Tobacciana

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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 1900's, 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

Guest Column: Collecting Vintage Cigarette Lighters

Guest Column: Collecting Vintage Cigarette Lighters

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



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…  [more]

Kensitas Silk Flowers

Kensitas Silk Flowers

Don Wearmouth and his wife showcase the 230 beautiful silk designs that were distributed free with Kensitas cigaret…  [more]

Advertising Antiques

Advertising Antiques

This classy looking British site features hundreds of high resolution photos of antique porcelain pre-war (enamel) …  [more]

Matchbox Labels

Matchbox Labels

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

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…  [more]

Matchbook Museum

Matchbook Museum

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

Cigar Band Museum

Cigar Band Museum

Puff on this... over 1,000 cigar bands from the 1890s through 1920s, organized into themed galleries such as Portra…  [more]


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Clubs & Associations


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Recent News: Tobacciana

Source: Google News

Van Duzer Vineyards Unveils Limited Edition Perplexity for the ...

MarketWatch - 6 hours ago
Perplexity boasts honeyed impressions of mulled plum and blackberry fruit, tempered by layers of anise, bitter chocolate and hints of tobacco reminiscent of ...

Big tastes from Sonoma

Indianapolis Star, United States - 15 hours ago
A full-bodied vintage, it tastes of cherry, currant, cedar, oak and tobacco. Break it out to accompany a classic Hoosier pork tenderloin or a sausage pizza. ...

Uncorking more offerings for the holidays

Columbia Daily Tribune, MO - 1 hour ago
"These guys made a great wine in what was a bad vintage in Italy: 90-point caliber Brunello di Montalcino for under 20 bones. Provides all the classic ...

Kimballs Auction & Estate Services

Antiques and the Arts Online, CT - 17 hours ago
... BASEBALL CARDS INCL 4 1956 ROBERTO CLEMENTE, MANY COLOR NATURALIST PRINTS, VINTAGE CHRISTMAS BALLS & ACCESSORIES, TOBACCO FELTS, WORLDS FAIR ITEMS, ...

Book details vintage birding

Brantford Expositor, Canada - Nov 29, 2008
There were also some bird cards, which were put out as collectibles by the Imperial Tobacco Company and, apparently, were much sought after by the teenage ...

Kate Moss's rock 'n' roll spirit shines in her holiday collection

Philippine Star, Philippines - Dec 2, 2008
Kate’s much-loved, signature cropped jackets and capelets are vintage-inspired, bearing tobacco gold fringing and brocade detailing. ...

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008 | KXNet.com North Dakota News

KXMC, ND - Nov 26, 2008
Related story: Vick Dogfighting TOBACCO REGROWTH MOUNT STERLING, Ky. Lindsay Pasley is an eager young man in what used to be an older man's game tobacco ...

Alderfer Auction Company

Antiques and the Arts Online, CT - Nov 27, 2008
Lots of tobacco tins, boxes, packs, cartons, giveaways (cigar, chewing, smoking). Virtually everything else that you might find in a vintage 1920s/1930s ...

Tip of the Week

Cigar Aficionado - Nov 17, 2008
(There are rare exceptions, such as the Davidoff Vintage cigar, which is made with tobacco from one harvest year.) The very best cigar companies have ...

Grass-roots efforts leads to farmer's Bush pardon

Houston Chronicle, United States - Nov 29, 2008
A local Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms official told him that only a presidential pardon would get him his guns back, Collier said. "He said, 'Good luck with ...

Top eBay Auctions    (get weekly Tobacciana email)

Status       Display       How this works
674: Apache Trail Oval Cigar Tin $600.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid
Dunhill Vintage Baby Sylph Lighter Exc $550.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids
Dupont Lighter 18k Solid Gold $530.00 Ends in 20 hours 27 bids
625: American Eagle Flat Pocket Tobacco Tin $500.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid
673: Mohawk Chief Cigar Tin $500.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid
637: Dunnsboro Vertical Pocket Tobacco Tin $450.00 Ends Thursday 2 bids
Nice Anne Julie Pipe $416.00 Ends Friday 6 bids
627: Master Mason Vertical Pocket Tobacco Tin $400.00 Ends Thursday 3 bids
Wagon Wheel Tobacco Tin $399.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid
Joy Mining Zippo Lighter, Vintage $282.99 Ends Monday 12 bids
624: American Girl Flat Pocket Tobacco Tin $250.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid
628: Wagon Wheel Vertical Pocket Tobacco Tin $250.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid
676: Orcico Cigar Tin $250.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid

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Tobacciana

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