Vintage Pens

Photo Credit: Central-Jersey-Estate-Liquidators

Vintage 1930s Waterman Patrician Onyx Fountain Pen

Buy It Now Price: $799 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a vintage Patrician model Waterman fountain pen with onyx finish.  It was produced between 1930 and 1933, during the dark days of the Great Depression.

–Waterman – along with competitor Mountblanc – is considered the Rolls Royce of vintage fountain pen manufacturers.  Their pens were consistently made to the highest standards with the best quality materials.

-Patrician fountain pens were meticulously assembled by hand from over 300 individual pieces.  They are truly a masterpiece of vintage fountain pen craftsmanship.

-These were expensive, high-end luxury pens, priced at $10 each during a global depression – equivalent to about half an ounce of gold.

-This Patrician Waterman fountain pen exudes stately 1930s Art Deco style.  It is made from translucent, mottled celluloid in the so-called “onyx” color.

-Because the celluloid tended to discolor easily, Onyx Patrician fountain pens are difficult to find with good color.  This fountain pen exhibits excellent color.

-The hard red rubber parts on the cap and the base of the pen barrel have a propensity to crack easily.  However, these red rubber parts are completely intact on this Waterman Patrician.

-This pen’s “furniture” or exposed metal parts, only very show minor “brassing” or wear to its gold plating.  This is notable because most vintage fountain pens over 80 years old show moderate to extensive brassing.

-This Waterman Patrician pen has a wonderful, original solid gold alloy nib.  These original nibs are highly prized for the fluidity with which they allow the wielder to write.

-This Patrician fountain pen looks fantastic and underscores why Waterman pens are so highly prized in the fountain pen collecting community.  Although it isn’t in perfect shape, the asking price of $799 is actually quite reasonable for such an iconic pen.

Cons:

-This pen is unserviced and being sold “as is”.

-The metal filling lever attached to the barrel of this pen is slightly bent.  It could be replaced, but a part would have to be sourced and a pen repair specialist enlisted.  This would cost additional money and time.

-$799 is expensive for a fountain pen; few other vintage pens cost more than this.  Ironically, however, it is still relatively cheap for a Waterman Patrician fountain pen.  This model of pen, when in functioning, fully serviced condition easily sells for over $1,000.

-The Waterman Patrician model is known for being somewhat fragile and finicky.  This, coupled with its high price tag, effectively disqualifies the pen from everyday use.

Photo Credit: The-Pen-Shop-of-Memphis

Eversharp Sterling Ventura Pen & Pencil Set – New Old Stock – Vintage 1955

Buy It Now Price: $180 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is an Eversharp Slim Ventura fountain pen and mechanical pencil set in sterling silver.  The Slim Ventura model was produced from 1953 to either 1956 or 1957 and was made in the U.S.A.

-Stylistically the Eversharp Slim Ventura has a sleek, streamlined mid-century look with a touch of understated, classic design.

-This set is “new old stock”. New old stock refers to items that were shipped to a store or vendor for retail sale, but were never subsequently sold or used.  In the world of fountain pens and mechanical pencils new old stock is highly desirable because it virtually guarantees pristine condition.

-The set is in as close to perfect condition as you can get.  Not only does the set come in its original red suede case, but the pen and pencil themselves retain their original plastic wrappers and individual price tags!  Both the pen and pencil have no visible wear, dents, dings or other defects.  These features are all consistent with the item’s new old stock designation.

-Then entire body of both the pen & pencil set is solid sterling silver.  In addition, the nib of the pen is solid 14 karat gold.  These upscale luxury materials were only used in pens and pencils of excellent quality.

-This set was high end and expensive when it was new in the mid 1950s.  The retail price for the pair was $25 ($15 for the pen and $10 for the pencil) which, adjusted for inflation, translates into more than $220 in 2016!

-I like the investment potential of fountain pen and pencil sets, especially when they are in excellent condition like this one.  Mechanical pencils, in particular, are rather undervalued in the marketplace today.

-This is a situation where you calmly brandish your credit card in the nice seller’s face while shouting, “Take my money!”  This pristine sterling silver mid-century pen & pencil set will undoubtedly sell for multiples of its current $180 asking price within the next 10 to 20 years.

Cons:

-The Eversharp company was in decline by the early 1950s and the Slim Ventura was its final bid to produce a top tier product.  While the Slim Ventura was a fine product line, it was not as iconic as some of the contemporary models released by other pen companies – notably the Parker 51 and the Sheaffer Snorkel.  Eversharp was eventually acquired by one of its chief competitors – the Parker Pen Company – in 1957.

-The seller has stated that the pen and pencil set you receive will be tarnished.  This is to be expected for a silver item that has sat around unused for the last six decades.  The seller has stated that the set shown in the photos was polished in order to be more photogenic.  If you were to buy a set, you could choose to either polish it or leave it in its original, tarnished state, at your discretion.

-Fountain pens have a rubber ink sac that slowly deteriorates over decades, even if the pen isn’t used.  Although this set is new old stock, there is a fair chance that the ink sac will have to be replaced for the pen to function properly.  New leads will also have to be procured for the mechanical pencil to work.

-You will have to decide whether you want this pen and pencil set to strictly be a presentation/investment piece or a functional set.  If you start using the set, even gently, you will undoubtedly lower the resale value slightly compared to leaving it completely unused.

Photo Credit: koetzco

Vintage Parker 51 Flighter Fountain Pen & Pencil Set – Excellent Condition

Buy It Now Price: $299 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a vintage Parker 51 Flighter fountain pen and mechanical pencil set, produced in either the 1950s or 1960s. The dawn of the age of commercial flight inspired the Parker Pen Company to create a fountain pen – the Parker 51 Flighter – that would be resistant to leaking at high altitudes.

-I have always believed that the most desirable art is that which best exemplifies the zeitgeist of the age in which it was created. In this regard the Parker 51 Flighter is absolutely iconic. It represents the very pinnacle of aerospace-era, mid-century design with its sleek, aerodynamic stainless steel construction. In fact, the pen’s exterior design may have been modeled after the Beechcraft D-18S corporate plane that the Parker Pen Company bought in the 1940s!

-This set consists of both a fountain pen and a mechanical pencil. I believe these sets are currently undervalued due to the fact there is minimal collector interest in mechanical pencils at the moment. This attitude will undoubtedly change over time, making these sets a bargain in today’s marketplace.

-The set comes in its original case – emblazoned with “Parker 51” on the interior – which is in excellent condition. This raises the set’s value significantly.

Cons:

-This set is not in the highest condition. It was gently used and therefore has some modest wear. However, there are no major defects like cracks, dents or heavy brassing (the wearing through of the gold plating). Vintage fountain pens and pencils are like most antiques in that perfection is often prohibitively expensive. The set, although not pristine, is still in very collectible condition. This makes the asking price of $299 reasonable.

-Prices for vintage fountain pens have risen sharply over the past decade. It isn’t really much of a con, but this set almost certainly would have been much less expensive only a few years ago. Such is life in the world of investment grade antiques; it is usually better to buy sooner, rather than later.