ZippoCollector.ru interview for the Ukrainian magazine «Machine»

In the April issue of the Ukrainian glossy magazine «Machine», it so happened, there is little material - namely, my interview about Zippo :)

Read the online version of the article can be on the magazine's website .

Unfortunately, the log format can fit quite a bit of everything I narasskazyval. But here I am publishing the full data of the interview (in my original version) - tried in vain, or what? :)

Inna Krapivtseva questions asked and answered yours truly :)

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- Tell us a little about yourself: who you are, what you do (life outside Zippo), where did your passion, your first cigarette lighter. When they began to collect and how much lighter now items in your collection?

- I have worked for many years in the IT-field, had worked in the area of ​​technical support (from a simple engineer to the head of technical support large hosting company), I now work as a manager of IT-projects.

Zippo was carried away about 3 years ago, as usual, it was an accident - gave a lighter, accidentally fell into the hands of a second, and slowly I "hooked." I became interested in the history of Zippo, search for information on collecting, and, of course, collect collection. Pretty soon it became clear that the Russian media about Zippo almost there, except for a couple of articles on the history of the company, so had to fill this gap - now I'm the first Russian site about collecting Zippo zippocollector.ru, ru_zippo community on LiveJournal, and is the author article about the Zippo in Russian Wikipedia - this article late last year received the status of a "good article" and resistance with value most complete description of the history of Zippo in Russian.

Now I have a collection of about 40-50 lighters. The main theme of the collection - old advertising Zippo lighters 1940-1970's with images of trucks and heavy equipment, but often I found other instances that have come to the collection, simply because love :)

- Does your collection is unique lighters, in your opinion, and what would you like to get?

- Quite unique specimens I still can not boast, but on the other hand, since I was primarily interested in vintage advertising lighters, Zippo, each of them is unique and for each there is a story, for example, the company advertised on the lighter. So to me, is valuable and unique every old copy.

- Why did you just got carried away Zippo?

- By chance, it was worth the first time he borrowed a few days Zippo lighter and read a couple of articles about the history of Zippo, as a matter of me "take over".

- What are the prices for lighters? I understand the question strange, lighters - hundreds, but still - expansion of prices from the most ordinary items to rare, so to speak, a record price. The most expensive lighter Zippo? That what deficiencies reduce cost lighters?

- Speaking of the modern lighters that are made now and sold in stores, prices in Russia starting from about 15-20 dollars depending on the model, can be up to 70-100. There are rare and collectible models, which can be found on sale, and for $ 200-300, about the same cost and Zippo lighters made of silver. The most expensive serial sovermennaya Zippo is about 8-12 thousand dollars - an exclusive model made of gold 750th sample.

If we take the vintage Zippo, a range of prices here can be much greater and the price depends primarily on the rarity of the lighters and demand from collectors. For example, the lighter of the first years of production (from 1933 to 1940) are valued most, the price at the auction can go up to 2-3 thousand dollars. Zippo lighters during World too valuable, they can be depending on the condition of 100 to 500-600 dollars. There are known instances and series, which are always in high demand by collectors and the price is also usually very high. For example, the famous lighter «Moonlanding», released in 1969 to commemorate the landing of American astronauts to the moon - each drawing is a lighter hand, auctions, this lighter consistently sells for $ 200-400. Traditionally high demand (and hence prices) for lighters advertising world famous brands, or lighters, dedicated to famous people and events.

Vintage lighters state also has a big effect on the price. Old lighters in original boxes are always more expensive by 30-50%, especially if she Lighter "like new", ie never to be kindled, not refill petrol and never taken out of its box. For example, in online auctions I saw a huge range of prices on the lighter 1946 issue - from 20-30 dollars for a heavily worn and scratched copy to about $ 600 for the same, but completely intact and in original box of vremneni. This can be observed with any other model of release: the spread can be very large.

Record prices given for Zippo - 37.000 dollars in 2007 in Bradford, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Zippo Manufacturing Company the company auctioned off a copy in 1933, and that's just enough to pay for zazhiglaku French collector and part-time head of the French Mission Zippo. And the last record price - it sells on Ebay in January 2009, the same Zippo in 1933, slightly the used condition, it went for $ 11,758.98 (this I wrote on the site .) Although, of course, such prices are more the exception, but if somewhere every few years there is a sale of a copy of the first issue Zippo (beginning in 1933), the price for it is almost always a five-digit number in dollars.

- How many in Russia and the former Soviet Union collectors Zippo?

- No, not very much, but their number is growing. Most of those who are interested in modern and collects Zippo lighters are available in stores, the benefit of the annual range of Zippo is very large and there you can find copies for everyone. For example, some of my friends collect lighters with symbols of Harley-Davidson, Jim Beam, etc. Much less those who collect vintage Zippo - mostly because of the old Zippo market in Russia as such there is little, and they can be purchased only on foreign online auctions.

- Do you smoke?

- Yes, I smoke, although in recent years much less than before, and do not lose hope quit altogether. However, smoking and passion Zippo actually have nothing to do - there are many people who collect Zippo and do not smoke, they were passionate pure idea of ​​collecting.

