to me 9/15/10.
Rare 1943 nearly mint (appears un-carried) Zippo from a period of time when as the company's Web site says, Zippo "ceased production of lighters for consumer markets and dedicated all manufacturing to the U.S. military." How did this one come to be factory engraved for Kitty????? The on-line antique store (located in Smethport, PA) that sold it to me says the original owner lived about 10 miles from the Zippo factory. I suspect that “Kitty” was a Zippo employee or friend and this was a gift. The Kitty inlay is painted with gold inlay as shown on the "Bubbles" Zippo in Poore’s book. Interesting Zippo. Obviously PLEASED! New to me 12/16/11
Nice early air brushed Town and Country Zippo from 1957.
"Little Bill" advertised on B&W TV for Commonwealth Edison as a alternative to Reddy Kilowatt and Willy Wirehand. He claimed that electricity was "Cheap....Cheap". This is a 1957 mint in box Zippo.
Wow.....what a cool Zippo. This 1958 L. A. Dodgers, Walter O'Maley signature Zippo is from the estate of Robert Chew. Mr. Chew was the private pilot for Mr. O'Malley for MANY years. Walter F O'Malley was the owner of the Dodgers from 1950 to 1979. He was the the villain who took the Dodgers from Brooklyn to L.A and was a prime mover in moving the New York Giants to the west coast. The joke at the time was.......................... If a Brooklyn fan is in a room with Hitler, Stalin and O'Malley and only has two bullets, what should he do? Shoot O'Malley twice! Facsimile signatures like this one are pretty rare from Baseball Hall Of Fame members. This MINT Zippo is a "book end" for my 1955 Brooklyn World Championship Zippo. New to me 6/27/11
Ya never know what yer gonna get when you buy that "mint" Zippo on eBay. Opening the package is always interesting (and a bit scary). In this case, this is a mint, beautiful 1959 two panel bowler. This one is MUCH, much better than expected. It is a real nice, un-tampered with, no problems found, example in a nearly flawless box. Pretty rare! New to me 1/13/11
Really MINT 1959 Loss Proof two panel Fisherman in the correct box. New to me 11/5/11
A mint 1954 Lossproof Fisherman Zippo.
This is a mint in box 1957 Lossproof hunter Zippo.
I finally found a box for this 1936 Manru Beer Zippo. Not the best condition but these are getting a bit hard to find. This Zippo was found in the rafters of a old barn where it had apparently been undisturbed since the 30's/40's, hence the light rust on the metalliques.
The back of my Manru beer Zippo with a very nice full paint Metallique..
The Massey Ferguson company was formed over the course of 160 years. Daniel Massey established his business in 1847 with a small shop to doing repairs and makeing implements for local farmers. Alanson Harris started his farm machinery company in 1857. This unused Zippo with a speck of paint missing from the Massey Ferguson logo is from 1959. New to me 5/27/11
Purchased from Joe Fearn at the 2002 Swap Meet. He is missed....by me.
The Mercer Rubber Company was founded in 1865 by the Frederick Sayen family. Mercer Rubber Company operated from a 2.5-acre site at 136 Mercer Street in Hamilton Square New Jersey, from 1866 until 1993. Mint in the box 1958 Zippo.
Very Rare PERFECTLY mint 1949 Midshipman Cruise Zippo without a medal on the reverse.
1950 Mint in box USS Missouri Zippo.
Mobil Oil Pegasus Logo engraving plate. Used by Zippo on their pantograph machine to engrave individual lighters.
Prototype Sport Series Zippo from 1972. I purchased this one from two Zippo employees at the 1998 Swap Meet.
Very pleased to have completed the "Trifecta" with this very mint 1955 New York Giants Zippo. I now have a mint or nearly mint Zippo to represent each of the major baseball teams from New York City in the early 50's, Dodgers, Yankees and Giants. The Mayfair Inn and Golf Course was purchased by the Giants in the early 50's when they were doing their spring training in Sanford. It's still there BTW. This is new to me 10/30/2010
The Nitragin Company was founded in 1898 after a Milwaukee entrepreneur purchased rights to a commercial process for the production of nitrogen-fixing fertilizer, Nitragin remained privately owned until 1982. A mint Zippo from 1958
The Norge refrigerator line was headed by a brilliant engineer named Howard Blood who dabbled in both technical and aesthetic aspects of refrigeration in the 1930's. Of some note, the early Norge refrigerators were among the first to offer "features" in addition to a cold box. This is a Mint 1962 Zippo.
