I just opened an on-line store for vintage (pre-1960's) European fountain pens that have been repaired/restored. After posting the site on several forums sites (including this one) I received several messages regarding writing samples (which I previously had not included on the site, I have since uploaded a sample for each pen). I was curious as to why people find this important. I did an experiment with my wife and her parents where my wife and I each wrote a sentence with different pens and asked her parents to pair the samples to the pen. They were unable to do so, being as the writing samples were very different. I was just wondering if people found these useful or if they helped people determine what pen they going to buy? Thanks for any feedback and looking forward to your thoughts!
Writing Samples?
#1
Posted 21 January 2014 - 03:41 AM
#2
Posted 21 January 2014 - 03:54 AM
Today our hobby is populated as much by FP users as by collectors. Those whose obsession leans to writing tends to generate interest in samples.
I lean more to the collecting side of the spectrum.
regards
david
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net
#3
Posted 21 January 2014 - 09:22 AM
As a user I find writing samples a waste of time. I've just bought a P51 that was described as having a broad nib. It certainly looked broad in the writing sample. When I use it it's not even a B/M. I have sold pens that write really smoothly for me only to be told by the purchaser that they are scratchy. Much depends on your writing angle. My smooth writing pens do not write smoothly for lefties. I have stopped doing writing samples and saying pen writes smoothly as I can't guarantee it will write smoothly for everyone just because it does for me.
#4
Posted 21 January 2014 - 03:39 PM
As a user/accumulator (rather than a collector), I like close-ups of the nib & feed and find them more helpful than writing samples.
If you do writing samples, they should be uniform, IMHO, with just hashtag marking and some swirly-S thing to show if there is any flexibility. As Widget said, much depends on your writing angle.
#5
Posted 21 January 2014 - 05:53 PM
I provide writing samples and my customers frequently tell me how useful they find them. Agreed, they have their limitations and we all write differently but they do give an impression of how the line produced by that particular pen will appear in normal use, i.e. whether it's firm or flexible, broad, medium or fine, bearing in mind that one man's fine is another man's medium. I do provide photographs of the nibs too, and I'm sure they're useful as well, though if you can tell whether a nib is flexible just by looking at it, you're a better man than I am, Gunga Din.
#6
Posted 21 January 2014 - 10:26 PM
I like seeing the writing samples. It is a part of the performance package. I enjoy looking at videos of the performance of a wonderful nib in the hands of those who can truly demonstrate the performance of a terrific flex nib. For me over the years, seeing what a pen can do has helped make the decision whether to bid on it on Ebay or on one of the websites.
Also, there are many people who do not make purchases for a variety of reasons more than likely due to costs. Showing the performance of a what a nib can do when it is a special nib can still be quite pleasurable for the person who is the voyeur. For me as I have stated, I enjoy looking at the writing samples. I have been known over the years to contact a seller stating, I am not in the market for this pen, but since you said photos available upon request, would you kindly send me a few? Almost every seller I have asked over the last what, 12 years have been kind enough to send the photos to me showing me the performance of a nib. There were either 2 or 3 sellers years ago who did answer me or want to be bothered or perhaps never received my request or it went into the leave me alone folder. Sellers who did the photos were gracious and we chatted via email about the pens in a few cases opening up a conversation.
I hope sellers are willing to share writing samples and if they do not and I am interested in the purchase, I ask for a sample. A seller who does not want to give me a sample unless the pen is mint, is one that sends up the flags for me. I know it means extra work for a seller to do so, take the pen out, fill it or dip it, photograph the sample, process the digital image and then place it in email or online is work. I have to say that almost all of the people I do ask to do this, do so willingly and proud to show off what they are selling. The one person who did not, I chose not to buy the pen. This was probably around 2003-2005.
#7
Posted 22 January 2014 - 12:54 AM
I admit that-- barring special nib adding heftily to price of pen-- I tend not to have time to do samples for customers. I understand if that costs sales, but there are limits to what I can do in presenting pens for sale as part of my serious hobby. I can barely keep up with requests for pens, proper, and have not had time for a true website update in nearly a year. Having to do on-demand an extra photo, save to computer, email it... impractical.
regards
david
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net
#9
Posted 23 January 2014 - 05:41 AM
...and they looks good. It's kind of advertisement I think.
And sometimes, I only want to show how really cool a pen does write.
I also did some very special writing samples for very special pens like this:
I am more collector than seller, that's why I can take the time I want for a sale. It's part of the hobby for me I think.
Christof
Edited by Christof Z, 23 January 2014 - 06:25 AM.
#10
Posted 23 January 2014 - 10:27 AM
Wow! I see where I've been going wrong with my writing samples now! Let's see, I can do an almost-recognisable pussycat and a passable duckie...
#13
Posted 23 January 2014 - 05:08 PM
Yes, I recognised it, but I wouldn't even make much of a job copying!
#14
Posted 23 January 2014 - 05:13 PM
There is some talent showing here
-d
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net
#15
Posted 29 January 2014 - 06:52 PM
To me, whether a writing sample is useful or not is up to the buyer's decision, and taking into account the limitations of internet transactions, I would not purchase from a a seller who is not willing to produce that at the request of a serious buyer. If I sold pens online, I would see that as part of my job.
Regards
#16
Posted 29 January 2014 - 06:52 PM
I just love to do writing samples. That's why I always provide some at my sales.
...and they looks good. It's kind of advertisement I think.
And sometimes, I only want to show how really cool a pen does write.
I also did some very special writing samples for very special pens like this:
I am more collector than seller, that's why I can take the time I want for a sale. It's part of the hobby for me I think.
Christof
Great pens, great writing!!!
#17
Posted 31 January 2014 - 11:31 PM
Christof -- I've been meaning to ask, and this thread gives me the opportunity: what blue ink is that? It's quite beautiful...
And, personally, I like to see a writing sample, given the range of actual line-widths for a given nib-width.
And finally: I'm not a collector per se, but a writer with overt collector-like tendencies. :-)
Edited by BMG, 31 January 2014 - 11:37 PM.
#18
Posted 13 February 2014 - 07:13 PM
I want to thank everybody for weighing in on this topic. I appreciate your thoughts and opinions concerning writing samples!
Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: vintage fountain pens, European fountain pens, www.scholarandgardener.com, fountain pens, writing samples
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