Thirty-two pieces picked up across 88 countries of travelling. Some were bought in the place they represent, some were simply the best-looking thing on the counter that day. This is the full list.
There is one of each. Nothing here is restocked – once it sells, that is the end of it.
Bought in the place they came from
| Place | Piece | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Gibraltar |
BIC Barbary macaque lighter A photo-print BIC of the macaques on the Rock. Bought at the top of the cable car. |
£7.00 |
| Malta |
Clipper Maltese cross lighter The Maltese cross inside a red heart. The nicest thing in the shop that day. |
£12.00 |
| Malta |
Casino Malta matchbox A vintage matchbox from the Grandmaster Casino, kept for the label artwork. |
£9.00 |
| Moldova |
Chisinau matchbox Vintage cityscape print. One of the two matchboxes and one of my favourite designs. |
£11.00 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Flag lighter Full wrap in the blue and yellow of the flag. |
£9.00 |
| Bulgaria |
Tourism rose lighter The Bulgarian rose, which is a much bigger deal there than most visitors realise. |
£9.00 |
| Cyprus |
Clipper landmark lighter Simple column design. The cheapest thing in the collection and one of the tidiest. |
£6.00 |
| Greece – Corfu |
Corfu souvenir lighter Red translucent, classic beach-shop stock. |
£5.00 |
| Italy – Venice |
Clipper I Love Venice lighter Black and white, bought near the Rialto. |
£10.00 |
| Italy – Venice |
I Love Venezia Spleef lighter A dual-branded Spleef piece, which is an unusual one to find. |
£12.00 |
| Spain – Madrid |
Clipper Madrid skyline lighter Green, with the city skyline running round the wrap. |
£9.00 |
| France – Cannes |
Côte d’Azur photo-print lighter Photo print of the Riviera coastline. |
£9.00 |
| France – Paris |
I Love Paris souvenir lighter Black, entirely unsubtle, exactly what you want from a Paris souvenir. |
£8.00 |
| Sweden |
Coat of arms lighter Black rectangular body rather than the usual shape. Heavier than it looks. |
£14.00 |
| Iceland |
Cricket Northern Lights lighter Aurora photo print, bought at a petrol station outside Reykjavík. |
£9.00 |
| Jersey |
Jersey flag lighter White with the flag. Closest to home of the lot. |
£9.00 |
| Japan – Tokyo |
Clipper Tokyo rising sun lighter White with red lettering. One of the cleanest designs here. |
£12.00 |
| USA – New York |
Clipper Brooklyn peace sign lighter Frosted white with a Brooklyn peace sign. |
£7.00 |
The one proper collectible
Zippo The Beatles Yellow Submarine, 2011 edition, model 204B – £99.99. Still has its original box, though the box has shelf wear. The lighter itself has been used. Supplied empty and unfuelled, as everything here is.
Bought for the design rather than the place
Not every one of these marks a country. Some were bought because the artwork was good.
- Clipper alien skull lighter – £12.00
- Clipper cork-effect lighter, brown – £15.00
- Clipper cork-effect lighter, purple – £15.00
- Clipper casino poker chip lighter – £8.00
- Clipper jungle animal print lighter – £5.00
- Clipper lucky horseshoe lighter – £10.00
- Clipper mandala sunburst lighter – £7.00
- Clipper manga illustration lighter – £9.00
- Clipper Peace retro lettering lighter – £8.00
- Clipper novelty slogan lighter (18+) – £5.00
- All-seeing eye pyramid lighter – £11.00
- STOP road sign lighter – £7.00
- BIC Summer 2015 festival lighter – £12.00
Taking more than one
Three saves you 15%, five saves 22%, eight saves 30%. Mix and match across the whole shop – it comes off automatically in the basket, no code needed.