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.
