So i've been unable to find any information regarding this pen. Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Wahl Picture

The outside of the pen is completely blank except for "EVERSHARP Made in USA" on the cap. The nib reads "Wahl Eversharp 14K Gold Seal Flexible"

Thanks a million for anyone who can give me some info on my modest collection of pens!


Travis

Looks to be a very nice Wahl Eversharp Doric - Gold Seal, roller clip.
Judging from the 'fretted' cap band, I would place this model in the early 1930s.
It is also quite difficult to gauge the size of the pen from your photo, but I am guessing this is quite a large pen, maybe even oversized (5 3/4 inches).

Nice pen and very desirable in the larger sizes.

Yes it is a rather large pen. any idea on its value/desirability?

If it is an oversize and in excellant condition, it is a VERY desiarable pen. You can track similar pens on ebay to get an idea of what those are going for now days. Lots of factors will affect the price but Ii'd put a conservative estimate around 200.

Yeppers. If you mite wish to sell it, do drop me a line. I like big Wahls. Email isaacson@frontiernet.net or PM via FPN.

regards

david

Yeppers. If you mite wish to sell it, do drop me a line. I like big Wahls. Email isaacson@frontiernet.net or PM via FPN.

Here are some more Dorics, to provide some context.

regards

david

GREAT NEWS! The matching pencil is being shipped from home as we speak! Along with a bunch of new exciting additions! I'll post in the upcoming weeks! As for selling it, I saw on ebay an exact same set selling for 275. Is this about right?

Ebay prices aren't always good representations of real value (even inside of ebay). Selling blind (like most people do on ebay) and getting top dollar requires really good photographs, thorough and honest descriptions, and a willingness to answer a lot of questions fairly quickly. I haven't searched ebay for the set you found, but would say (especially at this time of year) that if one went for $275 as a set with a matching pencil, then yours is probably worth more than that - even in unrestored condition.

The advice I usually give to people when trying to determine value on nice vintage pens (yours seems to be a very nice pen, by the way) is to try to find them for sale on the websites of people that sell a lot of vintage pens or at least that own a lot of vintage pens (professionals). Then, realize that these people actually get these prices for their pens on a regular basis. This is a good way to estimate the value of a given pen. Remember that professional restoration can cost from $25 to $50 (for the basics) on a nice pen, so you'll need to figure that in. Here are some examples (no endorsements or criticisms of any of these people is implied - some are people I really like, others are reference points):

http://pensburymanor.com/
http://gopens.com/
http://www.wetinc.com/pens/index.html
http://www.vintagepens.com/vintage_pens_catalog.shtml
http://jakespens.net/#VINT
http://penopoly.com/
http://www.vacumania.com/website/forsalemainpage.htm

Of course, finding a buyer can be tricky. Many vintage pen collectors/restorers/sellers have never heard of FPN, aren't members (yet), or just don't look at the boards very often because they're too busy working on pens . Also, most of the really big sellers will only pay top retail for pieces that they have a strong desire to add to their collection - many times they trade at shows using pens that they've all purchased for amounts unknown. It's hard to tell who comes out ahead this way, but it's fun to trade

So, ask yourself if your pens are worth any less than those belonging to the folks listed above, or if you'd be willing to take less than they do. Then pick a price (setting a firm asking price usually helps here), choose a sales venue, take good pictures, describe everything really well, and see how you do.

One final note I'd add is that if these happen to be heirloom pens (I noticed you said "shipped from home"), then I'd urge you to reconsider selling. People that don't collect or use fountain pens sell pens that they've inherited all the time, but most people that enjoy vintage fountain pens treasure their own family's heirloom pens above all others, even the 2nd and 3rd tier pens. I know I do. Just something to consider...

Hope this helps!


Cheers,
Tom

There is a considerable difference in the price you'd expect to pay for a professionally cleaned and restored pen sold by a retailer and the price you as an individual can expect to get for a "found pen", or, some would say "in the wild" pen.

This pen is not difficult to repair. So if in good condition, and if it is oversized pen, you should expect somewhere from $300-$500. Someone even quoted me as $900 if it is in perfect condition, maybe with #10 adjustable nib? In any case, I think that $280 is a very much lower bound for the set, and I would first jump on it!