20 replies to this topic

[david i]

Hi,

Interesting year. Posted couple weeks back about collection I acquired in NYC. A pen friend had found from an antiques dealer (yes, it happens) a 125-pen Parker collection from what must have been an estate find from a real Parker collector. The pen friend didn't want to keep all the pens, so we partnered after the fact and I took home about forty pens. It was but a month prior that I picked up a real pen hoard (1000+ pens, many low level) from an estate in NYC as well.

At same time a collection arrived via mail for inspection. I closed the purchase yesterday.

This is, I think, about the 7th collection/hoard acquired this year. Getting a bit wild. As "CRAZY DAVE", a lead character in one of my favorite computer games, Plants vs. Zombies might gurgle... "On a rollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll...."

This bunch is nice mix. Mostly Parker. Some MB. Despite the nice eye candy, MANY of these have serious issues. Some will be just users. Some will be saved by my parts bin. Value is not what ya might think at first peek, but we were able to work a fair price that leaves bit of room. On way home from NYC to Syracuse, I stopped in Albany and spent some time sorting through them with Eranowitz, and had chance finally to play with his new pup, Marti.

Tempted to make a challenge here, with prize a free snapshot or two of nice pens, printed on photo paper... to he whoe names key models and variants. First few to nail names gets the shot. I won't nitpick some of the pencils, mixed-parts pens or nuanced Vacumatics.

At very least there are some neat models and variants to discuss. If anyone cares to opine, I'll toss out more info. In any case, a fun bunch. Certainly some key vintage eye candy.

Do peek.

regards

David

[penmanila]

wow, another hoard from pen heaven! my eyes went straight to the vacs, of course--let me take a stab: long major, junior-sized vac filler (but then why does it have 3 bands? yet it seems a bit short to be a vac filler standard--mismatched/replacement cap or barrel, perhaps?), standard, hard-to-find blue senior max, burgundy OS set.

[Spen]

I won't embarass myself by taking up the challenge though there seems some nice pieces there. Did your latest collection come from NYC too? If so, I wonder why so many come up for sale in that area.

Regards form the UK

Nigel

[Hugh]

Certainly looks a nice find David, can't see the issues from the outside!! ( apart from the one discoloured Parker and a bit of brassing on the Duofold clips..all minor)...as you say "eye candy"!!. The Sheaffer on the second row is an Imperial 727 ( there's a couple very similiar ..) , not worth much but mine is a good user pen, writes well, looks good and not too heavy.

Regards
Hugh

[Jiffypens]

The swan eternal is a beauty!

[david i]

Certainly looks a nice find David, can't see the issues from the outside!! ( apart from the one discoloured Parker and a bit of brassing on the Duofold clips..all minor)...as you say "eye candy"!!. SNIP

Regards
Hugh

The swan eternal is a beauty!

Interesting pair of observations. They also reveal the risks in buying pens with relatively limited info on hand as to details of pen or honesty of (or skill at) description, as when- say- buying pens on ebay from unknown sources

In this case, happily, I had chance to inspect in detail... and I have fair experience at pen grading, not that anyone is free of risk of missing something here n' there.

The Mabie Todd Eterna 46 Mottled from afar indeed is a pretty pen and will no doubt make someone a nice affordable user, when I let it go with accurate description and reasonable price... if It doesn't end up as parts.

The Mabie has a hairline cap crack that was glued. Not obtrusive but still significant. The barrel has the infamous herniated imprint.

Herniated imprint? Yes, it is an Outie not an Inny (spe?).

Imprints originally were heat stamped into the HR barrels. With wear the imprint seems to fade. If one applies heat, he can de-heat-stamp the imprint, raising it to visibility.

So the pen is cracked, worn and has a raised imprint. It had been... played with, as we say. Not in front of me, so I don't know if the nib was cracked too. Probably a $350-450 pen clean, I'm not sure *how* to price this one. But, I knew all this when I bought the lot, and such things were factored in.

But, it looks nice from afar

Illustrates why one must be careful.

-d

[Jiffypens]

Cracked or not the erternals in this color are hard to find, definitely a good find!

Of course the 58 and blue maxima are also very nice

[david i]

I won't embarass myself by taking up the challenge though there seems some nice pieces there. Did your latest collection come from NYC too? If so, I wonder why so many come up for sale in that area.