Vietnam era 1967 Zippo.......dunno about the engraving tho.
This is a mint in the box 1964 Zippo advertising Poco Mona, a horse owned by the Orange Rice Milling Company. A few flea tics on the back keep it from mint....
Mint in the box 1965 Zippo with a red insert. I well remember these types of gas space heaters. This company also made the electric ones that people put in bathrooms. I only know this because they show up in searches as "antiques". The company itself has left practically no trace. Another manufacturing firm disappears.
This 1955 Absolutely MINT Zippo that features a deeply engraved Penetrol Can. The eBay auction said used but it just looked TOO damned good top be used. Took a chance, LOVE it. The Flood brand has served the Paint Industry for more than 160 years. Established in Cleveland, Ohio in 1841 as a paint contracting firm, they introduced Penetrol in 1934. They are still in business today and still sell Penetrol. Too COOL. New to me 4/30/12
This Mint in the box Pennzoil Zippo is from 1967.
Dead mint 1958 Pepsi-Cola Zippo.
This is a MINT 1947 Type 1 advertiser for Philco in a really, REALLY nice box. Starting in the 30’s, Philco was HUGE in the US as a supplier of radios, and tons of other consumer products. New to me 12/15/11
Very nice three color 1942 Philco Zippo
Phillips 66 has a history with US Highway 66. In 1927, on the "Mother Road" during a test drive of a newly developed high-octane gasoline, the vehicle reached a cruising speed of 66 mph. The new fuel was named Phillips 66. Even the logo was inspired by the road signs that dot the length of the historic highway. This is a dead mint in the box 1957 Zippo.
Mint in the box 1965 Zippo. It seems that Mr. Kruchko's son still runs a plumbing business in Michigan. New to me 10/12/10
Mint in the box Zippo from the 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates. Edit 6/4/11. I finally found out something more about this seldom seen Pittsburgh Pirates LOGO. I went to a Pirates web site and it says that this LOGO (pictured at their site) was used between 1948 and 1959. Clearly, they were still using it in 1962. ;-)
I have not been able to find much on the Internet about Pitegoff Paint Brushes. I know they existed but little else. This mint Zippo is from 1956.
Early (1950) line drawing Zippo. Very mint.
Porky Pig Town and Country Zippo. Not a transitional, a true air brushed T&C. There is one of these on display in Bradford at the museum.
Proctor and Gamble advertiser Zippo.
In 1914 in Columbus, Ohio, Fletcher Heath and Beman Dawes started the Ohio Cities Gas Co., which built its first oil refinery in West Virginia. In 1926, six years after the name of the company was changed to Pure Oil, its headquarters were moved to Chicago. This is a pretty rare 1954 mint Zippo.
This Mint in the box Quaker State advertiser Zippo is from 1975.
My favorite Zippo in my collection. The engraving is deep and the color are great. I wish I knew something about the R.E. Book & Sons. Thanks to Michael H from the ZEN forum, it appears that these guys supplied some sort of "improvements" to the Government of Ontario in 1944: To The Honourable Albert Matthews, Lieutettant-Governor of the Province of Ontario. May It Please Your Honour: The undersigned has the honour to present to Your Honour the Public Accounts of the Province of Ontario for the year ended March 31st, 1944. Respectfully submitted, Leslie M. Frost, Treasurer. Treasury Department, Ontario, November 30th, 1944. Repairs and Alterations ($999.81) Beaver Lumber Co., Ltd., 189.90; R. E. Book & Sons, 153.81; G. C. Hampton, 382.84; Accounts under $100, 273.26 999 81
This is a dead mint 1962 Zippo from the prime recovery ship for the 1961 launch of Americas first man in space, Alan Shepard. This beauty commemorates that event. I am told that these Zippos were sold only through ships stores. Interestingly, in 1962 the Lake Champlain was one of the prime ships sent by the Navy to enforce America's blockade against the island of Cuba during the missile crisis. Quite a history for a little Zippo! I am sending the box top off the John Glenn to get it autographed (hopefully). New to my collection 5/13/11. I came home today, 7/27/11, to find this in the mail box! I am very pleased that a American Hero, at age 90 was kind enough to take the time to autograph my Zippo. Really.......... God Speed John Glenn!
