Vintage 1940s-50s Neff & Company Advertising and 50 similar items

New old stock lighter with original box and instructions. Never lit or filled. Original unused wick. Sapphire Super Lighter brand (made in Japan post-WWII) The following information is what I could find out about this particular lighter: The ELiot (EL) exchange on your lighter confirms it is a genuine Seattle artifact from the mid-20th century. During that era, Neff Company was a local manufacturer's representative and wholesale distributor, specifically focusing on advertising specialties and industrial supplies. Identity of Neff Company Business Type: They were an "advertising specialty" firm. Companies would hire them to put their logos on "swag" like lighters, pens, and calendars to give to clients. The "ELiot" Exchange: The phone number prefix "EL" (ELiot) was the primary telephone exchange for Downtown Seattle. Timeline: This specific two-letter, five-number dialing format (ELiot 6186) was most common from the 1940s through the late 1950s. Other Locations: They likely had a larger presence in New York, as many "Neff Co" lighters from this period are also marked with NY addresses, suggesting the Seattle office was a regional branch. Based on the ELiot exchange and the lighter type, here is the profile of the business that gave this out: Location: They were located in the heart of Downtown Seattle. The ELiot exchange primarily served the central business district (near 2nd to 5th Avenues). Industry: They operated as a Manufacturer's Agent or Wholesale Jobber. Their job was to act as the middleman between large manufacturers and local Seattle retailers or businesses. The "ELiot 6186" Era: This phone number format was the standard in Seattle from roughly 1947 until 1957. After 1957, Seattle began transitioning to the all-number dialing system we use today (where ELiot became 354).