0001-Used Zippo (original) for saleAvailable:1pc (Black color Zippo)
12th May 2010:Sold the Brass Zippo to Mr Rizal from Johor Bahru25th May 2010: Sold the black Zippo to Mr Rizal from Johor Bahru-Thks for your continuous support
At the bottom of the "brass color" written as:
B Zippo IX
Bradford PA MADE IN U.S.A
At the bottom of the "black color" written as:
D Zippo XI
Bradford PA MADE IN U.S.A
Brief Zippo history
Founder George G Blaisdell (1895 - 1978)
Zippo was founded in 1932 when George G. Blaisdell decided to create a lighter that would look good and be easy to use. On a warm summer night in 1931 George was at the Bradford Country Club. Legend has it that he stepped outside and was in conversation with a very elegantly dressed man. His acquaintance lit a cigarette with a lighter which seemed to George a clumsy and unsightly accessory for such a well dressed man and he couldn’t help remarking “You’re all dressed up, why don’t you get a lighter that looks decent?” “Because it works” was the reply.
That answer so impressed the practical minded George that he applied for, and was granted, the US distribution rights for the $1.00 Austrian made lighter. This consisted of two main pieces, a removable brass lid, and a brass bottom case that held the wick, fuel reservoir and striking mechanism. In an effort to improve the lighters appearance he persuaded the Austrian manufacturers to chrome plate the the case, but sales were still disappointing and he soon gave up his distribution rights for the imported lighter.
In 1932 he set out to design and manufacture a lighter of his own. He rented a small workshop above the Rickerson & Pryde garage in Bradford for $10.00 a month. His original investment was $800.00 and he employed six people. Fascinated by another recent invention, the zipper, he called his new lighter Zippo and backed it with a Lifetime Guarantee. The first 1933 lighter was one-quarter inch taller than the ones we know today, and it had sharp square corners and an external hinge.
Those early years must have been pretty tough, but here we are in 2008 and Zippo has produced over 400 million windproof lighters since its founding in 1932. Except for improvements to the flint wheel, hinges, and modifications in case finishes, his original design remains virtually unchanged today. The Lifetime Guarantee that accompanies every Zippo metal product still guarantees that “It works or we fix it free”
George G. Blaisdell remained as head of his company until he passed away in 1978.
Build your product with integrity .... stand behind it 100% and success will follow.
George G Blaisdell.
Zippo date codes.
Date codes were originally put on the bottom of Zippo lighters to track the types of repairs that were being performed and I doubt that anybody at the time would have realised how that move would make these lighters so collectable.
Slim lighters were first introduced in 1956 with no markings, the markings were introduced in 1957 and overlapped into 1958. From 1966 the date codes for slim lighters has been the same as the regular size lighters. The codes below will help you to date your Zippo but other factors need to be taken into account. For example, the earlier inserts also have different markings for certain years and it can be quite hard at times to accurately date your lighter.
Date codes for slim line Zippo lighters.
1957 .... .... 1958 .... .... and .... ... 1959 ... ... 1960 ... .. 1961 .. .. 1962 .. . 1963 . . 1964 . One dot left side. 1965 no markings.
Original 1933 Zippo lighter.
Collectors dream about owning an authentic 1933 Zippo lighter, but few ever have the opportunity to make that dream a reality. For the first time, Zippo took an original high polish chrome 1933 lighter from the company vault and put it up for bids at the 75th Anniversary Celebration auction.
This lighter had never been out of Zippo's possession. Distinctive features such as the longer length, sharper side planes, outside hinge, and square corners validate the lighter as a genuine 1933 Zippo model. The insert displays a claw-shaped cam characteristic of the first year of production. The high polish chrome finish is in very good to mint condition.
Winning bid - $37,000.00
The 75th Anniversary Celebration auction was held on 28th July 2007 at the grounds of the Zippo/Case Visitor Centre in Bradford, PA. USA. This lighter and many other one of a kind, proto type, and limited editions were kindly donated by different companies and individuals alike for inclusion in this charity auction.
The previous highest prices paid for these early Zippo lighters were $18,000.00 for one that was sold at the 2004 Tokyo Swap Meet, and $22,500.00 for a 1935 outside hinge 14kt gold one that was sold on eBay in June 2007
