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Where did they all come from? Mostly thrift shops and antique stores. According to Jack, the collection ignited a few decades ago while he was living in Honolulu, where he attended the University of Hawaii. That’s where he got himself a tiny silver Zippo. He thinks that the Zippo sparked his interest because it inflamed memories of a red Scripto Vu — pronounced like “view,” because its transparent base lets you see how much fuel is inside — that he found on the side of the road in Quechee when he was about 12 years old. That original red Scripto Vu is long gone. But he still has the tiny Hawaiian Zippo and several other Scripto Vus in a variety of colors. They include his favorite lighter in all his collection: a teal Scripto Vu gifted to him by his daughter, Teal. For the most part, Jack spends only a few bucks on each of his lighters. He builds his collection for the same reason a lot of collectors do. “There’s so many different ones. I like the hunt,” he said. “You know, can I find something different?” Plus, he joked: “Keeps me off the streets.” — Maggie C.
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