Is It Just Me Or Have Estie Prices Skyrocketed?

[FPgal]

Yes, and the work of making the pen pretty is so worth it. Many of us are into the pens for how they look, as much as how they write. I think, for me, I sometimes want to get my hands on a pen because I am sure they are nicer looking in person. I am sure you're doing a good job of restoration, gweimer, and if you get that lot of Esties, you may get some more practice !

[OcalaFlGuy]

To this day after A Bunch of times, the final step of my polishing still makes me crazy with excitement.

 

It is an apparent purely magical transformation right in front of your eyes in about a 30 min time period.

 

My jaw still drops and I turn into a giggling idiot most of the time it is just so cool.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Cryptos]

Then perhaps you should considering offering it as a service to others - for a fee of course.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Working on a pen I have bought to resell is completely different that working on Someone Else's pen.

 

I just don't need the added stress.

 

I'm not completely comfortable just writing with another person's pen, much less working on it.

 

I do make exceptions on occasion and I sweat blood every time until the pen is on it's way back home.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Cryptos]

Pish! If you have developed a skill the least you could do is let a few of us entrust our pens to your expert ministrations. Obviously my situation is impossible now but I would have been happy to accept the risks, and I am sure there are others who feel the same and who are in more favoured positions.

[gweimer1]

Working on a pen I have bought to resell is completely different that working on Someone Else's pen.

 

I just don't need the added stress.

 

I'm not completely comfortable just writing with another person's pen, much less working on it.

 

I do make exceptions on occasion and I sweat blood every time until the pen is on it's way back home.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

 

Oh, I'm getting to know that feeling. I actually have three packages en route that I will rest a little easier once they have arrived and the recipients are happy. What helps me, at this stage, is knowing that any pen that I mar cannot be sold or returned in that condition, so I have to replace it or keep it in my misfit toy collection. It's an effective motivator to take my time.

 

I just did an Estie cap for Amberlea, who thought that the broken jewel only needed to come out. What I found was a transitional cap, with threads, that someone had glued a new cap jewel and clip onto. I managed to get the whole thing dissected, and the threads are intact. Now, we know how some people out there are addressing the issue of lack of good transitional cap jewels.

[OcalaFlGuy]

What I found was a transitional cap, with threads, that someone had glued a new cap jewel and clip onto. I managed to get the whole thing dissected, and the threads are intact. Now, we know how some people out there are addressing the issue of lack of good transitional cap jewels.

 

<Full Body Seizure>

 

The little disk the Tranny jewel screws into, inside the cap top, is only pressure fitted in. if it comes aloose, the inner cap has to come

out and it needs to be solvent welded or epoxied back in so the jewel will screw in. A major PIA and why I don't sonicate Tranny caps.

 

Gary you are obviously living right.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Cryptos]

 

There's still deals out there to be found but they are getting harder and harder to find.

 

Too many people selling with (perhaps) too little knowledge, together with others who are screwing the market? It may take a while before the bubble bursts, if it ever does.

[Sasha Royale]

Bruce likes Parker 51's. He endorses Esterbrooks.. I had to try one. I got a working one on Ebay

for $18 in 2013. There were two hobbyist restorers who did excellent work. I bid $25 on almost

every Esterbrook they offered. A very nice one brought my bid of $40. If you wanted that pen,

you paid more than $40. No hard feelings !

 

The red Esterbrook J, with a #2442 nib, could not be had for $18 because I am willing to pay

more. In college, we called it "wrecking the curve".

.

The value of an Esterbrook fountain pen is irrelevant. The price is whatever a buyer is willing

to pay.

[gweimer1]

 

<Full Body Seizure>

 

 

Gary you are obviously living right.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

 

....and using a Dremel. Rather than try to salvage an already damaged jewel, I opted (once, the clip fell off, and I could see that the top was a trans cap) to drill out the center of the cap and then slowly work the remnants off the threads with a hairpin. I also had my copper cap without the clip to use as a model for comparison.

