Opinions, Please, On This Auction

[betweenthelens]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/310984563237?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

I'm very interested in this pen and wrote the seller asking about the silver hallmarks and how they knew it was from 1925. They replied:

 

The silver hallmarks are on all the silver parts, the cap and the barrel overlay as well. I know this is from 1925 as I know it was bought here in 1925. Fortunately I had the pleasure of meeting the gentleman who bought it before he passed on.

 

So, I asked for photographs of the hallmarks and they then replied:

 

Photographing the hallmarks will mean first cleaning the pen. This I won't do now. So apologies.

Thoughts on the seller's reticence to provide me with photographs of the hallmarks?

 

Thanks!

[jjlax10]

I say take a chance if the price accounts for the risk.

[Ambien]

I'm confused, is it restored or unrestored? The description includes both words in excited caps. Depending on where you live international air mail will be around $24+ if you decide to return in 14 days.

[CraigR]

That is a nice looking pen and pencil set. It also looks like it has been cleaned and polished before the existing photos were taken. Not sure from I can see that the hallmarks would be hidden by tarnish or crud. Of course, the seller's reluctance to provide more documentation does not necessarily mean that it is not available. I think I would politely request disclosure of the hallmarks in the "question" area of the auction so that other bidders can see your request. That way a response from the seller becomes public and if the pen is not as stated you would have some recourse to return it and cancel the sale. Just a few of my thoughts. Best wishes on this auction!

[hari317]

.

 

Thoughts on the seller's reticence to provide me with photographs of the hallmarks?

 

 

Surprising. He is one of the good sellers on ebay with his listings fetching very handsome prices and always well photographed.

[betweenthelens]

I'm confused, is it restored or unrestored? The description includes both words in excited caps. Depending on where you live international air mail will be around $24+ if you decide to return in 14 days.

I only see "unrestored" but this gives me pause as well. It's so clean and shiny and even the internal parts are pristine (although, of course, the cork will have to be replaced.)

 

I say take a chance if the price accounts for the risk.

Thanks, Josh.

 

Surprising. He is one of the good sellers on ebay with his listings fetching very handsome prices and always well photographed.

He does have perfect feedback, and yes, the pens are well photographed, but as my friend Tim mentioned in an email, if the pen isn't clean enough to show the hallmarks, have the photos been shopped? The pen looks pretty pristine to me in the photographs.

[hari317]

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He does have perfect feedback, and yes, the pens are well photographed, but as my friend Tim mentioned in an email, if the pen isn't clean enough to show the hallmarks, have the photos been shopped? The pen looks pretty pristine to me in the photographs.

I have been observing his listings for years, which is why I am somewhat surprised that he has declined to take additional pictures for you. Finally you have to decide how much you want the pen.

[betweenthelens]

That is a nice looking pen and pencil set. It also looks like it has been cleaned and polished before the existing photos were taken. Not sure from I can see that the hallmarks would be hidden by tarnish or crud. Of course, the seller's reluctance to provide more documentation does not necessarily mean that it is not available. I think I would politely request disclosure of the hallmarks in the "question" area of the auction so that other bidders can see your request. That way a response from the seller becomes public and if the pen is not as stated you would have some recourse to return it and cancel the sale. Just a few of my thoughts. Best wishes on this auction!

Thanks, Craig. I don't know about asking in the question area, though. I would feel rather sneaky publicly asking the seller to provide something when she said she won't via a private message. It's true that it would force an honest response, and perhaps she is being honest but it just doesn't feel right when the photos depict a shiny, clean pen. It just doesn't sit well with me so I'll not be bidding unless proof is provided via photographs. I'll be fine with someone else chiming in and asking!

[betweenthelens]

I have been observing his listings for years, which is why I am somewhat surprised that he has declined to take additional pictures for you. Finally you have to decide how much you want the pen.

Hari, I've seen some of his/her listings prior to this one and I found some favorable posts on this seller on here when looking for more information. Yes, it's peculiar that they won't oblige with photos.

 

Also, in re-reading the description, not sure how the pen can be described as being "fully working" when it's only been dipped.

 

AND...(I am really researching this as I really was interested in the pen.) the seller said that the pen was bought in the Czech Republic in 1925 and that she had the pleasure of meeting the "gentleman who bought it before he passed on," and I find this suspect, too. Not sure when this guy passed away but he would be close to 90 now, if he was born in 1925 so how old was he when he bought the pen?

Edited June 15, 2014 by betweenthelens

[hari317]

.

Also, in re-reading the description, not sure how the pen can be described as being "fully working" when it's only been dipped.

a good question to ask him. it is a he, let me assure you.

[betweenthelens]

a good question to ask him. it is a he, let me assure you.

I feel as if the seller has already been disingenuous with me; I don't expect much candidness now. I assumed the seller was a woman as someone named Deb (short for Debra, I thought) replied to my queries.

