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Fair price for Vac on ebay?


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#1 Baz666

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Posted 20 July 2013 - 05:49 PM

Hi,

In the opinions of the Vacumatic experts here on the board,
was This a fair price for this vac?

Regards
Paul.

#2 parkercollector.com

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Posted 20 July 2013 - 06:17 PM

Hi,

In the opinions of the Vacumatic experts here on the board,
was This a fair price for this vac?

Regards
Paul.


Very fair. $300 wouldn't have surprised me.

/Tony
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#3 John Jenkins

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Posted 20 July 2013 - 11:04 PM

I've looked closely at the pics and there are issues that concern me. First, it appears that the cap has some shrinking or warpage just below the clip ring. Then, the blind cap looks too small in diameter where it meets the barrel (at best a poor alignment, at worst a poor replacement). The loose clip is usually easily correctable. The description does not indicate the pen is restored. Usually restoration is routine, sometimes restoration means replacing a trashed filler unit.

It's possible that these are just poor pics and no problems exist. It's also possible there are other problems that are not obvious. We also have a relatively new and unknown seller.

These are all the things that add up to the eBay discount over a pen you inspect in person before you buy or know of the seller's reputation.

The bottom line is, this is more than I am (was) willing to risk on a black Slender Max with these risk factors.

I hope who ever won it got a great deal, it was just more risk than I was willing to take.


JJ
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#4 TomS

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Posted 21 July 2013 - 02:05 AM

I'd say it is a fair price for the risk involved. I backed out because of the cap issue.
Tom

Edited by TomS, 21 July 2013 - 02:06 AM.


#5 penmanila

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Posted 29 July 2013 - 01:01 PM

what about this one? another slender max, methinks. it has a few issues, including a small crack on the cap lip and a chewed-up blind cap, but for the price.... (and yes, the chump was me; i figure i've spent this money in worse ways):

http://www.ebay.com/...cvip=true&rt=nc
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#6 david i

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Posted 29 July 2013 - 01:03 PM

what about this one? another slender max, methinks. it has a few issues, including a small crack on the cap lip and a chewed-up blind cap, but for the price.... (and yes, the chump was me; i figure i've spent this money in worse ways):

http://www.ebay.com/...cvip=true&rt=nc


Hi,

Major, not Slender Max, and obviously quite scarce and significant with that cap-band. Blind cap likely can be massively improved with heat. Hairline in cap lip is a hit, but you bought pen well below price of an excellent example, and the cap-band is clean.

I think you did ok.

-d
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Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#7 penmanila

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Posted 29 July 2013 - 01:41 PM

many thanks for the clarification, david! i have a spare NOS blind cap for this pen, so that part of it should be okay. do you suppose the hairline's something that ron zorn can do something about? (i know, i should ask him and i will--he's done great work for me before--but i wanted to know if you think i should even mess with what i have or let things be.)
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#8 Jos

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Posted 29 July 2013 - 03:43 PM


what about this one? another slender max, methinks. it has a few issues, including a small crack on the cap lip and a chewed-up blind cap, but for the price.... (and yes, the chump was me; i figure i've spent this money in worse ways):
http://www.ebay.com/...cvip=true&rt=nc

Hi,
Major, not Slender Max, and obviously quite scarce and significant with that cap-band. Blind cap likely can be massively improved with heat. Hairline in cap lip is a hit, but you bought pen well below price of an excellent example, and the cap-band is clean.
I think you did ok.
-d

A question out of curiosity on the "Vacumatic cap band" pen: I read that these pens were produced for a short time in 1937 but the pen in the auction has a 1939 (2nd Q) date code. Is that correct or am I reading the date code wrong?

#9 IPD_Mr.

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Posted 29 July 2013 - 07:58 PM

many thanks for the clarification, david! i have a spare NOS blind cap for this pen, so that part of it should be okay. do you suppose the hairline's something that ron zorn can do something about? (i know, i should ask him and i will--he's done great work for me before--but i wanted to know if you think i should even mess with what i have or let things be.)




Yes Ron can easily do this type of work, and this is something
that Linda does as well. It is not something that can be done at a show as
this needs time to flash off. I had to put that in there because I knew
what you were thinking. :D

#10 John Danza

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Posted 29 July 2013 - 08:57 PM

Blind cap likely can be massively improved with heat.


Hi David,



Can heat be used to fix the "tooth marks" in the blind cap? I know you have to be very careful with heat and celluloid so it doesn't melt/burst into flames, but would love to know more about your thoughts on helping the blind cap. I have a Generation 3 (single jewel) Vac in Red that I just got, and the blind cap has some "tooth mark" -like marks that I would love to fix. Because of the difficulty in finding this model in this color, finding a replacement blind cap would be an adventure.


Thanks!

John Danza


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#11 david i

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Posted 29 July 2013 - 08:57 PM

many thanks for the clarification, david! i have a spare NOS blind cap for this pen, so that part of it should be okay. do you suppose the hairline's something that ron zorn can do something about? (i know, i should ask him and i will--he's done great work for me before--but i wanted to know if you think i should even mess with what i have or let things be.)


Hi,

I believe Ron can improve the appearance, certainly.

regards

david
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Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#12 John Jenkins

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Posted 29 July 2013 - 10:49 PM


Blind cap likely can be massively improved with heat.


Hi David,

Can heat be used to fix the "tooth marks" in the blind cap? I know you have to be very careful with heat and celluloid so it doesn't melt/burst into flames, but would love to know more about your thoughts on helping the blind cap. I have a Generation 3 (single jewel) Vac in Red that I just got, and the blind cap has some "tooth mark" -like marks that I would love to fix. Because of the difficulty in finding this model in this color, finding a replacement blind cap would be an adventure.

Thanks!


