Novel Lark: Zippo Windy Girl

We continue our traditional categories "Collectors". Resource ZippoCollector.ru always had its own unique members: most of them are interesting and talented people with a refined aesthetic taste, which has its own particular vision of beauty. The hero of this article - is no exception. Dear readers, this time on his remarkable thematic collection will tell us a permanent forum member ZippoCollector.ru Roman lark.
PS All photos contained in this review are the copyright.

Dear collectors and lovers of lighter ZIPPO.

My name is Roman Lark, I live in Moscow and in his free time working in the collectibles Art Institute named after VI Surikov.

My acquaintance with ZIPPO was in 1994 when I was 16 years old.

A neighbor, a grown man, sitting on a bench at the entrance and a monotone "flipped" cover. I asked to see his toy, and he proudly handed me the iron box. "This Zippo, Lighter American" - with some disdain in my address he stated.

Then, in the early nineties, the country was overrun by one import: double cassette recorders, video recorders, the Mars Snickers, Donald chewing gum, Coca-Cola, of course, lighter ZIPPO poured into our lives. Nobody knew their catalog numbers, names coatings did not understand Date: all this was just ZIPPO. No other unnecessary refinements.

Get a hold of this piece of stamped brass, memory began to revive footage of Hollywood blockbusters, in which "it" has already occurred: Indiana Jones, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, Die Hard, and another, and another, and another. Then he remembered that the Zippo - an essential attribute of bikers, rockers and other informal folk.

Being at that time a representative of the underground youth, absorbed heavy music, instantly formed a wish: "I want!". Especially, jacket, leather jackets with a suitable pocket already had, and I smoked at the time, I must admit, like a chimney.

So I got my first real U.S. lighter ZIPPO: gold, polished, with sprawling wings eagle Harley Davidson.

Even now, almost 20 years later, I remember how ZIPPO gaining popularity, evolving from uncomplicated gizmos in the subject of religion. It is hard to imagine any youth group, which does not have a recognizable came the clatter.

But I enjoyed my cigarette lighter is not a long time - two years, maybe three. From the constant wearing of "gilding" began to descend, from the sale of virtually disappeared "regular" gasoline, replaced smoky substitute and by switching to disposable lighters, like Cricket, my fetish migrated to the bookshelf.

Afterwards, I tried several times to revive the tradition of using petrol lighter, but all in vain. Until now, it lies in his leather waist pouch from the eponymous manufacturer.

Probably never would have, I did not use ZIPPO and, moreover, has not started to collect them, if not for New Year's Eve 2011/2012, when my girlfriend gave me a gift: overturned everything upside down BottomzUp. Until that day, I had never heard of the lighters with two stamps, and generally knew little about ZIPPO. As usual, all new inspires confidence, and I went to surf the Internet in search of information on how to determine the authenticity of my gift. I soon came across a Russian site collectors ZippoCollector.ru. A couple of days left to the study of the principles and details of this tricky business. In parallel, I stare at the collection of other participants: the ships, vintage copies of "cigarette" series, etc. Around this time, the first time he saw the lighter series Windy Girl. Somewhat later, after walking for online shopping, found that in nature there are many lighters with the girls - all different designs, shapes, colors. I liked them very much, we can say sank into the soul, and I decided to buy several different instances. However, I was disappointed: the windows of the samples presented on hands. There was only one possible option - to try to develop an international trading platform. So I tried to make my first purchase on eBay. To my surprise, everything turned out, there were no problems, and ....

And so there was a relationship.

Further, like any collector, are increasingly spoiled for choice, with more and more necessary to indulge in various pleasures of life with only one purpose - to get another favorite instance. My collection began to multiply, to fill up not only serial but also quite rare specimens.

First in my future collection was lighter ZIPPO Harvest Bronze Windy Girl by MAZZI. The most valuable of the currently available, consider it a model Replica 1941 Replica and 1937 ZIPPO Windproof Lady with falling leaves and the letter «Z» Damsel on the sleeve coat. Although, of course, the distinction between more or less I have no favorite: each is valuable in its own way and all their love. Here, I think, it is worth noting that the value of the lighter is determined by its prevalence, or, more correctly - a rarity, but no cash equivalent. Although, as is usually the case, the less frequently found in nature particular instance, the less he released copies, so it is usually more expensive than necessary.

As an example, I can give a couple of his lighter: Windy Girl Deluxe Gift Kit Satin chrome and Windy Girl * She passed the fan test White matte. And one, and the second produced in limited series of 30 copies. Both have serial number 25/30. That's all. Later, the assembly line factory ZIPPO gone conventional, serial lighters similar coatings and images full of doubles, so to speak, but without the numbers. And may they all have the same cost, but "license" will always be more valuable than the lighter. In any case, for collectors.

The bulk of his lighters I acquired abroad. The main reason - more choice. Last but not least is the question of price, because we all know that it is much cheaper. To date, I have established business contacts with several vendors from Europe and the United States, which themselves inform me about the admission of new products in its stores in a series of Windy Girl: write, suggest, remind. I buy. Overall - a close mutually beneficial cooperation, interesting for both parties.

As the collection of a desire to present it to the audience. Agree to have a collection of something, and enjoy it alone, at least, not interested. Need to take a picture and put it all online for public review. Then I helped my long-standing interest in photography: with a mini-photo studio, I try to combine a simple subject shooting with the original creative idea and technology. For example, at the moment, I am preparing a series of works using anaglyph technology - the so-called stereo that you want to browse through special stereo glasses with red / blue filter. Lovers to spend their leisure in cinemas will understand what is at stake. Produce unusual and quite interesting. Several of these works I presented on the notorious among fans ZIPPO forum ZEN, and received positive reviews from teammates. This not only brings the joy of the offense, but also stimulates me to create new works that are of interest not only to me but also to colleagues on hobby.

My main collaborator on collecting - my girl Eugene. The one through which revived passion ZIPPO. It is for me and the main generator of ideas, it is also the critic photographs. That is, a creative director. As Windy Girl - is lighter with a picture of girls, but for me, after all, the girl first, and then the lighter, we sometimes give them appropriate feminine attributes: polishes, lipsticks, bracelets, flowers, perfume, candy. In general, all that will adorn a woman, even from the picture, but what can not possibly be a man. All these women "joy" Jack I gladly supplies, helping to create the installation for the shootings. She also, no less carefully than I did, tracks appearing on the market lighters, said what, where and how much. In a word - a fan of "vindyushek." Other relatives / friends / acquaintances, though sympathetic to my hobby, but for the most part, do not share it. There are around me and those who believe it is a useless exercise, or even foolish. Well, collecting is not a business, it is not profitable.

That's all that I wanted to say. Everything else for me doskazhut photos of my lighters. Their further recruitment in the collection, I will spread on your page to display. Check back often, watch, rate. Thank you.

Novel Lark

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