A lot of 282 Vietnam war era Zippo lighters auctioned off for $35,250. Here are some of the highlights:

The lighters tell a story of the war that cannot be found anywhere else.  They are a record soldiers’ feelings not meant for anyone but themselves, printed on a throwaway tool, capturing the spirit of the war in a way more authentic than any film, more personal than any history book, and more representative than any single soldier’s account.

You can see more pictures of lots of other lighters over at the auction website.

Although $35250 is no small amount of money, I find items like this a lot more interesting than lots of what is considered “art” and sells at several times the price nowadays.  The patina alone on the lighters is beautiful.

If you’re interested in reading more about Vietnam Zippos you can check out the book Vietnam Zippos: American Soldiers’ Engravings and Stories (1965-1973) which contains a look at a lot of the lighters in this collection, and more.