[Chrissy]

That is a nice looking pen and pencil set. It also looks like it has been cleaned and polished before the existing photos were taken. Not sure from I can see that the hallmarks would be hidden by tarnish or crud. Of course, the seller's reluctance to provide more documentation does not necessarily mean that it is not available. I think I would politely request disclosure of the hallmarks in the "question" area of the auction so that other bidders can see your request. That way a response from the seller becomes public and if the pen is not as stated you would have some recourse to return it and cancel the sale. Just a few of my thoughts. Best wishes on this auction!

It's the sellers choice whether to add any questions to the listing or not. They are not automatically added.

Edited June 15, 2014 by Chrissy

[betweenthelens]

It's the sellers choice whether to add any questions to the listing or not. They are not automatically added.

I didn't know this so perhaps the question wouldn't even appear in the auction, if it were asked. Thanks, Chrissy. What's your opinion on this?

[Sinistral1]

I'm reminded of one of my eBay pens that came from a prominent seller who moves a lot of pens, takes great photos and answered my questions quickly and fully.

 

However, he had the wrong pen number (56) in the heading and when I asked him what the number on the end of the barrel was, he said "54" and that the nib was the original Waterman #4 keyhole. So I asked about the nib, whether or not it was flexible, even though his photos always include a writing sample, and this one showed a beautifully flexible text with huge line variation. His response - yes, the nib was very flexible. I won the auction and paid my $$$ for a nice keyhole 54 with a sweet flexible nib.

 

The pen I got is a beautiful Waterman 54 with a keyhole nib that will flex only when I borrow an elephant from a circus to stand on the nib. I didn't return it because I like the pen and I wanted a keyhole nib. I use it for paying bills and writing checks. I use other pens with flexible nibs when I want to write with flex.

 

Moral of the story: Buyer Beware.

 

So the seller got his sample writing and pens and nibs mixed up. You-know-what happens. I still got a nice pen and don't think I overpaid by too many dollars. I hope your transaction resolves to your liking.

[rtruslow]

Gorgeous pen! Free shipping! What is not to love?

[betweenthelens]

I'm reminded of one of my eBay pens that came from a prominent seller who moves a lot of pens, takes great photos and answered my questions quickly and fully.

 

However, he had the wrong pen number (56) in the heading and when I asked him what the number on the end of the barrel was, he said "54" and that the nib was the original Waterman #4 keyhole. So I asked about the nib, whether or not it was flexible, even though his photos always include a writing sample, and this one showed a beautifully flexible text with huge line variation. His response - yes, the nib was very flexible. I won the auction and paid my $$$ for a nice keyhole 54 with a sweet flexible nib.

 

The pen I got is a beautiful Waterman 54 with a keyhole nib that will flex only when I borrow an elephant from a circus to stand on the nib. I didn't return it because I like the pen and I wanted a keyhole nib. I use it for paying bills and writing checks. I use other pens with flexible nibs when I want to write with flex.

 

Moral of the story: Buyer Beware.

 

So the seller got his sample writing and pens and nibs mixed up. You-know-what happens. I still got a nice pen and don't think I overpaid by too many dollars. I hope your transaction resolves to your liking.

Thank you for relating your experience and for your humor. (I really liked the part where you said it will flex when you borrow an elephant from the circus to stand on the nib. That really made me smile.) You are so right: Buyer beware! I am cautious so I won't be bidding on this unless the issues are resolved.

 

Gorgeous pen! Free shipping! What is not to love?

What's not to love are the unresolved issues. Before I lay out what could be a considerable amount of money, I'd like to know exactly what I'm getting. As a Bayard collector, I would like to add this to my other Bayards but only if it is authentic and what it's purported to be.

[ArchiMark]

FWIW, I don't think you have much to worry about.....if you're buying through ebay and pay with paypal, you're protected in case of fraud with sale...

 

Seller has 4,101 feedbacks and 100% positive rating...

 

After looking at listing and see all the photos pen assembled and dissassemble, I don't think I'd worry about this....

 

Just my 2¢.....

 

Mark

[Sinistral1]

I just looked - what a beautiful pen, including that flexible nib!

[JonSzanto]

What's not to love are the unresolved issues.

 

Life is full of unresolved issues. If there was a "no return" policy, I could understand the hesitancy. In this case, if the pen really is something you'd like, it certainly seems worth taking a leap of faith (seeing as how this seller has a sterling reputation). A beautiful pen, best of luck.

[inkstainedruth]

It certainly is a beautiful pen. I understand now why you collect Bayards if they look like *that*....

As for the listing in question, dunno what to tell you. It might be a deal, it might not be. And what Chrissy said is true -- questions don't necessarily get posted. Or (in some cases, in my experience) even answered.

I've mostly done well on Ebay but have gotten burned a few times, most recently when the seller answered someone else's question -- which *was* posted -- and I found the answer to be ranging from "somewhat incorrect" to "complete falsehood" to "seller is a moron who should leave pen sales to other people who have at least one brain cell full of clue"; and I failed to ask some more pertinent questions about condition, which has lead me to being sort of bitten in the butt -- so my $85 (with shipping) pen may end up costing a lot more in repair than I had anticipated.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth