Tobacciana

About Tobacciana

Tobacco became popular in Europe in the 1600's, after traders brought back tobacco plants from the Americas. Pipes, borrowed from the Native Americans, were the first popular method of smoking, and were made of wood, bone, clay, and even metal. Some of the most valuable antique pipes are those made of meerschaum, a rare white stone.

Cigars, which have long been popular in Central and South America, have a whole set of collectibles associated with them, including cigar boxes, humidors, cigar cutters, and special
cigar lighters. ...

Next came the cigarette, popularized during the Crimean war when soldiers would roll their pipe tobacco in newsprint. Related collectibles include tobacco tins, tobacco cards, ashtrays, matchbooks, and vintage advertising and signs. Over the years, tobacco companies created iconic logos like Zig-Zag's Zouave and The Camel (later Joe Camel), and put their slogans on everything from clothing to posters to statuettes.

Cigarette lighters are a category all their own, with major brands including Zippo, Ronson, and Dunhill. There's a wide variety of lighters to collect in every material imaginable. Although lighters haven't changed much from their original designs in the early 1900s, the older the lighter, the more decorated they tend to be. And don't forget the lighter's precursor, the lowly but often highly ornamented match holder (aka match safe).

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview with Vintage Cigarette Lighter Collector Urban Cummings

At the very beginning, my interest in lighters was about the mechanism. I had my first lighter when I was 14. I sav… [more]

Guest Column: Collecting Vintage Cigarette Lighters

Cigarette lighter collecting is a hobby that never gets boring. Just by browsing eBay auctions for ten minutes, for… [more]



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Tobacciana Videos



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Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Match World

Match World

This ambitious site showcases the 20,000-item Rankei Library matchbook collection, owned by the Japan Match Manufac… [read review or visit site]

Kensitas Silk Flowers

Kensitas Silk Flowers

Don Wearmouth and his wife showcase the 230 beautiful silk designs that were distributed free with Kensitas cigaret… [read review or visit site]

Matchbox Labels

Matchbox Labels

Jane McDevitt's huge Flickr photoset of matchbox labels, primarily Eastern European, from the 1950s and 60s. These … [read review or visit site]

Truth in Advertising

Truth in Advertising

This gallery of cigarette magazine advertising from the 1940s and 50s contains no surgeon general's warning, just p… [read review or visit site]

Matchbook Museum

Matchbook Museum

James Lileks' gallery of 250 matchbooks from coffee shops, hotels, motels, bars, banks, restaurants and more. Lilek… [read review or visit site]

Non Sports Cards: Tobacco, Gum and Candy

Non Sports Cards: Tobacco, Gum and Candy

Tom Boblitt moderates this extremely deep, collaborative site dedicated to non-sports cards (tobacco, gum and candy… [read review or visit site]

Lamarde

Lamarde

This blog, entirely in Spanish, is an amazingly comprehensive and varied tribute to tobacco and cigarette advertisi… [read review or visit site]


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Top eBay Auctions  Help | Get weekly Tobacciana email

