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Finding Vacumatics In The Wild

Lebowski

By Lebowski
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Lebowski New

Lebowski

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Where do you guys and gals to to find old Parker Vacumatics in the wild? Ebay seems over-priced. Folks who sell theirs from their own web page have taken time to restore the pens, and as such, ask a pretty penny for them. I don't want a perfect one. I want one that I can make perfect.

 

Any tips on where to look? Flea markets? Estate sales? What are the clues that suggest to you a high(er) probability of success in finding old vacumatics that need repair, but aren't completely destroyed? It seems like a time-intensive pursuit. Any tips on how to shorten this time? Thanks in advance.

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Glenn Atkins Vintage

Glenn Atkins

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I don't have an answer for your question but it takes some special tools and some special skills to restore a vac correctly without doing some permanent damage. The correct tools cost more than the cost of the typical restoration.

 

Almost every vac in the wild or unrestored on EBay will need a new diaphragm and sometimes a pellet cup. Look for one in good condition externally, without cap-lip cracks, missing jewels, barrel cracks, nib cracks, and that contain both iridium tips. Some nib cracks are hard to see in person without a loupe, much less on auction pictures.

 

Good luck in your hunt and let us know what you find. It's a very rewarding hobby.

 

Glenn

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Lebowski New

Lebowski

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Thanks for the encouragement. I guess I should have said that I already have pretty much all of the tools necessary, and have restored several pens.

 

I'm just looking for MORE to restore. :) I'd like to be able to say I'm good at... One day.

 

Most of the ones I find on eBay are either restored, with ridiculous price tags, or unrestored but still with ridiculous price tags. I guess somebody is buying these things at high prices to drive the costs up.

 

I guess giving up where all the old pens are is kind of like telling where your favorite "honey pot" fishing hole is - a closely guarded secret. ;)

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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I've seen precisely *two* Vacs in the wild around here -- both in antiques malls. One was a very nice looking Azure Blue Pearl Major -- until I got the cap off and saw how badly mangled the nib was. I tried to get prices on a replacement nib so I could talk the seller down some more (admittedly it was a pretty good price otherwise) but it wasn't clear that I could talk them down *enough* and still be able to afford a replacement nib -- or the services of a nibmeister -- and also any other repairs, such as replacing the diaphragm.

The other was, I think, a Golden Pearl Vac Maxima. It was in a place that was going out of business, and they had cut the prices in that booth by 15%. If I'd been able to pay cash, I might have gotten them down a little further. But of course I wasn't sure I wanted that color, and also thought it would be too big a pen. If I had gone back, or at least called them to see how much further I could have gotten the price down, it would only have been to find it a better home. Or at least try to put it up on Ebay myaelf to recoup the cost.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: I wouldn't have felt too guilty trying to get the guy down more on prices -- he had listed all the pens as being made of Bakelite! Some oft hem, maybe; the Vac? Um, no... ("No. Does 'No' work for you? 'Cause it does for me....")

Edited by inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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Charles Rice Collectors Item

Charles Rice

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First - visit garage sales and auctions

 

Second - Let EVERYONE know your love of pens. I've gotten some real gems that way.

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Glenn Atkins Vintage

Glenn Atkins

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Thanks for the encouragement. I guess I should have said that I already have pretty much all of the tools necessary, and have restored several pens.

 

I'm just looking for MORE to restore. :) I'd like to be able to say I'm good at... One day.

 

Most of the ones I find on eBay are either restored, with ridiculous price tags, or unrestored but still with ridiculous price tags. I guess somebody is buying these things at high prices to drive the costs up.

 

I guess giving up where all the old pens are is kind of like telling where your favorite "honey pot" fishing hole is - a closely guarded secret. ;)

 

 

Ok, cool. That's a different ball of wax then. You just have to be patient on EBay and not over-pay. In another weird twist of fate, many of the times the parts are worth more than what the pen itself appears to be worth. In many other cases the buyers do not know the market and/or they get into a bidding war.

 

I don't see many vacs or 51s of either kind around where I am.

 

Let us know your next find and of course pictures are mandatory!

 

Glenn

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gweimer1 Antique

gweimer1

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Yeah, I have to agree on telling everyone. I have just mentioned my interest at work, and my boss informed me that his ex-FIL was the Parker regional sales manager. He had a full collection on his wall. This week, he told me that he talked to his ex - the collection is still there, and he told her that if she wanted to sell, he knew of an interested party.

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Glenn Atkins Vintage

Glenn Atkins

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The other problem is that most of the honey-pots are not consistent, they change locations, they ebb and flow. You just have to keep turning over rocks until you find a crawdad!

