I have a Parker Lucky Curve 28 1/2 for sale. I stumbled upon this quite unknowingly (see attached post) and had no idea what it was. I feel that this pen would be better suited in a more avid collector/restorers hands rather than myself. I have had it appraised by a couple individuals but before posting what it was appraised at, I thought I would give everyone here a chance to have a go at it. I will say that lowballing is not really what Im looking for and that you should read my post (see attached) for pictures and an idea of what its worth. If you'd like more info, feel free to PM me! Thanks!!!
Previous Post with Pictures

Ok well since the response has been generally well below what was appraised, I'll throw it out there that it was appraised at anywhere from 800-1400 dollars or more (by Michael at Northwest Pen Works- Thanks Michael!!!) So I hope this helps this thread come alive!!!!

I think Michael's offer is superb. Given the condition of the pen, i suspect i could not sell it for close to that, never mind buy it. Not sure i'd go to that range as a buyer even if the pen had perfect chasing, original black color, etc, though maybe as a seller, if pen were superb. Those buying for collection of course having more wiggle room than those buying for resale. Still...

I recommend- speaking as a fellow who buys and sells a fair number of old pens- taking advantage of that offer. I have doubts you will see higher, but hey, i'd be happy to be proven wrong.

regards

david

I wish he had offered to buy the pen but unfortunately he was just appraising it for me. Hence the ad on here! As a college student, I think this pen would be better off in a more serious collectors hands, not mine. Hopefully someone out there is looking for this baby! *fingers crossed*

Why not put it on ebay? maybe you can get more serious offers.

Maybe you can trade a few good pen from him for that appraised of US$800 to US$1400. You will be better off using the trade d pen....... Do take the offer sooonnest. You are of better luck than many here........

As someone who only collects early Parkers, I must tell you that the appraisal you received for the pen is inflated by at least double, if not more. I'm not saying this because I want to get it from you for less, because I'm not interested in buying it as I already have two of these. The appraisal you received would only be valid if the pen were in 100% pristine condition. A heavily discolored pen such as this, without the ability to examine it in person for flaws, would likely sell for no more than $300-$350.

And then there is the "spread" for those who buy for resale.

Heck, in this condition in the originally cited price range and in the condition the 28 seems to be, I could probably sell a similar grade Parker Black Giant appropriately.

Come to think of it...

Still, I observe that lacking "rules" in the hobby, there is room for diversity in assessments.

-d

I offered that this pen realistically, barring no other defects, other than the discolor, one would expect this pen to sell anywhere from $500 to $750, maybe a bit more. Just depends on who is looking, who is buying, and who wants one. Any other defects will severely hurt the price. I don't collect Parkers, and if I had he spare coin laying around, I would consider the idea of stepping up for $500 on this. 28 size parkers are tough. I would prefer a plain 28, rather than a 1/2 (chased) but how many do you see in a year? $800-1400 should get you into the black giant range, especially in this market (with a recession looming) A 28 is still a rather nice pen. I hate to say it, but I would use this one, and enjoy it. I bet with some use over time, the color might look a little better on this one over time. At least that's what I have seen with discolored pens (HR pens) that get used for a while, they get slightly better.

I really feel at this point, eBay is your primary market.

I really hope you do well with the pen, like I said previous, please consider keeping it if your situation allows you to.

Funny how we are all over the place on this one. Just figured I would ad my 2 cents on this one....

discolor counts Without discolor? with sharp imprints and chasing? different pen

d

I had to go back and look. I did not see how worn it really was.

yeah, that is a user, Probably $500 is enough. $350 is a good deal.

In the end, you will always have a pen that is worn.

So, would you purchase at $350? Just curious. As per some of my earlier off-forum chat, while i get hte occasional LC-era Parker in stock, i don't focus on these as much as John does on this era.

regards

david

yeah, I would probably give $350 for it, if I had the spare scratch. Not my thing, but a 28 was always one of those pens I wanted, as well as a black giant. Do you think I could pull the black giant off? Am I big enough to use that kind of pen?

Hey, big hearted fellows can use Parker Black Giants.

-d

I would normally tell myself to "mind my own business"- but I will pass on my own piece of advice: keep the pen and have it restored to working order. Just because the pen is worth so much doesn't mean you have to sell it- it can become a great writing friend in its own right. If you like the pen and want to use it- that's what it was made for. Of course if you really want to sell it- go for it. I'm just saying don't automatically say "sell" just because of the appraisal.

I would think that is the best advice. Right now the market is soft, keep it if you can. If you are a collector, this is a great pen to have in your collection.

Hi daivd,
I can't wait knocking at your Dr for the price of a giant better a pm across if you have one

What Ray-Vigo said sound. Can consider.

well now i am thoroughly confused. Firstly, the reason I am selling this is that a box of pens (yes a box haha) is being sent to me from home that my dad literally found while salvaging a house. I know that this particular parker is of greater historical significance than others hence me selling it. the whole poor college student thing is also a mild factor :-D. anyways- Im not sure why you say the appraisal is inflated. Michael said that he looked at the posts on here (in the parker forum) as well as the pictures I sent him personally. I mean, given that the pen could go for anywhere up to 1400, I thought trying to get at leas 6-700 was a pretty good bargain. Perhaps Im wrong?

Nirvana,
I have no dog in this fight as I would not want the pen.. not my collectible interest...
But, I would say that David and Rick have given you more than fair information about the actual value of the pen...
I seriously doubt you will get anywhere near what you were quoted by Michael or even what you would like to get... Did you ask Michael what he would be willing to pay for the pen... since he quoted a $1400 value.. he might be willing to go the $700 you might be willing to get... if not, then you need to ask yourself if the value he quoted is really accurate... I know that if I can purchase a pen for half of what I perceive the value to be, I am a happy camper... even if I have to restore it.
Now, believe me I am not at all saying that Michael has given you erroneous information... he has stated what he believes according to the pictures you sent him... all of us who buy and sell vintage pens have our own idea of what something is worth... but in this case two other well known collectors of vintage pens have given you almost the same value that is markedly different.
The pen is an unknown in condition other than the pictures to anyone wishing to purchase it...
It will most likely need to be fully restored by someone with real knowledge of this kind of pen and there are not a lot of those people out there that I would trust... in fact I can think of only 2 or 3 restorers that I would trust with that pen... one of them is working on a matched set of Chilton Golden Quills for me...
IMO, I believe the only way to get the kind of numbers you would like to get for this pen is to first have it professionally restored...
As stated by Rick he might be willing to go $350 in the condition the pen is now... however, if you put $50+ or so into a restoration (it might be more) you could probably raise that to the numbers you are looking to get... Sometimes you need to spend a bit to get into the game...
This is just my 2 cents for what it is worth...

Great info! I am currently trying to get ahold of Michael to see if he's interested. I guess im just trying to get a fair deal seeing how the pen COULD sell for 1000+, thats all. *fingers still crossed* I imagine i'll have more stuff on here soon after i start seeing what I have in my goodie box! haha. Anyone interested in this pen though? Im really looking to sell!

I think you're confusing fact with opinion here. It is not a fact that your pen could sell for $1,000+; it is the opinion of one person you've communicated with. Others have opinions at odds with that assessment (myself among them).

If you're not after a specific price, but are simply looking to get a "fair deal" -- that is, approximate market value -- a clear eBay listing with good photos will generally produce exactly that due to the natural forces of the auction venue. If such an auction realizes $400, for example, it wouldn't mean that you didn't get a fair deal because that is far less than $1,000+ -- it would, instead, indicate (bordering on proving, really) that the estimate you received was simply incorrect.

Alternatively, if you're convinced that the pen's market value is $1,000+, simply list it for sale here for, say, $1,000 (or $800, or whatever you've decided a "fair deal" would represent). This is a widely read site and your listing will be viewed by a sufficient number of interested parties that a market-value offering will likely be met with acceptance by one or more collectors. If, on the other hand, your price is not met, it can be reasonably concluded that your price is simply too high, and thus that the estimate is in error.

--Daniel

Now theres an idea I can get behind Thanks for the idea kirchh! I think i'll try ebay first and leave this little post to stew? Although, ebay is not on my good graces after having some lady try and scam me with ups insurance. Oh well! haha thanks again (ps. should i make a new thread for this stating the selling price w/ new pictures? thanks!)

Travis

Hi,

I will dive in on this.

Whilst i believe i'm not the one who said any appraisal here is inflated (inflated has an active flavor to it that makes me uncomfortable), I do believe a couple points have become clear via this conversation:



Further, i do not offhand know of which pens are in your lot, but historical significance is a bit of a nebulous term. No evil there, but the word does not help me when it comes to an ad soliciting bids. A pen might be older than another, but is that historically significant? I s'pose i lean more towards Collector Cachet- that mix of rarity and desirability- to describe the import- if not the price- of a pen.



I sort of wish that names had not come in on this conversation, but we have what we have. Michael is a professional in every sense. A good guy, skilled restorer and respected seller of pens. I would rather debate the notion of the appraisal itself than perhaps have to see, "gee, this time i disagree with Michael", but hey, we are where we are now. It is possible to like and respect my fellow hobbyists even whilst occasionally disagreeing on some nuance.



And it is here that several of us at least seemingly disagree with what you cite from Michael, though perhaps we do not disagree as you have cited an appraisal of $800-$1400 (conveniently now described as "up to $1400") not an offer.

See, putting aside Michael and focusing on you, i assert the phrase "a pen could go for anywhere up to $1400" is a meaningless statement. I could find a chewed up bic and opine that it "could" go for $1400. I also might win a lottery. Many things "could" happen. A better question might be, "what have been prior price points for sales of pens such as this, accounting for model, condition and market".

In other words, I invite anyone to show me that in the entire history of pen collecting that a worn and olived Parker 28 1/2 has ever gone for $1400.

And, i imply in that invitation that none ever has. I greatly doubt claim that this pen could go for anywhere in the close range to $800 (a key part of that appraisal now being forgotten) never mind $1400.

What if five other people propose this pen could retail for up to $75? Which appraisal then is correct?

It seems you heard one very nice number and several other less nice numbers on this pen, and are convinced the high end is a rational retail target. That is fine, but i simply disagree. Indeed, i suspect a near perfect version of this pen would struggle to get to that $800-1400 that was cited, and this pen is 1/2 or less of a perfect pen. AOn the other hand, time will tell.

regards
david

My Bic COULD sell for $1000+ too, but i generally don't hold my hopes out. It is important to separate "Could" from "is likely to"


david

Travis,
A little advise from someone who has sold more than his share (and bought more than his share) of pens on eBay..
1. Make sure to post a load of pictures that are very clear and show the pen and nib at their best
2. Be extremely honest as to the condition of the pen (not saying you won't be, but make sure all little quirks are mentioned)... this will keep a buyer from later trying to return it because you might have left something out..
3. Make sure you sell it as a Reserved Price Auction and you have the reserve set at the minimum you want to get (Be realistic about this price) ... You can also post a Buy It Now price higher than your reserve.. sometimes people really jump on that BIN...
4. Post as much information as you can find about the pen, history, rarity, etc. Remember you are marketing it... you want buyers to really want the pen... short quick descriptions do not do that... But at the same time don't make is sound too schmaltzy (Yes that is a technical advertising term )...

I could see this pen bringing $400-500 on the bay. If you shoot great pictures, and detail the pen well. Include a shot of the rear blind cap, showing the 28 1/2, Show a picture detailing the nib, and all of the imprints. Show pictures of all of the imprints. I would suggest starting this pen off with a low starting bid, no reserve. That will attract a lot of serious buyers, and perhaps the hopefuls.

Not to go against Old Griz, but I too have bought and sold a pen or two on the bay, and even off the bay. I have handled many high end pens, and really think this is a good approach. Sometimes reserves scare off any serious bidders, thinking that the seller might just be testing the waters, or perhaps out of their mind. Only put it on eBay to sell, not for an appraisal.

One thing you might want to consider, is spending the additional $$$ and have the pen repaired, and brought to operating condition.

When I was 14, I got really into baseball cards while working away from home one summer. I would get all these cards, open them up, file them, and look them up in Beckett's (The "#1 Authority on Collectibles") to tell me what they are worth.

I watched as my net worth grew with each "valuable" card.

Then someone told me that Beckett's says one thing, but the cards are only worth what someone will pay for them.


Look, I know that's a silly story, and states what we all know. But Michael is like Beckett's. He is just as correct as that magazine is regarding the value of the collectible.

I am an Antiques Road Show addict.
When they first started 'appraising' items, they would say it is WORTH $xxxx.xx
Then they couched that with "at a properly advertised well respected auction" it would sell for$xxxx.xx
Now they almost always say " for insurance purposes".

There may well have been some seriously dissapointed sellers.


I will echo Rick's suggestion re: ebay Don't put it up there if you don't want to sell it for whatever it sells for.
It's an auction after all.
My $.02
Now back to this daggone spors!

I wasn't going to reply to this, then after reading all the replies today, decided that I probably should explain a bit. Especially since the price range I gave "Nirvana5253" was taken somewhat out of context, and I didn't explain the price quote as well as I should, to a newbie pen collector.

As we all know, a price range is just that, a range "on a good day" for a pen in excellent to mint condition to lesser grade pens. Nirvana5253's Parker 28 1/2 is not in the high end of the spectrum. I told him it was in "rough condition", i.e. worn and discolored. I also told him he should have someone professionally restore it and, I say now, that it could be brought up a little in grade, by someone who knows what the heck they are doing. I also told him that he might someday regret selling it, as you don't run across 28's out in the wild often.

I do not collect large pens, and I thought it highly unprofessional to make an offer on the pen, since I was only being ask for an appraisal. I was ultimately ask to make an offer on the pen, which I refused. I also refused to accept future work from Nirvana5253 (nothing personal), because I have suspended custom vintage pen restoration, from new customers, and a temporary suspension from past customers. The explanation being, that I have not been able to get much work done for myself, on pens for resale and my personal collection. I keep buying and the pens literally keep piling up. Also I need to work out some bugs in my HTML editor and get my website rebuilt, and that will take some time.

Today I took a look at the old updated prices, for a P28, in the Fischler - Schneider "blue book" (these were from before the 2nd ed. came out), and I looked a Erano's "Fountain Pens - Past and Present. Paul Erano has a Parker 28 (smooth, no chasing) listed as a $450.00, whenever he wrote it a few years ago. In my estimations Paul's prices tend to be very conservative, in the real world. By today's market, I believe, you could ad at very minimum 1/3 over any high end of a particular price range he states in his book and expect to get it, depending on a given pen's condition of course. But that's my opinion and I'm sure worth every cent it cost you.

Oh, I'm not hard to find, people. Did anyone, other than Nirvana5253, bother to contact me backchannel about this thread? Only one friend who saw it and tipped me off about it... Someone please have the courtesy to contact me for any future court dates! If I'm on trial, I would like to be there. Just kidding!

Happy penning! Carry on!

Michael McNeil

I redacted my comment.

I just re-read the rules: ". . .this area is NOT a discussion place. . ."

I do not know what that means, but I am steering clear.

It's not a place to post pens for sale either, but it seems like we all have bent the rules a wee bit. The discussion has been friendly, and we are only discussing what should be a fair market price on a pen. I think it fits "Market" place. If the admin. wants to move this elsewhere on the board, that is their privilege.

MMc

Well said, Michael

WIll you be in LA ? I vaguely recall you are a west coaster.

I am fond of Paul's book, and I note that his prices are- iirc- for pens in Excellent condition. Your point about separating Appraisal from Buy/Sell is well taken and not surprising. I had little doubt in my earlier posts that you had not made an offer on said pen. Appraising and Purchasing together tend to blur certain lines

Regards

-d

Ahhhh.... i was speaking in... retrospect. A certain Danza. A certain Black Giant. A certain startlingly familiar (re: this thread) price range. Ahhh... those were the days.

regards

david

L.A.'s out for me this year. Maybe I'll go down and do a little buying next year. I don't have enough pens ready to go, to even go down to L.A., a this time.

I hope you can work Portland into your schedule this year. Maybe you can teach me more about pen collectors! LOL! I don't understand them sometimes...

MMc

I agree with you 100%.

But I am not the one who decides to suspend myself.