If you’ve ever owned a Zippo lighter, you know what a reliable tool it is. The lighters actually come in a huge variety of colors and designs and are sure to tantalize even the most fussy of potential buyers. The most sought after item in the entire Zippo collection is the original lighter that was made back in 1932. In fact, it is considered to be the Holy Grail for collectors. In the years since this lighter was first introduced to the market, there have been over four hundred million lighters sold worldwide, in a range of styles.
Zippo: Creating Jobs in a Barren Economy
In the early 1930’s, Americans found themselves caught up in the midst of a horrible depression and during this time there were millions who were losing their jobs, their homes and their livelihood. Those who had lost the most during these awful times were searching for different ideas so that they could once again start to gain income and pull themselves out of the financial slump.
It was during this time that George G. Blaisdale decided to make good looking, quality Zippo lighters that could fit in one hand. This idea was based on a concept that had originally begun in Austria and Blaisdale borrowed this concept and expanded on it. To get started, the newly formed company rented a small space and had only three workers assembling the Zippo lighters. The very first lighter was rather bulky and did not sell that well but the following year saw the design reduced by a quarter of an inch, which helped to increase its popularity. Although the original sales were not that large, the lighters themselves sold for a little under two dollars, which was a lot of money for the time. In order to help increase sales, the lifetime warranty was introduced.