Regards form the UK

Nigel

Hi Nigel,

I split time upstate and downstate. This collection arrived by mail in NYC, but was not from there. Too, one can split hairs separating "types" of collections.

The 1000-pen pile in NYC seemed to be from a fellow who for many years grabbed literally any pen he found, good name, bad name, good shape, bad shape and tossed 'em in boxes. Perhaps this is as close to pile-from-the-wild as it gets.

The group that I picked up in NYC last month, the 40 pens, was intermediate. Bought by a collector from a real antiques dealer who probably aquired as an estate from what once had been a real collector... all Parker, all nice shape. I shared in the booty.

This current group is from a collector himself, acquired over time.

Each setting carries its own nuance regarding dealings. `

I do admit, that as one who has collected something or other since pretty much kindergarten (I'm now a lifer with pens), i know no greater collecting rush than finding piles of pens at once. Of course the hobby offers many other charms. Pen photography is a big part of my hobby pleasure- and when I can find the precious time- I enjoy tossing out articles online and in the mags. Perhaps the best part, especially traveling the pen show circuit the last ten years as much as anyone and more than the overwhelming majority, has been the friends made through the hobby connection.

-d

[david i]

The Sheaffer on the second row is an Imperial 727 ( there's a couple very similiar ..) , not worth much but mine is a good user pen, writes well, looks good and not too heavy.

Regards
Hugh

Hi Hugh,

Yeah, that might be the first fluted (i think it's fluted) Imp I've handled. Nice pen. Weird, I didn't set out to collect Imps, but now have 5-6 in the collection (two solid gold, a silver pattern I've sold but whose name I lack, that thin touchdown barleycorn and maybe this one if i keep it). Of course I didn't set out to collect 1940's Sheaffers, and even after I eventually get to the sale special for the couple hundred pieces, I probably will keep 10-20. The collection has bad habit of metastasizing

d

[david i]

Cracked or not the erternals in this color are hard to find, definitely a good find!

Of course the 58 and blue maxima are also very nice

Slip cap 18 actually. A 58 would not fit in the box. Still, a decent pen.

-d

[Teej47]

I just see a couple gorgeous blues and some honkin' hard rubber. Just those would make for a mighty fine year of collecting for me!
Seriously cool...

Tim

[parkercollector.com]

That MB 138 is one of my (albeit many) holy grails. Fantastic balance and usually great nibs.
Congratulations!

/Tony

[Chris Chalmers]

That last tray sets my pulse racing David! The 138 and the Coral #30 have my name written all over them!
How long can you wait????
You certainly found yourself a beautiful 'pot-o-pens' this time!!! Congrats!
Are yo going to the NYC show?

[penmanila]

ah, the swan eternal.... i have one of these, the 48, one of my first and probably greatest sumgai finds (here in manila, for about $10), in pretty decent shape:

Cracked or not the erternals in this color are hard to find, definitely a good find!

Of course the 58 and blue maxima are also very nice

[david i]

ah, the swan eternal.... i have one of these, the 48, one of my first and probably greatest sumgai finds (here in manila, for about $10), in pretty decent shape:

That's a grand find, indeed. I've never owned a MT 48. I took the liberty to tweak your image in Photoshop, to reveal details a bit better. Hope you don't mind.

-d

[penmanila]

the pleasure's all mine--thanks, david!

... but now about those vacs in the hoard: what's with the shortish three-banded silver-pearl one?

[david i]

the pleasure's all mine--thanks, david!

... but now about those vacs in the hoard: what's with the shortish three-banded silver-pearl one?

Have to pull it, but most vague recollection is that of a middle-size Vacuum-Filler barrel with full-length (presumably slightly later) Vacumatic (or three-band standard size Vacuum-Filler) cap. Recall all three sizes Vacuum-Filler are same diameter.

regards


-d

[Teej47]

ah, the swan eternal.... i have one of these, the 48, one of my first and probably greatest sumgai finds (here in manila, for about $10), in pretty decent shape:

Oh my goodness... as if it's not already amazing, is that a stub nib?

Tim

[penmanila]

yes it is

[Teej47]

yes it is

Nice! I know what I'll be dreaming about tonight...

Tim
... all snug in his bed,
while visions of giant stub nibs dance in his head.