How Much Should I Expect To Spend On A Waterman 52?

[inferno2086]

Looking to add a nice vintage pen to my growing collection and wanted some opinions on the value of this much hyped pen. Thanks for any advice you can give.

[CharlieTurtle]

No expert, but definitely look carefully. Even a quick eBay search revealed some at less than £100, and some at over £300.

[DanF]

It will largely depend on condition and how flexible the nib is. A run of the mill black example will probably run about $50 - $60. Very clean examples will bring more. The most expensive will have very flexible nibs and have writing samples demonstrating this. They will go for $150 to $350 or so. These are EBay prices, though it's been a couple of years since I was looking, so things may have changed. The colored ebonite models will go higher than the black.

 

Dan

[Keyless Works]

Sorry to dig up an old thread...but I am looking at a BHR 52 and I have the option of a $300 "superflex" and a $500 "wet noodle" (both nibs are correct for the pen). Are these prices reasonable if the nibs are as advertised? The seller is reputable but I am uncertain of how much of a premium I am paying.

[georgeb]

Check http://willowstrongpens.wordpress.com/

[Vintagepens]

Sorry to dig up an old thread...but I am looking at a BHR 52 and I have the option of a $300 "superflex" and a $500 "wet noodle" (both nibs are correct for the pen). Are these prices reasonable if the nibs are as advertised? The seller is reputable but I am uncertain of how much of a premium I am paying.

 

A bit of background history . . . .

 

For many years most vintage pen collectors, dealers, and traders didn't pay all that much attention to the writing quality of nibs. Yes, there were those who keenly sought out nibs that wrote particularly well, and most did appreciate a good nib. But buyers wouldn't pay a big premium, and sellers didn't try to ask for one.

 

This began to change several years back as eBay bidders showed they were willing to pay premiums of up to several hundred dollars for pens with extra-flexible nibs. Sellers began to respond, with ever more elaborate nib descriptions and writing samples -- and, sometimes, with exaggeration of a nib's capabilities, flexing them well beyond sustainable levels in order to maximize sample line width variation.

 

Not all sellers have jumped on this particular bandwagon. This especially applies to vintage dealers who have been around a long time -- myself included. Such dealers may not trumpet the amazingness of their pens' nibs, yet those nibs are often just as good or better than the offerings of those who cater to the flex-seekers, and typically listed at a fraction of the price. For dealers of this sort, the notion that anyone would pay $300 for a Waterman 52 (the most common of vintage Watermans), let alone $500, seems utter madness. Of course, if buyers are willing to pay that much, the laugh is on the sellers who persist in underpricing their flex nib pens -- but it is also on the buyers who don't bother to check out what is on offer from those whose focus is more on the pen and less on the nib. Take a look here, for example.

 

 

[discopig]

Sorry to dig up an old thread...but I am looking at a BHR 52 and I have the option of a $300 "superflex" and a $500 "wet noodle" (both nibs are correct for the pen). Are these prices reasonable if the nibs are as advertised? The seller is reputable but I am uncertain of how much of a premium I am paying.

 

I wouldn't pay that much... I bought a few superflex and wet noodle Waterman 12s/52s for $20-60, it just takes a few hours of hunting.

Edited December 21, 2014 by discopig

[Left FPN]

Asking such a question is always going to receive widely different answers. It so much depends on the condition, colour, the adornments (some have more gold bits than others), the nib, where you buy and from whom you buy. Some punters have been very lucky in buying superb pens from market stalls, flea markets or S/H junk shops others have been drawn in by the dubious sellers on the great auction site.

 

So the short answer is $10 to $1000...I would not be able to trim it closer...but what do I know

 

I have always liked the scene in a Fistfull of Dollars where Ramon Rojo (Gian Maria Volonte) goes into a gunshop and terrorises the owner. He breakes the glass in the gun cabinet, eyes all the fancy handguns, takes 3 or 4 out swaps the parts around and listens to their mechanisms to determine the best combination before leaving without paying. Maybe something to try in your local pen shop.

Edited December 21, 2014 by Force

[FarmBoy]

I might still have a 52 in RHR (or Mottled, I forget which) that has a nice nib and an interesting tie to San Francisco. I'd never dream of asking 500 for it.

 

I can bring it to the next Bay Area Pen Gathering which will likely be at Peter's Cafe next weekend or week.

Todd

[gbb]

I wouldn't pay that much... I bought a few superflex and wet noodle Waterman 12s/52s for $20-60, it just takes a few hours of hunting.

Where do you hunt discopig?

[Vintagepens]

Just listed a very clean 52 with an Artist's-type nib -- long tines, extremely fine tip -- at what seems like a bargain price, considering . . . .

 

http://www.vintagepens.com/catill_new.shtml#11655

[Left FPN]

One to watch

[Vintagepens]

Closed at £310.00

 

Looks like I'll have to start putting all flex nib pens on eBay instead of my own website, at least Watermans.

[sidthecat]

I just handed over about $160.00 for a very clean, restored woodgrain with a Manifold stub nib. It'll be interesting to see what'll be in the box.

 

I am influenced by good-quality pictures.

Edited January 12, 2015 by sidthecat