 

Glenn

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Glenn Atkins Vintage

Glenn Atkins

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Yeah, I have to agree on telling everyone. I have just mentioned my interest at work, and my boss informed me that his ex-FIL was the Parker regional sales manager. He had a full collection on his wall. This week, he told me that he talked to his ex - the collection is still there, and he told her that if she wanted to sell, he knew of an interested party.

 

Holy motherlode! You gave him my address right?!?

 

Glenn

Triumph Vintage Pens

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claudewick Rare

claudewick

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Most of the ones I find on eBay are either restored, with ridiculous price tags, or unrestored but still with ridiculous price tags. I guess somebody is buying these things at high prices to drive the costs up.

 

 

I'm new to this "buy as is, than revitalize" thing, but I had this impression lately, too. But I guess that the interest in fountain pens, in general, has increased because most of the auctions are ending on higher prices, (not just Parkers, I noticed this on Esterbrooks and Sheaffers too), BIN are becaming less frequent to see and even the restorers, nibmasters and vintage pens sellers seems to have less pens in stock then they used to have 7 or 8 months ago when I started searching for pens on the internet.

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kirchh Antique

kirchh

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Where do you guys and gals to to find old Parker Vacumatics in the wild? Ebay seems over-priced.

 

Not sure what you mean by overpriced; pens that sell at open auction are, by definition, generally trading hands at market value.

 

--Daniel

"The greatest mental derangement is to believe things because we want them to be true, not because we observe that they are in effect." --Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet

Daniel Kirchheimer
Specialty Pen Restoration
Authorized Sheaffer/Parker/Waterman Vintage Repair Center
Purveyor of the iCroScope digital loupe

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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The other problem is that most of the honey-pots are not consistent, they change locations, they ebb and flow. You just have to keep turning over rocks until you find a crawdad!

 

Glenn

Too true. The two 51s I sumgai'd last fall? The last time I'd been in the place, neither of those booths had *any* pens (nor did the one that had an Estie and a no-name clipless celluloid pen). A fourth booth had one junker pen (a Wearever, IIRC). And that was in the space of a matter of a few months. The next time I go in there, I might not see ANY pens at all. Or I might see stuff that is way beyond my price point. Or the two dealers where I got the 51s might be going "Doh! :doh:" and jacking their prices up.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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Chrissy Museum Piece

Chrissy

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My friend has given me a 51 vac that needs repairing. As the hood and everything about the nib end is in good condition, and all of those parts have been taken apart and cleaned, I looked at the price of buying the pump removal tool, the pellet pusher and new sac. Plus the cap needs a new clip although I had a piece of rubber so successfully removed the jewel with little effort.

 

It might also need a refurbished pump as my friends dad had obviously tried to remove this pump and failed, as it has grip marks on the threads. I suppose they aren't the end of the world, as the blind cap screws on OK, but the first thing that happened when I took the blind cap off was that the plastic plunger fell out. My book suggests this plastic plunger is easy to break, so I assume it may be repairable.

 

At the moment I'm a bit stuck in limbo not knowing what to do for the best.

 

I think I can buy a 51 vac on ebay for less than it would cost me to buy the parts to repair it, and as I only plan on repairing this one pen, I'm not sure whether to just pay to get it repaired anyway.

 

I emailed Laurence about the possibility of buying parts, but haven't received a reply.

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JotterAddict62 Collectors Item

JotterAddict62

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The pens are still out there you just have to look. Check out estate auctions I have learn to read the listings of auctions to be able to choose on with one to go to. For me a listing that says estate has been in the family anywhere from 40 - 100 yrs is always a good sign. Remember not all auctions will say they have pens at all. try this for a start Auction Zip - Live Auction Locator - Find Auctions Anywhere! Just put in your zip code for a 50 mile radius in the antique-household- collectibles section and go from there.

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gweimer1 Antique

gweimer1

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^^^ really good idea. I didn't get any Parkers in the auction lot I got, but there was a brand new Duofold, and a beautiful cream Pastel in another. I'm also finding that general auctions don't necessarily list details about pens, so you have to either look at the photos very closely, or go to the previews.

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Charles Rice Collectors Item

Charles Rice

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FYI, at one garage sale there was a box of free pens and pencils. It' was not me there, but a friend who knew my loves. I got a Pelikan 200 demo.

Edited by Charles Rice
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JotterAddict62 Collectors Item

JotterAddict62

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^^^ really good idea. I didn't get any Parkers in the auction lot I got, but there was a brand new Duofold, and a beautiful cream Pastel in another. I'm also finding that general auctions don't necessarily list details about pens, so you have to either look at the photos very closely, or go to the previews.

Did you check out the post I started in the market watch titled https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/290671-live-andor-online-auctions-with-fountain-pens/

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Lebowski New

Lebowski

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Thanks everyone for weighing in. Looks like I need to spread the word to my friends. Better to have an army of many...

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