- The main advantage of Zippo lighters and major drawbacks. Are there any disadvantages of these lighters?

- When the Zippo lighter was released to the U.S. market in 1933, its main advantage was advertised windproof - Design lighters can use it at a sufficiently high wind and flame is not blown. The second advantage of genius publicity stunt its inventor George Blaisdell - the famous lifetime warranty. Actually, these advantages and remained unchanged until now - Zippo burns on Werth, and if broken, the company will repair free of charge any Zippo lighter, regardless of what happened to her.

On the downside, I would say this is more a disadvantage, and especially - the need to care for a cigarette lighter. At least it must be ensured that no gasoline was over and time to fill it (on average one filling lighters lasts a week), and replace the flint. Some are lazy - it's easier to buy a disposable lighter and throw it away, when it will end. But those who truly love Zippo, on its one-time, of course, would not change. Some also complain sometimes the smell of gasoline coming from the
lighter, but it is also a subjective element, the more that the refueling brand gasoline smell not.

- Key lighters, which are prized by collectors especially - maybe some special limited editions or used with famous people ...

- Each collector collects lighters on your topic and therefore can not say that any instance of uniquely valuable or more popular than the other - for someone he is not interested and the other collectors are willing to pay for it is a large amount. But higher demand ogranichnnye collectible series (Zippo company produces such a regular basis, and from 1992 to 2002 produced a limited edition series called «Collectible of the Year»: lighters each year devoted to various historical events or dates in the history of the company, special packaging, which were designed specifically for collectors), and, as I wrote above, lighter with advertising brands, the first years of production lighters, Zippo World War II or the Vietnam War, issue devoted to famous people or events, etc . on But in general, I repeat, every collector is most valuable precisely the lighter, which he wants to get to your collection.

- Can we say that for you lighters Zippo - not just a hobby, but a business? Can I make money on it?

- For me it is only a hobby, but I'm sure that if you ask for, then it is possible to earn - Especially if devote enough time and good knowledge of the market and the needs of those who buy Zippo. Who knows, maybe this hobby and go to the next level :)

- Are you in contact with foreign clubs fans Zippo?

- Yes, of course. I am a member of the official U.S. Collectors Club Zippo Click (This club is sponsored by the company Zippo Manufacturing) and online club Zippo Enthusiast Network, which brings together about two hundred Zippo serious collectors from around the world, I have a lot of friends collectors from the U.S., Britain, Germany, with whom I communicate on the Internet. Also, a lot of members in the community ru_zippo on LiveJournal, I know there's a lot of talk among themselves.

The good news - this year, together with the official Zippo distributor in Russia, the company "Korolus" we open the first official Russian collectors club Zippo, where we plan to conduct live meetings participants produce (with Zippo Manufacturing Company) special limited series of lighters Club members. On looking for is already open club website: clubzippo.ru - everyone can join it, create interest groups, chat with other members in person or online, etc.

- Where can I buy exclusive model lighters?

- In Russia (Ukraine, I believe, too), there are no specialized stores Zippo - usually they are sold in gift shops, tobacco shops, etc. A sign that the vendors selling these Zippo - brand presence rotating display cases with lighters. These Zippo can not be sold in stalls or on trays! Each year the company produces a catalog of Zippo lighters, which consists of two parts - «Complete Line» (full range) and «Choice Collection» - the most beautiful and exclusive model year. These directories are available on the official website of Zippo, and if you are looking for a particular model of lighter (and each listing has its own article), it is easier to contact the distributor of the Zippo and find out where to buy a particular model.

As for vintage Zippo, then they can be purchased either on-line auctions, or from Western collectors.

- Where you complete your collection? Have interesting stories when you got a lighter?

- As a rule, I was vintage lighters fall either with online auctions, or from my foreign friends kolektsionerov. Current models of lighters commonly available in stores or at the Russian distributor Zippo.

About interesting cases - to be honest, I do not remember ... :) I can only tell the subject: sobiraenie any collection always takes patience and time, and the Zippo is no exception. Most important - is to determine the order for which you want to collect Zippo theme and stick to it - because collection is important not primarily size and fullness. Therefore, the search of interesting lighters is a very exciting process, but not fast, and still often have to fight the temptation to buy something "beautiful, but unnecessary" - different lighters with multiple and sometimes so tempted to buy something unusual and beautiful simply because they really liked :)

- Is there a collectors authoritative personality? Who is the biggest collector of lighters in the world?

- I can not answer about the biggest collector ... but their authority is, of course. First of all, the authors of books about Zippo. Such basic books for collectors issued no more than 10 names, and the most widely known and regarded as the "canonical" are three of the main (David Pura book on the history and collecting Zippo, Philip Taggart's book about the history of Zippo with automotive advertising, and a book about the history of Jim Fiorella Zippo the Vietnam War). In addition, there are several of the most famous collectible Zippo-sites are visited by almost every collector - their authors are also quite known among collectors. A list of these sites is given in the article on Wikipedia .

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