See There A R E Still Deals Out There...

[OcalaFlGuy]

Not one question, not one bid.

 

The ink on it would likely have polished right off and the seller says it even takes up and holds ink.

 

Copper for awhile was even a very wanted color.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260658546592&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&autorefresh=true

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[hawkgnat]

My statement earlier was that there were very few deals left except standard J series pens with firm fine or firm medium nibs. I think this qualifies. The copper color is nice though.

[alkman]

While not quite a steal, I picked up a Green J with a 9128 nib which looks like it's in good condition for $26 here. I'm hoping that it's in good condition, and nothing from the pictures looks horribly wrong, but I'll know when I get it in my grubby little hands.

[hawkgnat]

While not quite a steal, I picked up a Green J with a 9128 nib which looks like it's in good condition for $26 here. I'm hoping that it's in good condition, and nothing from the pictures looks horribly wrong, but I'll know when I get it in my grubby little hands.

 

I'll buy in to that being a good deal. I'm amazed a 9128 managed to go that low.

[esterbex]

SMH....I'm with you Bruce....guess with school starting back attentions are elsewhere....

[Rabbit]

While not quite a steal, I picked up a Green J with a 9128 nib which looks like it's in good condition for $26 here. I'm hoping that it's in good condition, and nothing from the pictures looks horribly wrong, but I'll know when I get it in my grubby little hands.

 

not bad! But it appears that perhaps the cap and barrel are two different shades of green. But that doesn't affect the performance, and the combination of greens is kinda neat actually.

 

--Stephen

Edited September 8, 2010 by Rabbit

[Garageboy]

Meanwhile, every other un restored J has been going for $20+

[79spitfire]

*sigh*

 

The things that happen while I'm working.....

 

:bonk:

[Newb]

interesting pen. I need to get hold of one.

[OcalaFlGuy]

My statement earlier was that there were very few deals left except standard J series pens with firm fine or firm medium nibs. I think this qualifies. The copper color is nice though.

 

You are kind of "loading your position" with your nib qualifier.

 

If I presume by other than firm fine or firm medium nibs you are referring more to the flex nibs or the broad nibs, those nibs

alone in good shape often bring $20-30 (and have for sometime now). Add that to a $20 Estie and of course you're going to have a near $50 Estie.

 

I'd also say (again) that the three Transitionals I've seen go for less than $30 in the past 3 weeks or so qualify as deals and

those aren't standard J series pens.

 

Sheesh, whadayawant a $25 Visumaster? NOBODY EVER finds one of those anymore!

 

(Well, *almost nobody ever* )

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[Rabbit]

Sheesh, whadayawant a $25 Visumaster? NOBODY EVER finds one of those anymore!

 

(Well, *almost nobody ever* )

 

 

--SD

[hawkgnat]

 

If I presume by other than firm fine or firm medium nibs you are referring more to the flex nibs or the broad nibs, those nibs

alone in good shape often bring $20-30 (and have for sometime now). Add that to a $20 Estie and of course you're going to have a near $50 Estie.

 

That's kind of my point. Here is a Waterman 3 with a full flex nib I picked up recently for $20.50. If it had Esterbrook written on the clip, instead of Waterman's, it would have sailed past $50.

[FarmBoy]

 

If I presume by other than firm fine or firm medium nibs you are referring more to the flex nibs or the broad nibs, those nibs

alone in good shape often bring $20-30 (and have for sometime now). Add that to a $20 Estie and of course you're going to have a near $50 Estie.

 

That's kind of my point. Here is a Waterman 3 with a full flex nib I picked up recently for $20.50. If it had Esterbrook written on the clip, instead of Waterman's, it would have sailed past $50.

For 20 skins I'd rather have the Esterbrook.

 

On topic--why does anyone try to make sense of eBay pricing? (Heck even the folks at eBay that deal with auction theory-yes there is such a thing-have yet to figure it out and they have way more data than anyone.) Speaking directly to Vintage pens, not LEs and the modern retail stuff that is still being sold new at retail;

 

A better place to look for price trends is in the market place here. BUT, you need to look at long term trends, not one specific sale or a spurt of activity.

 

Another place to look is pen shows. Keep in mind it is hard to generate trends unless you go to lots of shows but there are people that do just this, they go to lots of pen shows and they see the market but tend not to be vocal and prognosticate about pricing.

 

Perhaps a mix of the above two would be sellers that have dedicated resale sites. Now I'll readily admit that few will be listing Esterbrooks but there are some data points there for pens like 51s, Snorkels, Waterman #7s, etc.

 

Keep in mind a few things in general. eBay can be a gamble and unless you know the seller, assume the pen is in need of restoration work. Buy at a pen show and you can handle the pen, examine it and it may or may not be in need. Buy from a professional retailer of vintage pens and you know what you get 99% of the time. This factors into price. How you factor this into the price will depend on who does your restoration work and what kind of sugar daddy deal you have with that person and the cost of replacement parts should you need any.

 

Also keep in mind that there are some among us that arguably "set" the market for some pen lines by simply bidding a fixed amount per pen on all of the silly auctions and taking what shows up.

 

T

[fpman]

On the rare occasions when I win something on eBay for a good price, especially if no one bids against me, I always feel that there was something wrong that was immediately apparent to everyone but me. Like the Estie I won not too long ago that came with pliar marks on the section and a broken tine on the nib. I was still happy because the section still worked and the nib was a cheap Venus one that I would have taken out ASAP anyway. Now, in three separate auctions, I've won a green Dollar pen, a grey SJ, and a grey J, two of which are reputed to work, two with 1XXX nibs and one with a 2XXX. The prices were all pretty cheap ($15-$17 including shipping), all looked good in the photos (though two did not show any pictures of the nib), but I keep thinking there's some outrageous flaw that everyone saw but me.

 

In a separate auction, I lowballed an Eversharp Skyline, with a new sac, and got it for the opening bid, $20; I NEVER see restored Skylines go for that price; I rarely see unrestored ones for that little; this one I'm sure is coming with a hidden gotcha, like the $15 restored Sheaffer Touchdown in great condition except the nib, which has some kind of near invisible defect that renders it extremely unpleasant to write with.

[nxn96]

FarmBoy makes a good point that anyone trying to determine market "logic" on any given Ebay auction is best advised to proceed with caution.

 

In addition to the usual Ebay stereotype of two neophytes getting into a bidding war that drives a 444 Estie base and non-working pen over $150, you can also find examples where a couple of more experienced Ebayers can get into a duel as well; particularly if both are intent on getting an item NOW to fill out a collection. Likewise, you find examples like the one Bruce cited initially where nobody seems to pay attention and someone gets a heckuva bargain.

 

In some respects, Ebay is like Costco, in that both depend on an aura of scarcity to make their business model work. A new Costco member is so taken in by the bargains and the bazaar athmosphere that they typically end up buying things they never intended to buy ("I went in for a tin of coffee and some paper towels and saw this great deal on a 40" TV that was too good to pass up...."). Costco often will offer something only once, so if you don't get that 84 piece socket wrench set now, it may not be there next time (even though you already have a prefectly good 54 piece set at home). In a similar way, particularly with vintage items like old fountain pens, Ebay relies on that same sense of "if I don't get this now, who knows when it may come up again". Get the right mix of people involved, the price goes up; absent that mix, somebody gets a "deal". Ebay also has a bit of a "trust discount", since the bidders are totally relying on the ability/honesty of the seller to properly describe an item, and many items don't offer a return option; however, that "discount" also increases the chance of getting a bargain, depending on your level of "trust".

 

FarmBoy's suggestion about pen shows being a better measure of what's "market" has the caveat that attending multiple shows improves your knowledge of "market". Probably true, but to an extent, I disagree. I have only been to a few shows, but many of the dealers there are dealing in similar goods (I'm speaking only of the "vintage" people, and not the folks who deal in custom nibs, new product, paper and so forth). You're going to find a lot of Parker, Waterman, Esterbrook, Sheaffer, etc. dealers there, and everyone pretty much knows what the other is asking for their stuff. Therefore, if someone goes in there pricing his used "51" Special with a black barrel at $200, he'll soon notice most all other sellers offering their Specials closer to $70 (prices are only for example, please don't tell me I've over-ed or under-ed the price of the Special). If he wants to make his table fee, he'll cut the price. On the other hand, if he paid $155 to acquire that Special in the first place, he'll know better next time.

 

In the world of Ebay, perhaps the better measure of "market" is the point the more experienced buyers begin dropping out of the bidding war.

[LisaN]

But I really do need an 85 piece socket set!!!!

[nxn96]

But I really do need an 85 piece socket set!!!!

And don't forget to stop by the video section on the way to the checkout...

[gregamckinney]

I think that the reality is that both the "great deals" and "prices are going through the roof" examples that Bruce and others call out are the outliers on the Esterbrook price curve.

 

With such a large number of pens selling on ebay, especially over the span of many weeks, you will see all sorts of prices. No one (or even three or 10) sale really tells us whether prices are going up or not.

 

I would think that a calculated average (with some statistical validation, ideally) of all the sale prices of a given model would be the only way to really show a meaningful trend.

 

 

greg

[kreinhard]

I scored an(other) olive M2 for $10. Doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in the M2s, but I like them a lot. Most of the ones I have came with either a 2668 or 9668 nib, which is a little wider than I like, but for the price, you can't beat 'em.

[Bearcat]

OK....You talked me into it.....It was relisted so I bid on it. A copper Estie with some

copper burst ink would be fun this fall.....