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.
