The lighter wasn’t invented until 1823 by a German chemist named Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner. The match wasn’t invented until about 1805, and early matches were expensive and dangerous. Just by browsing eBay auctions for ten minutes, for example, I recently found a lighter shaped like a lion’s head, one made of jade and gold, and an electric lighter in the shape of a woman’s face that hangs on the wall.Ī flame we can carry in our pockets is something that we take for granted, but it was much harder to make fire in earlier times. In this article, Eric Beeson talks about collecting vintage cigarette lighters, including brands such as Zippo, Ronson, and Dunhill.Ĭigarette lighter collecting is a hobby that never gets boring.
