My first real attempt to become Sumgai

[HesNot]

I have generally traded, bought and sold here and on a few other pen boards and been overall satisfied with the results. I've bought and sold on the bay but have generally stayed away when it comes to pens (although I have found myself sniffing a little bit recently!).

 

This past weekend I had the opportunity to hunt for pens in three different towns on the eastern shore of Maryland while visiting my in-laws. They thought I was crazy. I probably was. The sum gain from my efforts? Yes, the goose egg!

 

I read some of Richard's reference materials and was all geared up for the search. I scanned and asked about pens in I believe 5 different antique/collectibles/junk shops and found a total of 3 fountain pens - all Wearevers in fairly rough shape. I didn't know quite what to expect. Interestingly, if I'd wanted a black rotary dial phone, plenty of those available. More glassware than I could imagine. Etc... but as close to zero pens as you could get.

 

I'm not sure exactly what I was hoping to find - my expecatations were actually wide open, the wish list not out of this world (i.e. no snake pens or Dorics!) - maybe a Parker 45 or 21, any of a variety of Sheaffers, ideally an Estie or two perhaps?

 

Alas, I'll hunt again but the pen gods did not give that little taste to make me come back for more readily. Maybe I was in the wrong shops or the wrong area of the country ... who knows.

[OldGriz]

Welcome to the wonderful world of antique malls...

There are about 5 of them in my area of Western MD...

The biggest problem is not just having to wander up and down the aisles trying to find a pen, but the fact that the person who put the pen there for sale usually has absolutely no idea of what it might actually be worth... IT IS OLD... Therefore... IT IS EXPENSIVE &HIGHLY COLLECTABLE. Yeah right...

The other problem with antique malls is that the people running them get a commission on the items sold, and usually won't even consider calling the seller to negotiate a price...

[FrankB]

I have not done any pen hunting since I relocated to Pennsylvania. But in Texas I found much of what you both described. I lived in the Austin area, so there were antique stores in large numbers. In antique stores and malls I found some vintage fountain pens, not many, but a fair selection of Parker, Sheaffer and Waterman. None of the pens were in really good shape, but the prices on them would have been appropriate only if they had been in perfect (original or restored) condition. In 12-years I bought one Parker 61 that was reasonably priced.

 

I discussed the pen prices with a number of the vendors. Most of them explained that they had antique value books they use for their prices. When I commented that those prices were for perfect condituion pens, they were disinterested. Not a single vendor was even curious about the pens they had for sale, and they acted as if they didn't care if the pens sold or not. My experiences were so negative that I have not even bothered to go out looking for pens in the wild here in my new locale. For vintage pens, I stick with the Internet.

[Johnny Appleseed]

I have actually done quite well with pens in the wild, though not without running into plenty of what you describe. Generally I find there are a few good places, and skip the rest. I haven't found too many Sumgai pens, but a few good prices, and some nice finds. Over the years, I have picked up:

 

Sheaffer Desk Pen, late 1920s, $10

Parker 61, near mint in box, $20

Parker 51 vacumatic, excellent condition, $17

Parker 45, $10.00

Parker Duofold Jr, discolored Jade, $21

Sheaffer Black 1948-1949 Touchdown Sentinal, working, $35

Sheaffer Blue 1948-1949 Touchdown Sentinal, $32

Wahl-Olympian MHR flat-top, chiped and cracked - $11

Baird-North ring-top with Aiken Lambert nib - $18

Parker Vacumatic, 1938?, flex nib - $40

Sheaffer Vac-fill, #350, no cap (for parts) - $8

Sheaffer TM Soverign, (estate sale) $5

Esterbrook Dollar pen, (estate sale) $10

Sheaffer WASP and Esterbrook SJ (yard sale) $2

Good Service ring-top, 14K nib, $5

Sheaffer Lady Lifetime Balance, small hariline - $5.50

2 x Sheaffer TM Touchdown Valient - $5.50

Sheaffer Snorkel Admiral - $5.50

early Esterbrook Transitional J, 3668 nib, $33.50

 

However, I have found plenty of broken wearevers, and plenty of overpriced pens - liked a Waterman 52 1/2 with a cracked cap listed for $65. It really is a toss-up. Some of the better places tend to be ones that will negotiate - the Parker with the flex nib I picked up was listed as a sale price of $62, but without too much prompting he dropped the price to $40.

 

Best prices can come from estate/yard sales, but you have to do a lot of looking to find pens at those.

 

John

[OldGriz]

You know Johnny, you keep posting stuff like that I am going to have to hunt you down and hurt you....

[Glenn-SC]

Antique stores are always going to be hit-or-miss. It's all what came in to the store since the last person who knows what they are looking at was in (or just remembers a pen like that from their childhood and REALLY want one like it). If you are the next person through the door since the gem hit the shelf you could be the Sumgai.

 

I have walked through many antique stores/malls/shops where I have never found anything of value, or what was there was grossly overpriced; like a Sheaffer Balance plunger filler for $95!

 

There are some that usually have something but mostly more common stuff; like a 4th quarter Parker 51 for $20 I got Friday.

 

There is the place you visit many times that typically never has anything and then a jewel appears; like a Parker Vacumatic Senior I found for $14.

 

And finally the place you find one time and you hit a Sumgai event; the first year Parker 51 with sterling silver cap and aluminum barrel end jewel for $4!

 

The joy must be in the hunt and the occasional find that offsets the cost of the gas and the hours of your life you've wasted searching antique stores.

[ipse dixit]

I reckon my best buy was $17.60 for a brown 1947 Parker Vacumatic. One tine on the nib was broken and it needed to be restored.

 

For $20 I had it restored, polished, and the nib ground to a very smooth stub.

 

Not bad for a pen that is the same age I am.

 

I also paid $30 for a restored gray 1944 Blue Diamond Parker Vacumatic.

 

 

*Edited to remove duplicated words.

Edited May 31, 2006 by ipse dixit

[Johnny Appleseed]

You know Johnny, you keep posting stuff like that I am going to have to hunt you down and hurt you....     

 

Come on now Griz - you really want to tangle with a man who spends all his time running barefoot in the woods with a pot on his head? I done wrestled bears before. . .

 

Johnny

[maxrhino]

The estate/yard sale.That's the equivalent of our car boot sales.

It's far easier to get everybodys car to the same place than it is a yard or garage.

Don't you have car boot sales?

Imagine several hundred yard sales in one place.It makes looking a whole lot easier.

I won't list what i've bought as Griz might need sedation.

[JimStrutton]

Come on now Griz - you really want to tangle with a man who spends all his time running barefoot in the woods with a pot on his head? I done wrestled bears before. . .

I don't think I quite understand this

 

I get the barefoot, I get the running in the woods, (but I prefer to do it with a rifle in my hand,) and I get the bear wrestling, but this pot on the head business?

 

Ok Johnny so you got me, but then maybe that is a good thing.

 

Griz a word of advice, beware of barefoot guys in the woods wearing pots.

 

Jim

[JimStrutton]

The estate/yard sale.That's the equivalent of our car boot sales.

It's far easier to get everybodys car to the same place than it is a yard or garage.

Don't you have car boot sales?

Imagine several hundred yard sales in one place.It makes looking a whole lot easier.

I won't list what i've bought as Griz might need sedation.

Griz needs sedation? Wot about ME!

 

OK so I took your advice and ran some ads in the local free papers, what did I get? Diddly, Nada, or nuffink depending on how you want it.

 

That does it I am getting my tent out and going Car Booting in Yorkshire this Summer!

 

Jim

[maxrhino]

Well if you do that your'e too late fot the 1930's conway stewart 93 ink pen in hard rubber £10,and the 1950's solid silver yard o led £3.Not for my collection but some more spending money when I flog them.Oh and i'd better mention the mabie todd with the huge no.6 flexible nib that I bought for a fiver.£60 I got for that.A wrench to sell such a nib as it wrote beautifully but i'll put it towards a nice vacumatic.

Let me know where you pitch your tent and i'll bring along some nice frisky bulls!

Can't be having competition.

[jpolaski]

I've found for me that it's hit or miss, just about anywhere you go. Flea markets tend to have both sides of the spectrum. Either the guy has a dead and bent wearever under glass for $65, or a box of pens that he really couldn't care less about.

 

My "Sumgai" event (here you go Griz) was a late 30's Sheaffer Mens Lifetime Crest set, in box, with all of the papers and the cardboard violator tag just sitting amongst the debris. I saw it, and asked the guy how much he wanted...$10

 

The usual finds for me tend to be Watermans from the early fifties around here, and I scoop up and parts pens I find for a buck or two, and have actually managed to put together some nice (and accurate) pieces along the way...so even the parts yield results in time

[drifting]

Come on now Griz - you really want to tangle with a man who spends all his time running barefoot in the woods with a pot on his head? I done wrestled bears before. . . 

I don't think I quite understand this

 

I get the barefoot, I get the running in the woods, (but I prefer to do it with a rifle in my hand,) and I get the bear wrestling, but this pot on the head business?

http://www.kiddierekordking.com/Johnny%20Appleseed%20(Disney),%20RCA%20VICTOR%20Y-390_%20Dennis%20Day_%201949.JPG

image borrowed from www.kiddierekordking.com

 

John Chapman AKA Johnny Appleseed

American folk hero iconography: tin pot hat, coffee sack shirt, barefoot, sack o' seeds, well thumbed bible (to ward off snakes, among other things )

 

Ryan.

 

ps I've yet to hit any jackpots in the antique markets, but I'm still just a dabbler.

[HesNot]

Some great stories to keep me sniffing! I don't have a lot of spare time when on vacation with two small children (4yo and 4mo) in tow - so this was sort of a treat to get out of the house and get my feet wet. Who knows. I'll go when the opportunity presents itself and enjoy the time out and about - and keep my eyes peeled for a balance, a "51", a 52, etc...!

[Johnny Appleseed]

For more info:

Johnny Appleseed

 

Johnny Appleseed history and religious background

 

More Johnny Appleseed history

 

Johnny

[JimStrutton]

Thanks to Johnny & Ryan,

 

OK Guys I get it now.............

 

Jim

[HesNot]

Jim - don't feel too bad, I had no idea what they were talking about either!

 

For some reason I did know what a boot was - perhaps my long term lust for a Morgan - nothing like a car built on a wooden frame with a leather bonnet strap...

[Brian Anderson]

I say keep going to the anitque malls, you never know what you'll find. Some of mine over the past eight years (that I can remember or that I kept):

 

Parker BCHR eyedropper (20 1/2 maybe? can't remember)- $19

Lincoln MHR OS w/#8 nib - $19

Parker Duofold Sr. Red - $39

Parker Duofold Jr. Lapis - $14

Sheaffer Full size jade Balance - $5

Moore L-96 - Something insane like $15

Carter's pen (have no idea what model - balance-ish) - $2

Parker 51 aero GF cap - $5

Skyline - GF cap - $5

Parker 51 aero - Once owned by Wisconsin Senator - $19

Dozens of nice Esterbrook under $10

Oh and how can I forget the PFMI at an estate sale for $0.25

and a week later, a PFMI in the box for $15 - Price marked "FIRM" :roflmho:

 

Interestingly though, in the last eight years, I have never seen an interesting Esterbrook pen, not a single pastel, not a single pastel desk base. wierd.

 

Keep looking, you never know what you might dig up.

Edited June 1, 2006 by Brian Anderson