I am looking at getting a "J" or two to learn restoration on, and use as an affordable collection starter. Most of the pens I have seen that needed restoration were about 15-30 dollars, and really nice restored ones seemed to go for about $45 to $55 or so.

Now, I see an auction that is up to $118 for a restored red one. I know the red seems to go for a few bucks more than the green and the other common colors, but is there something else special about this pen? The only thing I see right off hand is that it is in about the nicest condition I have seen, and the chrome, plastic and nib all look perfect. Is the steep rise in price a reflection of the excellent condition of the pen? I have to admit that I looked at that pen, and decided it was the nicest looking photograph I had seen of a J, and I might have been tempted to bid higher than normal, myself, if I had known more about these pens. Still too much of an Esterbrook newbie to jump in to the expensive end of the pool!

Sure is pretty though...

Here's the auction
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...I:IT&ih=016

Woah. I have no idea why that thing is so spendy. Is the red J that rare? Otherwise, I am not impressed.

Nope. Just a plain old J with a less than spectacular nib. Either there's something funny going on there by the seller or those are two completely inexperienced bidders. (probably the latter)

Or, wait, if Red J's are going for $118 each, I have a bunch I would happily sell for the measly price of $75 each.

IMO, no standard J should go for more than $35-40.

Best-
Brian

Prices paid so far on eBay for working J series in last couple of months -

Black LJ - $23 (great condition)
Red J - $16 (great condition)
Copper SJ from a fellow FPNer - $23

Green J with broken jewel - not working when received - was sold for $12 - $12 to repair it, required a new nib


I sure would not pay that kind of price!

Man, and just a 1554 nib to boot. Heck, for that price, they should make it a top of the line 9xxx nib tweaked by RB!

That's what I thought, everybody. I figured it was kind of overpriced. I wasn't sure if it was a secret ultra rare variant that I didn't recognize, or something like that. I also thought the seller was being very fair in his description of it. It looks nice, but he doesn't go on and on about it's rarity, and historical importance. He seems to sell a lot of nicer than average pens, and has excellent feedback. I am guessing that he is a restorer, as they all look to be fixed up quite nicely. Thanks for the information.

Too bad I don't have one of these bad boys to sell...

Imagine what Philip Benz could get for this one of a kind, super rare, ultra minty piece of fountain pen history!

Dave

Ouch! That auction is really gunna hurt in the morning.

With all our luck, this will be the one auction every antique dealer sees tonight. Poof! Every esterbrook in an antique store will go up in price overnight!!

Man, that thing is now up to $163.00 with about 40 minutes to go.

I just bought a red Esterbrook for $12.00 which I will re-sac and clean up some...hope it will be ready to go. Also have a couple 9xxx nibs.

Wonder how close to $200.00 the red one on eBay will get? Have to check it again in a few.

Sometimes you see something and you just gotta say... "What the ...??!!" So...

"What the ....?!!"

I do hate to cast apersions (sp). I think these two have to be "shills". Seriously,
Look down the listings there are J's everywhere and none near this price.
Just my opinion...

Steve

I've seen that easterbb on a few other Esties that I was looking at. Don't know anything about the person...

Well, easterbb also just bought a fairly usual Copper estie for $51.00. This bidder has driven up the price on many items I wanted, but, oddly, never was the winner.... notice that (s)he has only two feedbacks. My cruel side is very happy easterbrook spent $51.00 for a $12.00 pen, but I wonder about his/her driving the price on the Red Model J to $163.00 and leaving it to another unsuspecting buyer.

He just won an auction for a copper Estie - $51. He also won a gray Estie (that was likely a visumaster but not identified as such) several days ago for $78.

mehitabel

Well, I suppose we will see if this easterbb actually pays for the pens. We'll have to check back in with his feedback in about a month.

As for the winner of the auction, that buyer has bought and paid for some nice stuff lately, all reasonably priced... so this is odd!

As for the shill theory - does that imply unclean hands on the part of the seller? I do not think this seller is involved, I understand him to be well-known and of good repute.

It's just an odd situation!

That being the case my Apologies.

Steve

He's got a yellow cracked ice up to $165.50 with almost 24 hours to go.

mehitabel

Nothing too unusual about that. It looks to be a good example of a hard to find pen.

Best-
Brian

I only know that because I have seen people refer to the seller by his first name. I would otherwise have guessed the same thing you did! In fact, if I were the seller, who clearly knows his pens, I would be worried that others would suspect me of wrongdoing.

For real, this is like a bic selling for ten bucks.

It's totally insane!

Now, THAT PEN, is amazing. I would not pay for it, but it is fun to look at!

It is gorgeous. I considered bidding on it until the price got too high for me. There is almost another day to go, and I wonder what the present high bidder will end up bidding.

mehitabel

I agree

Mine was about $28 and some change ready to use. I would have a hard time paying that for a NOS Pastel "Petite-Pak"

One of the bidders involved - the runner-up for the red Estie, the winner of the $51 copper Estie - is new on ebay. He has won 12 bids since Nov 3 - all for Esterbrook collectibles. I am hoping that, once he acquires one of everything he wants, he will move on to another brand, or even ballpoints.

mehitabel

I was watching this auction and wondered if I was mising something, I only have a couple of Esties, nice pens but not something I would pay more than about £10-15 for.

I wondered if it was a rare colour or something, but it seems not.

Oh well somebody will live and learn as they say.

Andy

Looks like easterbb has lost out on a couple Esterbrooks, without driving up the price.

Wait! The last one to outbid him is me. A blue LJ with 9550 nib is coming home to Papa!

I won two Esties recently - an interesting-colored chocolate SJ and a green dollar pen with a 9314B nib. Before the auctions, I had resigned myself to losing them to easterbb. I felt so lucky.

mehitabel

My new mission in life...outbid easterbb! Kidding, of course. I hope he/she finds much satisfaction in the items won. I do feel a sense of extra special pleasure in posting the winning bid for the blue Esterbrook, though.