What is causing this price

[RichKen]

Wahl Eversharp Jade Fountain Pen - with Gold Seal Nib!

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...:MEWA:IT&ih=015

 

Currently at + 160, what is driving the price of this pen. Parts? Looks like a worn out pair of green torn jeans - but some of those jeans command extraordinary prices. Is that the case here?

[Johnny Appleseed]

Wahl Gold-seal pens are pretty desirable for Wahl collectors. They were among the top of the line for Wahl-Eversharp and usually fetch a three-figure price. Discoloration of early jade is pretty normal - this one is pretty discolored, but I have seen far worse. Gold seal nibs alone can fetch a pretty high price.

 

But someone like Syd or David I could tell you more specifically about this pen vs. the normal Wahl-Eversharp market.

 

John

[cuteline]

This is really odd -- given that the following lovely green was only at $133.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...20437&rd=1&rd=1

As everyone said, ebay is an interesting place! (buy ebay stocks? )

[Shari]

A couple of differences I note between the two pens:

 

The more discolored pens sports a signature nib, whereas the other pen has a manifold nib. Signature nibs usually command more money.

 

The more discolored pen is a more seldom seen version of the Equipoised pen; elongated but not tapered to a point, and gold seal above the clip. The pen that looks better is much more common.

 

I stand fully ready to be corrected, but I thought I'd take a stab at an answer here!

[david i]

IMHO the added value of signature (itself not very flexy) vs Manifold is blown away by color differences.

 

Putting aside issue of what is reasonable price range for either pen, i note simply that quirks of the bidding process happen.

 

I've had a clean Vac Maxima not get the reasonable $400 reserve. I had a Vac Major set- honestly advertised (never trust people who claim to be honest, folks)- which i put on ebay with a posted reserve of $175, that hit $520. You never know. If two folks decide they really want something... bidding happens

 

david

 

[Wahlnut]

Answer A: Total anomoly.

 

Answer B: 1287jose, the winning bidder (and responsible for 13 of the 18 bids), and who kept bidding again and again to find the top - only to learn that migazza's shill bid (0 bid history might give that nuance away) was way up there. But poor 1287jose, needed the parts off of this pen desparately to hurry up and fix the very nice pen he was repairing for someone but ruined somehow. Better to pay through the nose for the hard to find parts than to have to tell the customer that the nice pen sent to him/her for repair was damaged or parts got lost etc.

 

How's that for making a situation fit the crime?

 

Syd