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"rare' Vintage 1800-1900s Smoking Pipe Collection$3,050 Ends Tuesday 7 bids 7 watchers
Massive Zippo Collection$1,850 Ends Friday 2 bids 22 watchers
Bo Nordh Cross Grain Blowfish Pipe * Outstanding! Mint!$1,592 Ends Sunday 16 bids 81 watchers
Dunhill Lighter With 18k Outer Jacket And Lapis Stone $1,306 Ends Wednesday 14 bids 15 watchers
Elie Bleu Humidor Buy it Now$1,000.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 5 watchers
Zippo Lighter Collection. $1,000.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 19 watchers
J.t.cooke Sandblasted Calabash Okf Stamped$950.00 Ends Wednesday 7 bids 28 watchers
Elie Bleu 300ct Classic Walnut Burl ??new’$810.00 Ends Sunday 7 bids 23 watchers
Sixten Ivarsson Straight Grain Freehand Pipe * Amazing!$760.00 Ends Sunday 12 bids 78 watchers
Charatan 'achievement', Magnum Pipe. Unsmoked.$610.00 Ends Tuesday 3 bids 32 watchers
Ronson Bulldog Sherlock Holmes Striker Lighter 2 Color$575.00 Ends Friday 1 bid 7 watchers
1969 Dunhill F/t 59 Pipe, Unsmoked. 'drip Wax' Silver.$550.69 Ends Tuesday 3 bids 32 watchers
Ronson Clock Touch Tip Vintage Deco Lighter$536.00 Ends Wednesday 11 bids 31 watchers
Volcano Digital Vaporizer Solid Valve$510.00 Ends Friday 41 bids 50 watchers
Antique Treen Ulmer Figural Pipe Circa 1790$455.00 Ends in 23 hours 5 bids 13 watchers
English Estate Pipe: Dunhill Dr 1 Star Root 2008$450.00 Ends Sunday 11 bids 6 watchers
U.s. Estate Pipe: Jody Davis Abbot Co9 16$450.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 17 watchers
S. Bang Straight Grain Billiard W/ Sterling * Awesome!$390.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 56 watchers
Art Deco - Strato Mylflame - Petrol Extra Rare Germany$385.00 Ends Saturday 1 bid 2 watchers
@ 3 Old Collectible Dunhill Nightcap Tobacco Tin,sealed$380.00 Ends Thursday 15 bids 27 watchers
S.t. Dupont, Fuente Opus X, L2 Cigar Lighter, Red/white$355.00 Ends Thursday 14 bids 20 watchers
Volcano Classic Vaporizer Hardly Used$325.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 11 watchers
"rare" Unsmoked Cased Pair Of Dunhill Pipes 1954 Pat No$322.23 Ends Saturday 13 bids 99 watchers
Dunhill Silver Plated Blue Pinstripe Lighter Rl2392-new$319.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 2 watchers
Rare Dunhill W56 1954 Bamboo Churchwarden Estate Pipe$314.85 Ends in 10 hours 11 bids 39 watchers
Vintage Very Rare Dunhill Lighter, Solid Silver 1930's$311.28 Ends Thursday 1 bid 28 watchers
Silver Chester 1922-3 Enamelled Cigarette Case$308.34 Ends Wednesday 10 bids 33 watchers
Dunhill 14kt Gold Rollagas Lighter W/box$305.00 Ends Friday 3 bids 11 watchers
New, Savinelli 7 Day Autograph Pipes With Rack$300.00 Ends Monday 3 bids 24 watchers
Newfiegold Rolling Papers By The Case$299.99 Ends in 1 hour 1 bid 3 watchers
Viking Warrior And Two Girl Meerschaum Pipe By Karahan$275.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 2 watchers
Wo Larsen Straight Grain 10 By Teddy Knudsen Pipe $275.00 Ends Sunday 12 bids 32 watchers
English Estate Pipe: Dunhill 5103 Amber Root Silver Rim$271.00 Ends Sunday 11 bids 28 watchers
Extremely Rare Ronson Smoker's Set Touch Tip Lighter$269.04 Ends in 6 hours 14 bids 28 watchers
Opus X Collectable Bands,double Coronas$265.01 Ends Saturday 2 bids 6 watchers
Dunhill Lb 1 Shell Patent No 417574/34 Pipe Mint!$257.50 Ends Sunday 6 bids 32 watchers
*1960s Charatan's Make Selected 42 Pipe + Box Mint*$255.00 Ends Friday 14 bids 53 watchers
St Dupont L2 Gatsby Blue Lacquer & Gold Lighter Mint!$250.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 6 watchers
1964 Dunhill Oda 850 Pipe, Unsmoked. 9 Ct. Gold Band$250.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 25 watchers
Vintage Wwii Black Crackle Zippo Lighter Nib$250.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 16 watchers
1980 Disney Zippo Liter Minnie Mouse Denim Zippo Error?$250.00 Ends Saturday 1 bid 15 watchers
Antique American Civil War Soldier Meerschaum Pipe$244.02 Ends in 4 hours 16 bids 59 watchers
Poul Ilsted Large Horn Danish Pipe New Pm006$239.50 Ends Sunday 11 bids 53 watchers
Meerschaum Karahan Pipe Unsmoked Dragon $237.38 Ends Sunday 4 bids 17 watchers
Silver Vesta Case With Decorated Enamel London 1935$236.98 Ends Saturday 16 bids 38 watchers
Michael Godard Praying For Seven Signed Large Humidor$235.50 Ends Wednesday 10 bids 5 watchers
Dunhill Rollagas Lighter Ostrich Foot & Palladium$234.63 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 19 watchers
80’s Upshall Made Astley Mini Mag Tall Bulldog Mint Nr$234.61 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 7 watchers
Italian Estate Pipe: Castello Kk Collection Occhio 2008$231.50 Ends Sunday 10 bids 18 watchers
Castello Collection Stack Freehand Pipe * 1970's In Box$227.50 Ends Sunday 8 bids 27 watchers
Antique Black Forest Wooden Statue Humidor Tobacco Box $224.50 Ends in 8 hours 8 bids 40 watchers
North Star Fine Cut Tobacco Tin Advertising 743-$213.50 Ends Sunday 8 bids 20 watchers
@ 3 Old Collect. Four Square Mixture Tobacco Tin,sealed$212.50 Ends in 4 hours 8 bids 17 watchers
Camel Zippo Lighter Genuine 2 Sided Imposter 2003 Cz622$212.50 Ends Wednesday 10 bids 15 watchers
Ashton Xx Old Church Panel Billiard * 1993 * Unsmoked!$210.50 Ends Sunday 8 bids 22 watchers
Excel. Dunhill Root Briar Lb, F/t, 1968,pipe/pfeife Nof$204.50 Ends in 3 hours 15 bids 35 watchers
Antique~lighter~cigar Cutter~smoke Stand Part?~austria$204.50 Ends in 5 hours 16 bids 29 watchers
Dunhill Cumberland 5103 Bamboo Briar Pipe Used/estate$203.50 Ends Thursday 9 bids 35 watchers
Antique 19c. Sterling Silver & Gold Engraved Snuff Box$203.50 Ends Friday 13 bids 18 watchers

