9 replies to this topic

[David Nishimura]

Some interesting new discoveries regarding Held here: http://vintagepensbl...d-bb-stylo.html

Profile of a couple of unusual examples here: http://vintagepensbl...-held-pens.html

This is an ongoing research project, so any new info would be welcome.
I'd be particularly grateful for any Held pictures; I'd also like to know if anyone has any Held pens with Utah imprints, or with Held-marked nibs.

And, might anyone here have access to the UMich Ann Arbor library? One thing there I need to look up -- it's digitized, but available only to UMich folk.

[sauroposeidon]

David,

My girlfriend has access to the library here in Ann Arbor, which means I have access to the library. Let me know what you need!

[David Nishimura]

Thanks -- I'll be in touch!

[Will]

Gosh those are really cool! The bird beak is so ahead of its time. I think Richard should make a reproduction of the bird beak.

[David Nishimura]

The second part of the story is now posted here.
This is not about Held per se, but about the eventual fate of the successor company to the Held Fountain Pen Manufacturing Company.

Thanks to sauroposeidon for his assistance in digging out a key reference for me!

[Jerry Adair]

This is good stuff David and very interesting
Jerry

[philm]

David,

Fascinating story of Held, Zimmerman, and Smallwood, among others. Interestingly, this still goes on today....

Thank you for the thorough, and time consuming research.

Phil

[David Nishimura]

Scams and pyramid schemes have been around for a very long time. What struck me about Smallwood and his era, was how brazenly he operated, without any personal consequences (as far as I can tell). Stock promotion is much more highly regulated now; anyone trying to do anything similar would run afoul of the law very quickly -- not to mention getting slammed with civil suits from the victims.

That said, I was paging through a magazine the other day and there sure were a lot of ads promoting other dubious investments, such as gold bullion coins and the like. At least these assets wouldn't lose all their value, however, unlike the stocks hawked by Smallwood and his ilk.

[tenney]

That said, I was paging through a magazine the other day and there sure were a lot of ads promoting other dubious investments, such as gold bullion coins and the like. At least these assets wouldn't lose all their value, however, unlike the stocks hawked by Smallwood and his ilk.

Don't be so sure that "gold bullion coins" won't lose their value. It all depends on how much above spot / melt you paid for them. Some of these "coins" are being sold for large percentages above their actual gold value and have little to no numismatic value. Thus, the moment you buy such a "coin" you've lost money.

[David Nishimura]

I didn't say the bullion "investments" wouldn't lose value -- I said they wouldn't lose ALL their value. The poor chumps who bought through Smallwood lost every last penny they put in.