Vintage cigarette lighters can be found just about everywhere you look, including at garage sales, estate sales, swap meets, online auctions, and maybe tucked away somewhere in your own house. And though smoking isn’t as commonplace as it is today, perhaps you even remember the items associated with it if you grew up in a house where it was done all the time. If you’re a collector of such items, give Stuart Schneider and Ira Pilossof’s “The Handbook of Vintage Cigarette Lighters” a read. Cigarette lighters are collected not only for their value, but also for both their style and their beauty.

The book is comprehensive in its coverage of this everyday item. Not only will the reader be introduced to lighters and their history; they will be able to trace the biggest names and styles in the industry using an alphabetized guide that spans a century, from roughly 1880 to 1980. The book’s many illustrations, most of them in color, show nearly 700 lighters ranging from companies that became household names (including Ronson, Evans, and yes, of course, Zippo) to the lesser-known makers around the world. The newest edition includes updated market values. Watch out, though – collecting cigarette lighters can be just as addictive as the act of smoking itself. This slim tome is sure to be an illuminating addition to the library of both seasoned and novice collectors of lighters.

About the author

Ira Pilossof is a proud native of the Bronx and is a leading authority on vintage cigarette lighters. Stuart Schneider is a writer and an attorney who has written 15 prior books on collectibles and antiques.

About the publisher

A family-owned, independent publisher of high-quality nonfiction books since 1974, Schiffer has published thousands of titles on the diverse subjects that fuel our readers’ passion. From our traditional subjects of antiques and collectibles, arts and crafts and military history, Schiffer has expanded its catalog to publish books on contemporary art and artists; architecture and design; food and entertaining; the metaphysical, paranormal and folklore; and pop and fringe culture, as well as books for children.

Schiffer Publishing is located in Atglen, PA. Website: www.schifferbooks.com.

Size: 6” x 9”, 698 photographs, 176 pages, ISBN13: 780764349751 binding: soft cover, price: $24.95

Contact Corbin Crable at editor@discovervintage.com.

Remember sitting at your desk in elementary school on Valentine’s Day and anxiously waiting for your crush to slip a small envelope into the box you had carefully crafted with colored paper and red and pink hearts? You just might find that special card that you’ve kept for all these years within the pages of the book “One Hundred Years of Valentines.”

Written by Katherine Kreider, the book is described as a “photographic essay” that takes the reader throughout more than 450 Valentine’s Day cards produced from the late 19th century through the late 20th century.

The book stands as a solid resource for all periods and styles adopted by artists and manufacturers throughout the past 100 years – the Depression, dimensional, Art Deco, transportation, artist signed, honey comb paper puff, and novelty, to name a few. The book also includes a glossary of valentine terms as well as a usage guide.

Another feature of the book is the inclusion of a “Second Top 10 Most Asked Questions” list about valentines. Both collectors and dealers alike are sure to find the information contained in the book valuable and useful.

About the author

Katherine Kreider is a recognized authority and visionary in the preservation of “The Valentine.” Her first book, “Valentines With Values,” was just the beginning of documenting “The Valentine.” Kreider’s second book, “One Hundred Years of Valentines,” continues her quest to put on paper and in photographic essay the many series, artists, and art forms behind the Valentine. She has collected for the last 25 years. When “One Hundred Years of Valentines” was

About the publisher

A family-owned, independent publisher of high-quality nonfiction books since 1974, Schiffer has published thousands of titles on the diverse subjects that fuel our readers’ passion. From our traditional subjects of antiques and collectibles, arts and crafts and military history, Schiffer has expanded its catalog to publish books on contemporary art and artists; architecture and design; food and entertaining; the metaphysical, paranormal and folklore; and pop and fringe culture, as well as books for children.

Schiffer Publishing is located in Atglen, PA. Website: www.schifferbooks.com.

Size: 8 ½” x 11”, 487 color photographs, price guide and index, 128 pages, glossary of terms, usage guide, ISBN13: 9780764307072, binding: soft cover, price: $24.95

Contact Corbin Crable at editor@discovervintage.com.

What would the month of February be without the traditional exchanging of Valentine’s Day cards with your sweetheart or best friend? It’s a ritual we all remember from elementary school – decorating a shoebox with hearts, then placing it on the edge of our desk at school, just waiting for our crush to walk by and slip an envelope into the slot cut at the top of the box.

Author Robert Brenner explores the history of Valentine’s Day cards and their place in our society with his book, “Valentine Treasury: A Century of Valentine’s Day Cards.” The book traces the long history of the cards, from its earliest reference in the 17th century to the present day. The book features pages of colorful, eye-catching designs that range from more detailed, pull-down varieties such as those from the Victorian era, to the simpler ones we all remember from childhood. In addition to learning about the cards themselves, you’ll learn all about the customs surrounding Valentine’s Day celebrations in both America and Europe; card designs; and manufacturers, from the corporations such as Hallmark and American Greetings to the smaller, lesser-known manufacturers from decades past.

“Valentine Treasury: A Century of Valentine’s Day Cards” will surely find a special place in your heart – and on your shelf – for the wealth of knowledge and visuals it provides on such a beloved holiday.

About the author

Bob Brenner, of Princeton, WI, is a leading authority on the traditions of Christmas and other holidays. He lectures and curates major holiday exhibits for the Smithsonian and other museums.

About the publisher

A family-owned, independent publisher of high-quality nonfiction books since 1974, Schiffer has published thousands of titles on the diverse subjects that fuel our readers’ passion. From our traditional subjects of antiques and collectibles, arts and crafts, and military history, Schiffer has expanded its catalog to publish books on contemporary art and artists; architecture and design; food and entertaining; the metaphysical, paranormal, and folklore; and pop and fringe culture, as well as books for children.

Schiffer Publishing is located in Atglen, PA. Website: www.schifferbooks.com.

Size: 8 ½” x 11”, 565 color photographs, price guide, 262 pages, ISBN13: 9780764301957
binding: soft cover, price: $49.95

Contact Corbin Crable at editor@discovervintage.com.