[gweimer1]

 

Too many people selling with (perhaps) too little knowledge, together with others who are screwing the market? It may take a while before the bubble bursts, if it ever does.

 

I'll be curious to see how prices are in the next 3-4 months. I suspect some of the surge comes from Christmas shopping, and people also selling off items to do their own shopping for presents.

[Cryptos]

Indeed. I saw one advertised the other day for over $150, and it was nothing but a standard J and nib. Go figure.

[KBeezie]

To this day after A Bunch of times, the final step of my polishing still makes me crazy with excitement.

 

It is an apparent purely magical transformation right in front of your eyes in about a 30 min time period.

 

My jaw still drops and I turn into a giggling idiot most of the time it is just so cool.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

After which there must be roughly 15 minutes of stroking and staring.

 

Working on a pen I have bought to resell is completely different that working on Someone Else's pen.

 

I just don't need the added stress.

 

I'm not completely comfortable just writing with another person's pen, much less working on it.

 

I do make exceptions on occasion and I sweat blood every time until the pen is on it's way back home.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

It's why to date I have very rarely done so even if some people seem to think I'm capable (I keep telling em, I'm not a professional, I'd rather not).

 

If I break a pen I bought, I broke it, doesn't affect anyone but me.

Edited December 31, 2014 by KBeezie

[jdllizard]

I don't think I could work on other peoples pens, if I broke their section I'd die, if I break one on my own pen, then I can write it off as lesson learned and throw it in the parts bag.

 

Plus I still know nothing about tweaking nibs and I think that's a very important part of restoring a pen for someone who wants a writer. On my own pens I can just swap nibs till I find one that works for me.

[KBeezie]

Plus I still know nothing about tweaking nibs and I think that's a very important part of restoring a pen for someone who wants a writer. On my own pens I can just swap nibs till I find one that works for me.

Some people I know will itemize what they will do, for example if they only charge to clean and sac a pen, they won't even touch the nib (Especially since you never want to unless they specifically ask and pay for it anyways because they might have it just the way they want, the other obvious reason is doing work that isn't paid for).

Edited December 31, 2014 by KBeezie

[OcalaFlGuy]

It really bothers me to damage a pen. Any pen.

 

Thankfully I've only ruined maybe one or two. A couple I came close to but caught it just it time. Those two went to new owners.

 

Someone else's pen, even if stuff happens and I replace the damaged part, to me, it's not the same. I still broke it.

 

If I'm going to get stressed over a pen, let it be My pen.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[prighello]

Not just the pens but the nibs are crazy. I see stubs going for 50-75+ WTH?

[jdllizard]

Some people I know will itemize what they will do, for example if they only charge to clean and sac a pen, they won't even touch the nib (Especially since you never want to unless they specifically ask and pay for it anyways because they might have it just the way they want, the other obvious reason is doing work that isn't paid for).

 

Good point, but also, so far I only know how to work on Lever fill and Button fill pens. I'm just not experienced enough to offer my services to the general public..... yet.

[FarmBoy]

Getting over the pressure/stress/fear of working on other people's pens is part of the fun we sometimes talk about. My favorite was getting handed a Ripple Waterman 20 and a RHR 20 and having someone say "swap these nibs, I sold the Ripple with the good nib in it" while sitting in a hotel lobby at a pen show.

[Hobiwan]

Indeed. I saw one advertised the other day for over $150, and it was nothing but a standard J and nib. Go figure.

 

Not just the pens but the nibs are crazy. I see stubs going for 50-75+ WTH?

 

In my old computer-jockey days, we used terms like "blue-sky", "in your dreams" and "telephone book numbers" to describe similar phenomena in that field. They see something like a Visumaster or rare Relief go for big bucks and think that it applies to ANY Estie. I used to run into that with antique dealers years ago. Now if I thought for a second I could get that kind of dough for a J-pen ...

 

But who knows? Mebbe once in a while one gets lucky I've seen screwier things happen....