This original 1965 Gemini 5 Recovery Zippo was autographed by Guenter Wendt (Pad Leader at the cape for Mercury through Apollo) in 2008. The "Pad Führer", passed away in 2010, may he Rest in Peace. It was my great privilege to meet him a few times. Lot's of funny, interesting stories about the Astronauts.
1966 Zippo autographed by Jim Lovell who was on this flight with Buzz Aldrin. Very nice guy who very rarely autographs items like this anymore. He liked this one.......
Scotty Carpenter Autographed Sigma 7 Recovery Zippo.
I had astronaut Dave Scott autograph this 1964 Gemini 4 Recovery Zippo. Dave flew Gemini 8 with Neil Armstrong, He then flew Apollo 9, the third manned flight of the Apollo series. He was the Commander of Apollo 15 and spent over 18 hours on the lunar surface. Incredible!
I really love these early 1950's Line Drawing Zippos. This is a 1951. So rare in Mint condition.
This engraving plate was displayed by Zippo at the OTLS show in Charlotte, NC in 2001. They have the plate and I have the Zippo. :-)
The REO Motor Car Company was a Lansing, Michigan based company that produced automobiles and trucks from 1905 to 1975. At one point the company also manufactured buses on its truck platforms. This is a mint in the box 1947 Zippo.
Whip Topping Mint in box 1964
Always looking to upgrade the collection, I will eventually replace my 1968 Red Flame box Rich’s Whip with this mint perfect 1960 purchased 1/5/12. The price was just too good to pass up.
Mint 1953 Rold Gold Pretzels Zippo.
Funny thing, when I got this on eBay, the picture was SOOO bad that I thought this was about a guy selling flowers. LOL Turns out this beautiful mint 1950 Line Drawn Zippo is a advertiser for Rose Pest Solutions which has its roots in our nation's oldest pest management company - Rose Exterminator Co. They were originally known as Rose's Rat Exterminator Co., founded by Solomon Rose around 1860 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Reports show that Rose sold large quantities of pyrethrum powders to the Union Army during the Civil War to kill “cooties” (body lice). I love the old telephone number!
Mint in box 1938
Nearly mint 1940
Claude Hatcher, a young graduate pharmacist in Columbus, Georgia, began creating soft drinks in the basement of his family's wholesale grocery business in 1905. The Company’s first cola product was Chero-Cola. In 1934, Chero-Cola was reformulated and launched under the name of Royal Crown Cola. This is a nearly mint (some light scratches) 1949 Zippo.
This is a mint in the proper box 1950 Royal Crown Cola Zippo.
The LGP-30 may well be considered the first personal computer. It was an air-cooled, desk-sized, single-user machine. It ran on “only” 1500 Watts of power from a regular 110-volt room outlet and required no special air conditioning. It was also extraordinarily successful. More than 500 LGP-30s were built and sold in the late 1950s and early 1960s, at a time when the sale of one, two, or three units per design was the norm. Mint 1959 Zippo.
There's a high-seas adventure story behind the creation of Rust-Oleum coatings. A Scottish-born sea captain, Robert Fergusson, noticed that when raw fish oil spilled on rusty metal decks, corrosion stopped spreading. This observation inspired the Captain to create the world's first rust-preventive paint in 1921. This is a mint in box 1965 Zippo
This Mint in the box Santa Fe Zippo is from 1978.
This mint 1956 Zippo was obtained from the family of the gent who received it at the Brooklyn Naval Yard at the commissioning of the USS Saratoga. Why the hell would anyone sell a family heirloom for $76.00??
Prototype Zippo commemorating the launch of the NS Savannah, the worlds first nuclear powered cargo ship. The only other one that I know of is a slim on display in Bradford at the museum.
This display shows my launch Zippo with one of the original dinner plates from the Savannah. My very good friend Guenter Weber presented this to me last night. Quite a surprise!! Guenter has a really wonderful collection of artifacts from the Savannah.
A mint in box 1957 Schlitz Beer Zippo.
Here is a interesting contrast in Quality/Beauty in Zippo decoration. This is a MINT 1958 Zippo with a "acid etch" Seeburg 2200 Juke box on the front. When compared with the 1953 "pantograph etch" Seeburg, the difference is really amazing. The pantograph etch, hand painted designs on the early so called "hand brushed" case are really beautiful. Nothing wrong with this one, just not as nice.
A really gorgeous, very deep engraved, three color 1953 Zippo. It advertises the old Seeburg Select-o-matic Jukebox. The Seeburg M100C was produced in 1952 and sold for $1050. It could play 100 selections, or both sides of 50 records. Selections were 1 for $.05, 2 for $.10 and 6 for $.25. Mint and new to me 6/3/11
This mint 1950 Servil Zippo was purchased by me at my table at the 1998 Swap Meet in Bradford. I miss the old Swap Meets.
Henry Sherwin and Edward Williams established the Sherwin-Williams Company in 1866, in Cleveland, Ohio. This is a mint in the box 1973 Zippo.
This mint 1951 Shriner was purchased on eBay in 1999 from the widow of the original owner. She e-mailed me that he had received for his fund raising achievements in that year. None of his sons wanted it. Seems a pity.
Sinclair Oil Corporation was founded by Harry F. Sinclair on May 1, 1916 as the Sinclair Oil & Refining Corporation by combining the assets of 11 small petroleum companies. This is a Mint in the box 1958 Zippo.
This Mint Gift set for Skelly Oil is from 1954. It still has some fluid in the can.
This is a perfect mint in the box 1969 Zippo advertising AMF's new Ski-Daddler Model 5818.
A rare mint 1962 two panel Skier Zippo in the original box. 1962 was the last year for red stripe boxes.
SoundScriber Disc was a Dictation format introduced in 1945 by The SoundScriber Corp. . It recorded sound by "pressing" grooves into soft Vinyl discs, and, along with the competing Gray Audograph and DictaBelt, is one of the few examples of a groove-based consumer recording medium. The format remained popular for two decades. 1957 Mint Zippo.
SoundScriber Disc was a Dictation format introduced in 1945 by The SoundScriber Corp. It recorded sound by "pressing" grooves into soft Vinyl discs, and, along with the competing Gray Audograph and DictaBelt, is one of the few examples of a groove-based consumer recording medium. The format remained popular for two decades. 1951 Mint Zippo.
Added 7/8/09
Mint 1957 Spring City Knitting Zippo in its rare original box.
Nice, nearly mint 1936. I can see no sign of old paint in the Metallique??
In 1948 the Standard-Vacuum Oil Company of South Africa (a Mobil Oil affiliate) approached the South African Government with the idea of building the country's first crude oil refinery. In February 1951, the Standard-Vacuum Refining Company of South Africa was registered, and plans were announced to build a new refinery to the south of Durban harbor. On 25 April 1952 the foundation stone was laid. Almost two years later, on 2 January 1954, the first barrel of crude was sent to the Standard-Vacuum Oil Refinery. This is a Mint 1954 Zippo, sporting a nice Pegasus, commemorating this event.
This is the front of my Mint 1976 Standard Oil Bicentennial Zippo
This is the reverse of my Mint 1976 Standard Oil Bicentennial Zippo.
This Mint in box State Farm Insurance Zippo is from 1967.
This is a Mint 1973 Zippo advertising Stouffer's Bakery's "Sidney". I have been unable to find anything out about him.
Mint early "Tac-O-Loop" in the original #275 box. Made before Zippo attached cords to the loops.
Not a scratch.
I am very pleased to have this 1956 Teddy Snow Crop Zippo. Created in 1949, Teddy Snow Crop, impersonated by midget Stormy Bergh, promoted Snow Crop products in personal appearances for many years. Frozen concentrated orange juice was the bellwether of the Snow Crop line.
This mint Zippo from 1955 advertises C & P Telephone with a very deeply engraved old rotary phone.
The “Little Orphan Annie” girl on the front of my 1949 Zippo advertises a small grocery store chain that was prominent in the St. Louis area in the 40s and 50’s. There is no trace that I can find of any history of the original chain. There are a few pictures out there of old Tom-Boy Market signs that are still up in front of long abandoned store fronts. New to me 8/18/11
Tidewater Oil was founded in New York State in 1887. Tidewater was best known for its Flying A branded products and gas stations, and for Veedol motor oil, which was known throughout the world. Flying A was closely linked with Far West college football and basketball between the late 1920s and early 1960s, and "Play ball with Flying A!" was a familiar slogan to sports fans. This is a mint in the box 1951 Tydol Flying A Zippo. New to me 11/1/10
Union Oil first introduced "76" gasoline in 1932. The name referred to the American "Spirit of '76," and was also the octane rating of the gasoline in 1932. This is a mint 1948 Zippo.
The Litchfield Rubber Co. moved to Naugatuck, Connecticut in 1847. By 1892, there were many rubber manufacturing companies in Naugatuck, as well as elsewhere in Connecticut. Nine companies consolidated their operations in Naugatuck to become the United States Rubber Company. From 1892 to 1913, the rubber footwear divisions of U.S. Rubber were manufacturing their products under 30 different brand names. The company consolidated these brands under one name, Keds, in 1916, and were first mass-marketed as canvas-top "sneakers" in 1917. These were the first sneakers. Mint 1948 Zippo.
A mint in box 1955 Valvair Zippo. Valvair still makes pneumatic solenoids as part of Parker Hannifin Corporation. New to me 1/12/10
The F-8 Crusader was the last U.S. fighter designed with guns as its primary weapon. When conflict erupted in the skies over North Vietnam , it was U.S. Navy Crusaders that first tangled with Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) MiGs in August 1965.
This is the back of the The F-8 Crusader Zippo. Mint in the box 1956 with that great "hand brushed" finish.
I want to thank my friend Theo in Dortmund for getting this one for me. WHAT a struggle to get it here! He shipped to me in early April. It was returned to him to remove the lighter fluid bottle and flints. He re-shipped May 27 (kept it a secret) and I just got it this week. Anyway, I am hunting a new German tin and will post a new pic then. THANKS THEO!!! Edit, 7/1/11....Tin and flint arrived from Theo. New picture with them and............. thanks again mate!
I had one of these lighters in my collection for a while. I sold it a few years ago. I have not ever seen this ruler advertiser. Pretty neat.
WDTV as Channel 3 began life in the city of Pittsburgh, PA, and was owned by the Dumont Television Network. Dumont sold WDTV to Westinghouse in late 1954. It was then switched to channel 2, where it was later renamed to KDKA after their AM radio station. Dumont went bankrupt shortly after the sale to Westinghouse. KDKA is presently owned by Viacom/CBS. It is not yet clear when that purchase took place from Westinghouse. This is a mint 1954 Zippo.
I remember visiting Webb's in the late 50's and early 60's when my parents took us on vacation to Clearwater Florida. Talk about great deals! They used to sell dollars for 95 cents during their big sales! LOL! This is a close to mint 1955 Zippo.
This mint in the box Zippo advertising Westinghouse Wall Line Water Coolers dates from 1958.
In the early 60's, The White Motor Co. made a fatal mistake when it decided to move back to gasoline truck engines just as the government was trying to lower engine emissions. It named its new engines “Mustang” and “White Giesel.” It had also over extended itself with acquisitions and fell into heavy debt. The White Motor company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 1980. This mint 1961 Zippo is new to me 7/20/11
Mint early '50's Canadian Zippo advertising White Rose Gasoline.
Beautiful 1950 line drawing on a hand brush finish Zippo that advertises Radio Station WIRE. Anyone who has seen pictures of the rows of ladies at the Zippo factory hand engraving these lighters with pantograph machines THEN hand painting them during this era can appreciate this one.
Rare Wurlitzer "Johnny One Note" Zippo.
In 1939, Chestien Wynn, a 70 year old retired attorney with an interest in lubrication chemistry, discovered a formula he named "Wynn's Friction Proofing" Oil. This surface treatment for metal claims to actually change the chemistry of the metal, making it softer and better able to withstand friction and wear. Wynn would mix a batch of his product in his one car garage workshop, fill and label glass bottles with it and sell them to the local service stations and garages. Motorists, who used the products once, wanted another bottle of it. Mint in the box 1957 Zippo.
This unused 1951 New York Yankees Baseball Zippo lost some paint on the uniform and shoe when I cleaned it after receiving it 5 years ago. I wipe all of my old Zippos down with lighter fluid once after I get them. In this case, Oh well.
