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Total Novice Regarding Vintage Wahl Fountain Pens. Are These Worth Buying From Local Seller?


allicat1998

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I'm a novice pen user/collector, and I've been lurking on this site for a while. Wonderful info BTW! I recently came across a craigslist ad that had several vintage items from someone's home, including these pens. The owner offered no information other than the brand and "some gold trim". I've tried to do some research to match pictures to models and prices, but I'm not sure if I'm correctly identifying them. Not sure if these are valuable or even worth making an offer on. He does have a vintage makeup compact that I'm planning on buying, so I may be able to make a deal on them since he's apparently had them for a while and looking to sell. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. post-114410-0-05122400-1403972236_thumb.jpg

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We'd need more detail. Better pictures close up would be good. Start with what is engraved on each nib. The green one looks like a Wahl.

Save the Wahls!

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This is the photo posted in his ad, so it's the only one I have unfortunately. It will be a couple of days before I can potentially stop by wherever he is to investigate further. I can try to take pictures then.

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Why not message the seller with a request for more information? Ask him (or her) to tell you what is engraved on the nibs. Also ask if the dip pen is silver. What is the seller's price for the pens? The jade pen is lovely, from the photos I cannot perceive any discoloration, if it is a Wahl, and if the other pen is silver, that could dictate the price for the lot (I doubt the two red pens or the desk pen have much value).

Edited by Shaporama
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Thanks for including those questions! I wasn't sure what I needed to ask, but I did contact the seller again with the inquiry and will await an answer.

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Sorry for the delay in information, but the seller was not forthcoming over the internet nor phone. I had to visit his house to see the pens in person, and I got several pictures. After I showed interest in the pens, he got online and saw how some Wahl pens were worth a good bit of money, so I'm afraid he thinks he has a gold mine in these. I did the best I could with the photos since the lighting was so poor, but here they are:

 

1. Jade Wahl-Twist on top plastic pen. You can see that the cap is slightly discolored compared to the body. I was unable to take the pen apart since it was stuck, and I was scared I was going to break it trying to pull the nib out. Nib is gold plated.

 

http://i.imgur.com/AigGbFyl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/MPZZ2Jtl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/PYsjF9gl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/fmuyWXnl.jpg

 

2. Red pen #1-No markings as to manufacturer. The metal on the clip and band are rough feeling. Nib says "Special Alloy Made in USA"

 

http://i.imgur.com/gWq2ePrl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/CwIkyN1l.jpg

 

3. Red pen #2-Clip says "Diamond Point" but no manufacturer. Nib also says "Special Alloy Made in USA"

 

http://i.imgur.com/PhyxEfHl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/XHJ5Sl0l.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/ZDLSaIJl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/u273BcLl.jpg

 

4. Dip pen #1-Says Milwaukee M18 on body (shell looking material). Is this the manufacturer? Nib is corroded.

 

http://i.imgur.com/HRwou7Il.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/44altJ4l.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/MbIkiYAl.jpg

 

5. Dip pen #2-Sengbusch Gold Plated Iridium Tip. Seems to be in decent shape.

 

http://i.imgur.com/qT33JGjl.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/IcfFHzml.jpg

 

I hope these pictures can help you identify and possibly advise me on whether it would be worth buying any of them. If the Wahl needs fixing up, I don't want that to be more money and trouble than it's worth to buy it if it's not something valuable. Thanks so much for your help!

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The only pen that would interest me at all is the Jade Wahl. It looks only slightly ambered and from what I can tell there is very little brassing on the hardware. Nib looks OK. I cannot advise on pricing, perhaps others can and there is always the opportunity to research eBay history for some reasonable comparables. The Diamond Point is a third-tier pen (not to be confused with the more valuable Diamond Medal pens) that I would not attach much value to. In my opinion the others are not worth more than a few $ each.

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I think you are investing much more time and effort than any of those pens is worth. I think you should move on and forget them and the difficult seller. If you want to buy pens you won't regret, buy them here or on pentrace from reputable sellers.

Save the Wahls!

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I think you are investing much more time and effort than any of those pens is worth. I think you should move on and forget them and the difficult seller. If you want to buy pens you won't regret, buy them here or on pentrace from reputable sellers.

If the OP was a more experienced collector I would not disagree, however the OP said he (she?) is a novice thus this is good experience. With so few pen stores left and vintage pen shows few and far between, this episode has at least provided an opportunity to handle some pens, do some research and engage in a little bargaining. I don't think any of that is a waste of time.

Edited by Shaporama
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I'll agree that spending too much money on a group of pens you don't know enough about and don't know how to evaluate condition "can be" a learning experience. Whether it would be worth the cost or not is up to the OP. I find that one of the hardest things for a novice to learn is to walk away, so this could be an opportunity to practice that as well.

Save the Wahls!

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The problem here is that you don't want the group unless you are that desperate to get pens to practice on. The Wahl is a nice pen with some barrel to cap color issues and the rest are absolute junk.

 

Roger W.

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Thanks to everyone who responded to my post! It has been a very valuable learning experience in both researching the brand and evaluating the items. It's the first time I've even handled a vintage fountain pen, so I feel that anything new learned is not wasted in my book. :) I appreciate all your information! I'll see if he will part with the Wahl for a reasonable price because it would be a nice addition to my very small collection, but if he wants more than I'm willing to give, then I'm more than happy to let it continue to collect dust at his house. :D

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