Next week, June 4th-7th, members of the OTLS (On the Lighter Side) Cigarette Lighter Collectors Club will gather at the Memphis Marriott East (5795 Poplar) for their 29th annual convention.
On Saturday (June 6th), 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the convention will be open to the public. Visitors can buy lighters or ask about their own lighters.
“It’s Antiques Roadshow for lighters,” says Vickie Adele, a member of OTLS and founder of the Zippo-centric Zen Lighter Club.
Adele says there’s no Honus Wagner of the lighter world, but early-’30s Zippos are highly sought-after, as are many of the collectible Zippos. (Some sell for as much as $15,000.)
“Most members — all of them have a vast knowledge of Zippos,” says Adele.
Adele started her collection with Zippos. Her father, a Navy man, collected the Zippos that were made for each ship. She inherited them.
But there will be other lighter brands represented at the convention as well — Scriptos, Evans, Ronson, and more.
