Speculation and long-term investment in vintage cigarette lighters

Lighters collectors are usually both buyers and sellers. Some of them collect lighters because of self-actualization, some of them think about their grandchildren and others perceive it as an investment or just as a alternative for paper money. Investing as well as speculation requires knowledge, luck and taste. It refers also to vintage cigarette lighters. You probably won't be a millionaire though you can benefit on your unique knowledge on lighters. How? What kind of profit do we talk about?

Let's consider you have bought a Dunhill ‘Aquarium’ lighter on a garage sale for $20 in excellent condition five years ago. The previous owners did not know that this table lighter was something special - they even did not know where to find any information about it. It would help to know that this lighter was manufactured in relatively small amounts in England in the 1950's and that it was hand-painted by Ben Shillingford.


So you have made a fantastic deal from todays perspective. Such bargains happen also today though the future will change it. The main reason for it is the wide-spreading Internet and easy accessible sources on vintage lighters. Additionally there number of people who find collecting lighters amusing rises. The limited supply and rising demand causes that the prices of particular examples of lighters will go up.

Going back to our story, three years ago you decided to sell it on ebay as the prices for it was astonishing high - average price for it (excellent condition) was at $1700-1900. You sold it though you still have monitored the market for the Aquarium Dunhills just for curiosity. You are not happy anymore, because since than the dissonance of your decision rose. Why? Because the price you could get was also rising and now you would get for it more than $3300. There are more examples of lighters that experienced such astonishing value appreciation.

The highest increase of value can be registered particularly in some luxury niche brands like Dunhill or DuPont. The time will probably also come to some lighters from more popular brands like Evans, like the Phinney Walker Evans lighter alarm clock. To a higher demand for particular lighters do contribute museums, galleries, antique guides, cigarette lighter books, movies etc. The more a lighter is showed, described, admired the higher value might can expect...