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Recent News: Tobacciana

Source: Google News

Read more...
Auction Central News, February 8th

If you want to collect vintage valentines, here are a few suggestions: Valentines that pop open to make 3-D scenes are expensive...Read more

Smoking was a part of life
News-Journal.com, February 7th

I think he smoked a considerably cheaper vintage than Vic's. All the fellows shooting the page negatives or burning the plates were smoking cigarettes or...Read more

Learn about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta
Austin American-Statesman, February 6th

His first taste of freedom was as a teenage tobacco worker in Connecticut. Perhaps his foremost role model was his father, the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr.,...Read more

Tatuaje Limited Edition Follows in the Footsteps of Wine
Luxist (blog), February 6th

Tobacco manufacturers strive for consistency above all else. They want the cigar you smoke next year to taste like the one you're smoking today...Read more

Townshend Auction Gallery
Antiques and the Arts Online, February 5th

There will be antiques, vintage & country and some superior quality modern furniture and accessories as well as a huge selection of glass, china and other...Read more

Through the Grapevine: Are wine and chocolate the perfect pairing?
Bucks Local News, February 4th

Tawny Ports, which have nutty and tobacco/leather notes, also make good pairings. Vintage Ports should be matched with caution. Their high sugar and alcohol...Read more

On Wine: New wineries in Spain still have old roots
San Jose Mercury News, February 3rd

That short season leads to a fair amount of vintage variation, but when conditions are right, the wines of Ribera del Duero can be lively,...Read more

Halftime: Will Freeney be another TO in SB?
USA Today, February 2nd

Kravitz adds that "he will not be vintage Freeney, not even close. The doctors can tape him up like a mummy and give him enough anesthetic to numb up a yak,...Read more

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