Special Limited Edition Zippo Lighters

The Zippo lighter was granted a patent in 1936 and they became instantly popular, particularly with U.S. military personnel serving in WWII, in fact they ceased production for civilian markets for a period in order to ensure that the business could fulfill all military demand. Zippo lighters have been popular with military personnel ever since, it is traditional to have unit crests and badges inscribed onto the face of the lighter, but many American soldiers during the Vietnam war also had them inscribed with moral-boosting personal mottos or reminders of home. War time Zippo lighters are now highly sought after by collectors.

Zippo lighters will always be collectible and even the most common will retain at least a little value for resale. Some of the modern Zippo lighters will be worth money one day, and others never will, just like McDonald's toys and Ty Beanie Babies. The trick in investing in collectibles of the future is to identify the products which you believe will be at least a little restricted in supply, buy that product, and then store it in perfect condition - preferably even in packaging - for the long term. I can't tell you which Zippo lighters I think will be worth money in the future, because this would constitute financial advice, which I am not certified or qualified to provide. I can however tell you that I only buy brand new Zippo lighters which I believe will one day become collectible, and I can tell you which ones I have bought, whether you copy me and make the same investments is completely up to you!

To your right you can see the brand new 80th anniversary Zippo lighter, released this year to commemorate the first 80 years of a business which will still be going strong long after you or I pass away, and probably long after your grandchildren pass away. This lighter isn't severely restricted, in fact some 41932 pieces will be sold worldwide, but this lighter is shipped in a beaitiful unique white gift box and is made in the USA. Ask yourself how many of those 41932 will be heavily used or lost? Now, ask yourself how many buyers will keep these safe in a display cabinet or in the original packaging? How many will be in perfect condition in fifty years time? 

To help you with this, I've seen 40th anniversary Zippo lighters for sale at $200+, and they are very difficult to find in the United States. I've actually seen more for sale in the UK, where they can achieve well over £150 ($225) in what can be described as 'good' condition. There can be no guarantees that the 80th anniversary lighters will match this price of course, but then again they could even exceed it. Zippo lighters can appreciate in value significantly if you buy the right lighter at the right price. When I made the decision to buy the Zippo 28249 I considered it to be the right price, I purchased from Amazon where the price is typically under $60! Check out the Amazon link to the right to see today's exact price.

Another lighter which looks like it could appreciate in value is this contemporary replica of the classic 1941 Zippo Satin. This lighter is made from solid sterling silver, 4.8 ounces of sterling silver in fact, meaning that you benefit not only from the unbeatable functionality of an American made Zippo lighter, and the safeguard of a lifetime guarantee, but also from the knowledge that you possess precious metals that you can cash in for scrap value at any stage when you may need money in the future. You are investing not in the potential scarcity of this lighter, but the potential value of the materials that it is made from! With the lighter costing around $120 at time of writing, and the scrap value of silver being $31 per ounce, it doesn't take a genius to work out that this is a great deal. It is priced at $270 when purchased directly from Zippo.com by the way! 

Then you need to be buying old Zippo lighters from yard sales, thrift stores, or anywhere else where you might be able to spot a bargain. This requires an extensive education however, and the only way that you are going to get that education is by reading, reading, and reading. The books linked to below should be considered essential reading, arm yourself with this knowledge and you could make a fortune. I'm not talking about $10 here and $20 there either, there are Zippo lighters out there worth thousands of dollars!