Warren Gerber
Lighter mania engulfs local collector
by Dan Chabek
Nothing in the life of Warren W. Gerber, Lakewood retiree, fires up his enthusiasm as much as cigarette lighters.
His
is an insatiable passion starting in 1950 and resulting in a collection
of approximately 6,000 separate pieces that span the years from 18th century
flintlock tinderboxes to state-of-the-art solar-powered models.
In weight, his lighters range from those of a few ounces to large 15-pounders that once occupied counter tops in the cigar stores of yore.
In value, those in his trove vary all over the lot. Most costly are
two metal ones made in the 1930s by Ronson, once one of the dominant names
in the industry. Each is in the form of a miniature bar manned by a bartender
figurine.
"Lighters today are a growth hobby," Gerber said. "Yuppies have discovered them. So has Japan, where collecting Zippos, made in Bradford, Pa., is now a 'cult.'
"But the new collectors have caused prices to skyrocket," he added. "Some models that five years ago were $5 would now bring $50."
When Gerber greeted us at his Lake Avenue doorway, over which is hung a lighter in the shape of a horseshoe, he was wearing, also fittingly, a T-shirt that proclaims "The Light of Your Life."
The shirt is from Zippo which, according to the hobbyist, is "about the only domestic maker of metal lighters left, and the only one in the country that still produces any significant number of refillable liquid fuel models."
A tour of Gerber's apartment revealed hundreds of different small-scale configurations, most of which are displayed in their own special lighter groupings, such as animals, fish, birds, famous people, airplanes, locomotives, streetcars, buses, boats, oil derricks, slot machines, beer steins, guns, tanks, daggers, medieval knights, household appliances, food, drink and sports-related products.
His collection includes a blow-torch lighter that he recently lent to a movie producer. It is one of a butane type used by Jackie Presser and will appear in a film made for television portraying the late Teamster Union boss, who once lived in Lakewood.
A correlative unit, made to look like a gas pump, will when a penny is inserted in its slot disperse enough fluid to refill your lighter.
Another standout is a 7-inch-high Dobereiner lamp, a brass and glass fire-making device developed in 1823 in Jena, Germany. In it, sulphuric acid acts on zinc pellets, creating hydrogen gas that is directed to sponge platinum, which then produces a flame.
Some
of his rare specimens are classified as trench art. These were made by
Allied soldiers during World War I, using watch cases and pieces of discarded
metal. A number of them are etched with humorous caricatures of former
German Crown Prince Frederick William.
Other World War I oldies are modeled after "Tipperary Pup" -- a celebrated Irish terrier who carried message and medicine, saving the lives of British soldiers.
Also, there are 79 Navy-inspired Zippos, popular during World War II. Each has an etching of a different warship, among which are the USS Cleveland and Ohio.
Gerber's cache comprises souvenir lighters from every state and Canadian province. These are attached to a large wall map of North America, each over the the geographic location from where it was obtained.
Nearby, a street map of Cleveland has nearly 100 lighters affixed to the neighborhoods of companies that used them for promotional purposes.
Prized, too, are more than 100 music box lighters. Among the songs, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is appropriately most often heard. Runners-up are "Overture from Swan Lake," "La Vie En Rose," "The Anniversary Waltz," "Edelweiss" and "Stardust."
Gerber is a native of Alliance, Ohio. He was president of his 1945 graduation class at Kent State University after U.S. Army service in Italy during World War II.
A
bachelor who smokes (he says he is not quite a chain smoker, but admits
to being a heavy one), Gerber started his love affair with lighters while
he was a reporter-photographer for the Salem News. Later he worked
in the public relations field for Cleveland's Fuller & Smith &
Ross, Hill & Knowlton and other local agencies.
He moved to Lakewood in the mid-60s.
Collecting must share some of his exuberance with genealogy. Currently, Gerber is president of the Western Reserve Society, Sons of the American Revolution. One ancestor came to America from England in 1635. Another fought at Bunker Hill and suffered at Valley Forge.
He also is a gung-ho member of the Cleveland Grays and serves as a Red Coat volunteer usher at Playhouse Square, where he is assigned to assist wheelchair theater-goers.
Besides trading with others here and abroad, Gerber scours antique shows and flea markets at least three times a month. Each lighter that would be new to his collection imparts a feeling of exhilaration.
Most of the lighters in Gerber's super stockpile are operable, but not
all. However, he noted, if you are looking for a light, he will be happy
to oblige. After all, who else hereabouts is better equipped to do so?
A far cry from the quick Bics of today, this elaborate and elegant lighter was a Christmas gift to the U.S. 35th Division soldiers stationed in France in 1918.
Please note: Mr. Gerber passed away in February, 2000. His death notice
appeared in the February 7 issue of The Plain Dealer.
Warren Gerber was featured in two Plain Dealer Magazine articles:
Mr. Gerber is a charter member of On the LIGHTER Side, Inc., International Lighter Collectors (Judith Sanders, P.O. Box 536, Quitman TX 75783-0536).
See Mr. Gerber's Lakewood Files article on Robert A. Mattoon, Western Reserve chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.