Full Version: Old Ink Bottles and Inkwells
Today I saw a bottle of Blue Skrip...half full and the box was intact though it had some water damage. The dealer was asking $25.00 for it. I didn't buy it because it seemed outrageous. I would never use the ink so this would just be a "thing" to have near my other pen "things". Also, I saw an empty Parker ink bottle. The bottom of the bottle had the Parker name and the cap was black plastic and intact. He was asking $8.00 for it. Are these the prices that are currently being charged for these items or isn't there a rule of thumb for these items?
Some people collect old bottles, so there's a market for attractive or rare ones in good condition. Pendemonium has some listed under "Vintage Inks" in their Ink section if you'd like a retail price comparison. Empty old Skrip ink bottles with the nice glass built in ink wells are very nice to use for your home mixes, or to get the last drop of your favorite ink out of a low volume bottle. Their metal caps can rust, but other than that they hold up pretty well.
Other old inks are valuable in and of themselves. Parker Penman Sapphire, Emerald, and to a lesser extent Ruby and Mocha can regularly fetch over $20 a bottle on eBay. I think P.R. D.C. Blue and P.R. Sherwood Green are good substitutes so I haven't bought any myself, though I have samples. I have purchased partially used bottles of Sheaffer's discontinued Skrip Burgundy because I like the warmth of the reddish under hue and haven't found a modern substitute. The old Skrip Grey is quite nice too and many people like the old Skrip Peacock. Pendemonium also has a useful section on using old inks in your pens on their "Vintage Inks" page.
Other old inks are valuable in and of themselves. Parker Penman Sapphire, Emerald, and to a lesser extent Ruby and Mocha can regularly fetch over $20 a bottle on eBay. I think P.R. D.C. Blue and P.R. Sherwood Green are good substitutes so I haven't bought any myself, though I have samples. I have purchased partially used bottles of Sheaffer's discontinued Skrip Burgundy because I like the warmth of the reddish under hue and haven't found a modern substitute. The old Skrip Grey is quite nice too and many people like the old Skrip Peacock. Pendemonium also has a useful section on using old inks in your pens on their "Vintage Inks" page.
I recently sold two old ink bottles at an antique mall. One was a relatively plain looking bottle, but the Waterman name was on the bottom. I'm not sure how old it really was, but it sold for $7.00. I have one old Pelican bottle that has a similar shape to a MontBlanc bottle. Its so interesting I don't want to sell it. If a bottle has a molded design or logo on it, they tend to bring a few dollars more.
I also have two bakelite school desk ink wells in the display case. I'm asking $12.00 each as they are in excellent condition and I don't see them all the time.
$25.00 for the Blue Scrip bottle is crazy. I would expect around $5.00 or maybe even less.
Any old ink bottles from the 1700s or early to mid 1800s I would expect to fetch a price if in good condition, but some of them are hard to identify or authenticate.
Most ordinary ink bottles from the late 1800s through the 1930s often sell for about 4 to 8 dollars unless there is something special or unique about them. One time at a public auction I saw about eight ordinary old ink bottles sell for $1.00 for all.
I also have two bakelite school desk ink wells in the display case. I'm asking $12.00 each as they are in excellent condition and I don't see them all the time.
$25.00 for the Blue Scrip bottle is crazy. I would expect around $5.00 or maybe even less.
Any old ink bottles from the 1700s or early to mid 1800s I would expect to fetch a price if in good condition, but some of them are hard to identify or authenticate.
Most ordinary ink bottles from the late 1800s through the 1930s often sell for about 4 to 8 dollars unless there is something special or unique about them. One time at a public auction I saw about eight ordinary old ink bottles sell for $1.00 for all.
Thank you for your replies. I thought $25.00 was a bit off the mark. I didn't want to be rude to the fellow so I admired the bottle and moved on...
QUOTE (penartist @ Jul 9 2007, 11:48 PM) 
I recently sold two old ink bottles at an antique mall. One was a relatively plain looking bottle, but the Waterman name was on the bottom. I'm not sure how old it really was, but it sold for $7.00. I have one old Pelican bottle that has a similar shape to a MontBlanc bottle. Its so interesting I don't want to sell it. If a bottle has a molded design or logo on it, they tend to bring a few dollars more.
I also have two bakelite school desk ink wells in the display case. I'm asking $12.00 each as they are in excellent condition and I don't see them all the time.
$25.00 for the Blue Scrip bottle is crazy. I would expect around $5.00 or maybe even less.
Any old ink bottles from the 1700s or early to mid 1800s I would expect to fetch a price if in good condition, but some of them are hard to identify or authenticate.
Most ordinary ink bottles from the late 1800s through the 1930s often sell for about 4 to 8 dollars unless there is something special or unique about them. One time at a public auction I saw about eight ordinary old ink bottles sell for $1.00 for all.
I also have two bakelite school desk ink wells in the display case. I'm asking $12.00 each as they are in excellent condition and I don't see them all the time.
$25.00 for the Blue Scrip bottle is crazy. I would expect around $5.00 or maybe even less.
Any old ink bottles from the 1700s or early to mid 1800s I would expect to fetch a price if in good condition, but some of them are hard to identify or authenticate.
Most ordinary ink bottles from the late 1800s through the 1930s often sell for about 4 to 8 dollars unless there is something special or unique about them. One time at a public auction I saw about eight ordinary old ink bottles sell for $1.00 for all.
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I found some interesting bottles at my local antique stores...hiding in hard to find places on top of dusty cabinets. The smallest clear bottle is a medical one with Sanford Cookson on it. The cobalt blue and the cone shaped bottle are generic ones as is the rounded one to the left of the cone. The rounded one is what my husband describes as desert glass...it has a tint of pink to it and glows yellow with a black light in the dark (which it did at home). The antique store only charged me $5 per bottle, though they can be gotten for $3 on eBay (before shipping and handling). You can buy corks and stoppers at the hardware store.
The smaller straight sided brown and clear bottles are medicine samples that I found in my cupboards.
Another convenient sized bottle is the one you find in Christmas baskets that have orange marmalade...the ones that practially fit in the palm of your hand.
Specialty Bottle website..
I found some interesting bottles at my local antique stores...hiding in hard to find places on top of dusty cabinets. The smallest clear bottle is a medical one with Sanford Cookson on it. The cobalt blue and the cone shaped bottle are generic ones as is the rounded one to the left of the cone. The rounded one is what my husband describes as desert glass...it has a tint of pink to it and glows yellow with a black light in the dark (which it did at home). The antique store only charged me $5 per bottle, though they can be gotten for $3 on eBay (before shipping and handling). You can buy corks and stoppers at the hardware store.
The smaller straight sided brown and clear bottles are medicine samples that I found in my cupboards.
Another convenient sized bottle is the one you find in Christmas baskets that have orange marmalade...the ones that practially fit in the palm of your hand.
Specialty Bottle website..
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