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Esterbrook Ebay Sale

ClaytonLittle

By ClaytonLittle
in Esterbrook

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Charles Rice Collectors Item

Charles Rice

Posted
Posted

 

Did this cost for the listing, even though it didn't sell ?

Unless eBay has changed their policy recently, yes, he had to pay something.

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see this listed again with a much lower starting bid. The seller probably got them for next to nothing in the first place.

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  • OcalaFlGuy

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wastelanded Collectors Item

wastelanded

Posted
Posted

I take back what I said earlier, $50 is a bit rich. And there's loads of Bell pens still around.

"I was cut off from the world. There was no one to confuse or torment me, and I was forced to become original." - Franz Joseph Haydn 1732 - 1809
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LBpens Extremely Rare

LBpens

Posted
Posted

I remember when you could buy all the Esterbrooks you wanted for $5 each. You could buy the Bells for $2.

Save the Wahls!

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ANM Antique

ANM

Posted
Posted

Huh. The timeline somehow left out that my uncle quit Western Union and started working for ATT. A quote from his wife's diary: "Started to work For American Telephone and Telegraph Co. Sat January 26, 1929. Room 203 Telephone building Wichita, Kansas"


And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time. TS Eliot

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OcalaFlGuy Museum Piece

OcalaFlGuy

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the history lesson! I learned quite a bit. I knew part of that, but had no idea about most of it. Very interesting history of the inventions, developments, and discoveries made by Bell Labs. Thanks again.

 

-David.

 

So you've Read about their awesomeness, now See it. (The first ever cell phone, transistor and helium laser.)

 

Things aren't quite so bad as you'd think. Lucent still runs the lab. At about 1/20 the manpower strength and about 3/5's of the budget. Still, in 2011 The Lab filed 2600 patents.

 

That's 7 patents A DAY for The Whole Year.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ0m4JLKCJ0

 

PS; On Fleabay. At least for the most basic listing with no frills, you Don't Pay if you Don't sell.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

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Charles Rice Collectors Item

Charles Rice

Posted
Posted

Interesting Video - thanks.

 

I thought on eBay you had to pay a small fee up front. But then the only things I ever sold on that site were through a friend and all the items I listed sold. And that was eight years ago.

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OcalaFlGuy Museum Piece

OcalaFlGuy

Posted
Posted

I've had two different cellphone Fleabay listings in the past year. The most basic listings with no frills. You can still load at least 8 pics for no added fee.

 

Still the total fees along with Paypal approach 15% and for me, that approaches onerous.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

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Hobiwan Vintage

Hobiwan

Posted
Posted

Interesting Video - thanks.

 

I thought on eBay you had to pay a small fee up front. But then the only things I ever sold on that site were through a friend and all the items I listed sold. And that was eight years ago.

 

They used to do that. A charge up front for listing. Now they don't (at least, for me) charge anything for listing, BUT ... where they used to charge fees on the sale only for the sale price (excluding shipping), now they charge on the back end for total sale price INCLUDING shipping, which to me is a backhanded move. Shipping for most is a net-zero transaction; what you collect from the buyer, you pay out for postage.

 

But some sellers charge for "shipping and handling" (whatever "handling" is). Which is their backhanded way of getting more $$ to possibly compensate for ebay fees. It's a continuing game ...

Best Regards
Paul

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
– Albert Einstein

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gregamckinney Antique

gregamckinney

Posted
Posted

My thought, like Todd's is that these are really more like $30 pens. $50 isn't _outrageous_ but IMO way too much.

 

I don't know if these started life together like the Bell Systems ones did, but I tend to think so based on the stickers.

 

http://gergyor.com/images/esterbrook_icicle_x4_in_box.jpg

 

Best, greg

Don't feel bad. I'm old; I'm meh about most things.

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Ron Z Museum Piece

Ron Z

Posted
Posted

Greg - that looks like the set that I traded to Isaacson. If it is, then it came out of the estate of a guy who was a chemical engineer for Esterbrook. Got some very interesting stuff from them - including a prototype ballpoint that was an icicle SJ with a BP insert place of the nib unit - even with a sac still in the barrel.

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Visit Main Street Pens
A full service pen shop providing professional, thoughtful vintage pen repair...

Please use email, not a PM for repair and pen purchase inquiries.

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FarmBoy Museum Piece

FarmBoy

Posted
Posted

Greg,

 

What happened to the Copper and the Black Icicle?

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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Scrawler Antique

Scrawler

Posted
Posted

That looks used. The price is correct for such an item, but the $33 shipping is out of order.

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Charles Rice Collectors Item

Charles Rice

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Posted

That looks used. The price is correct for such an item, but the $33 shipping is out of order.

$33 to ship to Canada? WOW! $6.12 IN US.

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OcalaFlGuy Museum Piece

OcalaFlGuy

Posted
Posted

WELL used.

 

He says it's a Bell pen then doesn't even take a pic of the imprint. :rolleyes:

 

Heck, if the nib can be rehabbed, a 9668 is a $10 nib used anyway. A factory J-bar is $5, you're getting the pen for a couple bucks. About the same as a cup of coffee. (U.S. deal)

 

Might make a fun restoration if you could figure out how to freshen up the Property Of line if need be.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

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gregamckinney Antique

gregamckinney

Posted
Posted

Greg,

 

What happened to the Copper and the Black Icicle?

 

Not sure about the brown. May not have been there. Black? Stolen by elves.

 

greg

Don't feel bad. I'm old; I'm meh about most things.

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gregamckinney Antique

gregamckinney

Posted
Posted

Greg - that looks like the set that I traded to Isaacson. If it is, then it came out of the estate of a guy who was a chemical engineer for Esterbrook. Got some very interesting stuff from them - including a prototype ballpoint that was an icicle SJ with a BP insert place of the nib unit - even with a sac still in the barrel.

Hi Ron. I'm 99% sure I got this off ebay, but that doesn't preclude it being from David.

The prootype BP sounds really cool.

Don't feel bad. I'm old; I'm meh about most things.

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OcalaFlGuy Museum Piece

OcalaFlGuy

Posted
Posted

Got some very interesting stuff from them - including a prototype ballpoint that was an icicle SJ with a BP insert place of the nib unit - even with a sac still in the barrel.

 

I've had Two like that except the Icicle part. Mine had the sacs removed.

 

CP7.jpg

 

CP4.jpg

 

In light of my inability, despite my best efforts, to infect my Mother and Father with the FP virus, these were their Christmas presents.

 

:P

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

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Garageboy Antique

Garageboy

Posted
Posted

Well, if you think it's overpriced, then it wasn't worth it to you

If I had $300 lying around, I would have picked it up

It's as prototypical industrial American as it gets, Bell Labs and Esterbrook

 

Why are they mainly LJs, though? I can never seem to get a full size J

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