Whether you enjoy the occasional celebratory cigar or a petite Virginia Slim, you’re part of an ever-shrinking demographic of people – those who smoke. Until the late 20th century, it’s an activity that’s been enjoyed for centuries as part of one’s daily routine. Now, though the number of smokers nationwide dwindles as we learn more about the harmful effects of nicotine, items associated with and used in the act of smoking – called tobacciana – remain as collectible as ever.

Cigarette lighters

We’re not talking about those cheap, plastic, disposable lighters – cigarette lighters used to be serious business. Invented in the early 1800s, these lighters ranged from manual (igniting by a flint striking a wheel, which then ignites a fuel-soaked wick) to automatic (using a simple push button).
Smokers used manual lighters for about a century, from when they were invented in the 1820s until the 1920s, when the automatic lighter was invented. From the early 20th century onward, these lighters became increasingly elaborate in their design.

Starting in the early 20th century, the older models were elaborately decorated and even served more than their original purpose.

Attract female customers

“To attract female customers in the 1930s, some companies created lighters that combined various accessories, such as cigarette cases and compacts, and added rhinestones or decorative enameled rhinestones, or designs,” according to an article in Collectors Weekly. “In the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s, Ronson produced the Ronson Master Pack, combining a lighter, cigarette case, and watch.”

One of the household names in cigarette lighters, Zippo, was founded in Pennsylvania in 1932.

“Zippos were standard issue during World War II, as their sturdy windproof construction made them ideal for soldiers. But these wartime Zippos are hard to find, as many were left behind or lost. Many of the lighters made for soldiers were covered in a ‘black crackle’ finish that soldiers could carve names and drawings into with knives or pins. This ‘trench art’ can increase the value of a Zippo lighter significantly,” Collectors Weekly states. “Zippo became an aesthetic icon, and by the 1950s was making custom-decorated lighters for different companies, clubs, and teams to be used as advertising or gifts. Businesses gave monogrammed lighters to their employees for celebrations of service or retirements.”

Since 1955, the production date of each lighter has been stamped on its interior; pre-1955 lighters are considered especially valuable due to their rarity. Zippo lighters specifically can range anywhere in value from $30 to hundreds of dollars depending on their condition and rarity.

Cigarette cases

If you enjoyed smoking during the early to mid-20th century, you kept your cigarette case as closely to you as your pocketbook or your compact. Designed to keep your cigarettes from being crushed, they were considered to be “decorative personal accessories,” making a bold statement about your style and sophistication.

“There are two general categories of antique and vintage cigarette cases,” according to Collectors Weekly. “The first is the case designed for home use. In the late 19th century, Fabergé made rounded sterling silver cases with delicately worked surfaces and a slender row of tiny rose diamonds on the case’s thumb piece. In the 1920s, Art Deco cigarette boxes were fashioned out of polished panels of sterling, with stepped covers that recalled the shapes of Mayan temples. By the 1940s, home cigarette cases were being produced out of laminated slabs of Bakelite.”

The second type of cigarette case – the more common type – was the rec-tangle designed to fit in your pocket or in your purse. Both types of case were usually made with silver, though the fancier models were embossed and engraved. Fashion house Cartier even produced cases encrusted with diamonds and other precious gemstones.

If you’re just starting your collection, a good option would be to begin by collecting cheaper, tin cases, manufactured between the 1920s and the 1950s by the major cigarette power-houses of the day – among them, Chesterfield and Lucky Strike.

Cigarette holders

Used by both women and men, the cigarette holder was considered a luxurious fashion accessory, plain and simple. Their petite size and slim design gave women an “overall tall, slim, and graceful impression,” according to the 2015 article “A Symbolic View of Cigarette Holders” by F. David Mulcahy and Melissa Sherman in the academic journal Issues in Social Science.

“The cigarette holder became a fashion accessory for women in the early 1920s and remained popular until the 1960s. … It is argued that the artifact became a symbol of assertiveness for many women both in real life and fiction,” according to the article’s abstract.

Besides being considered extremely stylish, cigarette holders served multiple purposes — to prevent cigarette ash from falling onto a woman’s clothes, as well as to prevent staining a woman’s gloves or hands. In addition, longer cigarette holders cooled the smoke and reduced tobacco stains on one’s teeth. These holders were made from a variety of materials, from wood, amber, and ivory to enamel and tortoiseshell. The length of the holder you used depended on the activity you were enjoying alongside it: when having cocktails with friends, for instance, you’d employ a shorter cigarette holder, while an evening at the opera called for a much longer one, usually 16 to 20 inches in length.

Cigar boxes

Cigars have been packed in boxes made of wood, aluminum, brass, and tin, among other materials, since around the end of the Civil War. Usually, these boxes could hold two rows of 25 units apiece.

“Novelty cigar boxes are highly collectible, and some were designed in such a way that they had other uses after being emptied—for example, during the Depression, companies offered cigar boxes that could later be used as jewelry boxes,” according to Collectors Weekly. “Cigar boxes were sometimes designed in fun shapes to catch the attention of potential buyers. These include cigar boxes in the shape of log cabins, cars and buses, bottles, books, and trunks, as well as those that can be used as checkers or back-gammon boards.”

Cigar boxes, especially those more common models made of heavy cardboard, can be found at most antique stores for only a few dollars each.

Humidors

The preservation of tobacco is a delicate balance of humidity, as too much or too little of it will damage cigarettes and cigars. Humidors – boxes designed to control the humidity level to which the tobacco is exposed, as well as limit its exposure to sunlight – can range in size from small desktop versions to cabinets designed to hold 100 or more, to an entire room.

They are almost always made of wood, with their interior veneer made of Spanish cedar (this type of wood holds more moisture than others, and it even imparts its aroma to cigars). According to Collectors Weekly, humidors should never be directly exposed to sunlight, and their temperature should ideally stay above 54 degrees but below 75 degrees. Humidity should hover between 68 and 75 percent.

“All humidors have a means of maintaining humidity. Antique humidors have a space or metal container in them for a wet sponge. Humidity was also achieved by adding water droplets to a tissue,” according to Collectors Weekly.

“Today, smaller humidors may also employ silica gel beads or high-tech polymer acrylic fleece, while larger humidors are sometimes equipped with electronic sensors that detect when the humidity inside needs to be adjusted.”

Antique desktop humidors in good condition can fetch anywhere from $1,000 to as much as $5,000, according to The Antique Humidor Shoppe, an online vendor that restores and sells antique humidors.

Of course, tobacciana collectibles are as great in variety as they are in number – ashtrays, cigar cutters, advertising, tobacco tins, and the list goes on. These items represent just a tiny fraction of those items still in demand by collectors, even long after smoking has fallen out of fashion.

**Disclaimer:**

This article discusses smoking-related collectibles, which are of historical and nostalgic interest. It is important to note that smoking poses significant health risks. The U.S. Surgeon General has determined that smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and other serious health conditions. This article is intended for informational purposes only and discover vintage america does not endorse or promote smoking or tobacco use.