I've had success heating Vac plastic for some relief from nibbles. It isn't as dramatic as hard rubber recovery, but improvement nonetheless. Perhaps it's my imagination, but it seems to me that some colors or batches rebound at different rates.

Do note that heating plastic is more perilous than heating HR. Well before it flames, Vacs will begin to melt and sag into horribly disfigured useless mutants (to quote the Wicked Witch: "Look what you've done!! I'm melting, melting. Ohhhhh, what a world, what a world."")
JJ
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#13 John Danza

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Posted 30 July 2013 - 08:17 PM



Blind cap likely can be massively improved with heat.


Hi David,

Can heat be used to fix the "tooth marks" in the blind cap? I know you have to be very careful with heat and celluloid so it doesn't melt/burst into flames, but would love to know more about your thoughts on helping the blind cap. I have a Generation 3 (single jewel) Vac in Red that I just got, and the blind cap has some "tooth mark" -like marks that I would love to fix. Because of the difficulty in finding this model in this color, finding a replacement blind cap would be an adventure.

Thanks!


I've had success heating Vac plastic for some relief from nibbles. It isn't as dramatic as hard rubber recovery, but improvement nonetheless. Perhaps it's my imagination, but it seems to me that some colors or batches rebound at different rates.

Do note that heating plastic is more perilous than heating HR. Well before it flames, Vacs will begin to melt and sag into horribly disfigured useless mutants (to quote the Wicked Witch: "Look what you've done!! I'm melting, melting. Ohhhhh, what a world, what a world."")
JJ




Thanks John. I've usually got too heavy a hand with such things, so I'll probably leave well enough alone.

John Danza


"Positive attitude makes for good decisions, but bad decisions make for great stories."

 

 

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#14 Baz666

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Posted 31 July 2013 - 10:07 AM

A question out of curiosity on the "Vacumatic cap band" pen: I read that these pens were produced for a short time in 1937 but the pen in the auction has a 1939 (2nd Q) date code. Is that correct or am I reading the date code wrong?


Hi Jos,
I suspect this pen has had a barrel swap at some time (or maybe a cap swap onto a whole different pen).
However, the value of the pen is in the cap (even with the cap lip crack).

BTW. nice pen penmanilla. B)
Is this your first Vac banded Vacumatic?

Regards
Paul.

Edited by Baz666, 31 July 2013 - 10:08 AM.


#15 dr.grace

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Posted 31 July 2013 - 10:37 PM

OK, can I ask whether I got a reasonable price for this one?

It's got the wrong filler unit, but otherwise it seems like it could be made presentable. And it's got what looks like a factory stub.

Is there someone who has a spare lockdown filler unit? I can't find them sold anywhere.

Thanks!

Don




#16 penmanila

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Posted 01 August 2013 - 12:40 AM

hi, paul, yes, i figured as much, since that should be a 1937 date stamp. i knew i was paying for the cap--and yes, it's my first vac-band cap, after chasing down all kinds of uncommon vacs. i might get lucky and find a 37 barrel somewhere among my vacs; i already have an NOS blind cap for this, so i won't have to do any heating (while i now restore most of my own vacs, i've zapped one too many vacs with a heat gun to even consider the option).

i expected that the cap lip crack (which i'll have ron take a look at), the late date, and the tooth marks would bring buyer interest and the price down a bit, but i frankly didn't expect the pen to get just three bids. we see two or three of these a year on ebay and i thought people would be all over the pen. so it was no sumgai and again it's got issues, but i still feel i got lucky ;)


A question out of curiosity on the "Vacumatic cap band" pen: I read that these pens were produced for a short time in 1937 but the pen in the auction has a 1939 (2nd Q) date code. Is that correct or am I reading the date code wrong?


Hi Jos,
I suspect this pen has had a barrel swap at some time (or maybe a cap swap onto a whole different pen).
However, the value of the pen is in the cap (even with the cap lip crack).

BTW. nice pen penmanilla. B)
Is this your first Vac banded Vacumatic?

Regards
Paul.


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#17 penmanila

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Posted 01 August 2013 - 12:47 AM

very nice nib--i'd say you got the pen for a good price. it's a first-generation slender, a kind of mini version of the standard. i saw an NOS lockdown filler unit sell on ebay just a few days go (i was an underbidder), so they do come up now and then. your other option might be to find a donor pen, from which you can salvage a filler.

OK, can I ask whether I got a reasonable price for this one?

It's got the wrong filler unit, but otherwise it seems like it could be made presentable. And it's got what looks like a factory stub.

Is there someone who has a spare lockdown filler unit? I can't find them sold anywhere.

Thanks!

Don


Check out my pens here and my blog here.

#18 dr.grace

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Posted 01 August 2013 - 01:55 AM

very nice nib--i'd say you got the pen for a good price. it's a first-generation slender, a kind of mini version of the standard. i saw an NOS lockdown filler unit sell on ebay just a few days go (i was an underbidder), so they do come up now and then. your other option might be to find a donor pen, from which you can salvage a filler.


OK, can I ask whether I got a reasonable price for this one?

It's got the wrong filler unit, but otherwise it seems like it could be made presentable. And it's got what looks like a factory stub.

Is there someone who has a spare lockdown filler unit? I can't find them sold anywhere.

Thanks!

Don

Yes, you're right, a donor pen might be the ticket. (But I've grown a bit wary of how this escalates for me, because next I'd want to find another pen that can replace the missing parts of the donor pen, etc.)

#19 penmanila

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Posted 02 August 2013 - 12:55 AM

or you could just send it off to a restorer like danny fudge who will very likely have the missing part in their inventory. two birds with one stone--you get the part, and get the pen restored ;)
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#20 dr.grace

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Posted 02 August 2013 - 02:59 PM

Funny, I was just thinking about sending it to Danny Fudge.




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