What Colors Are The Most Valuable In The Parker 51?

[KZ900]

Looks like they are in great shape. Definitely!

[alaskazimm]

I picked up a Forest Green Demi set with lustalroy cap, including case, this summer at an antique shop for about $110. I thought I did pretty well at that price.

[mitto]

More of the set

 

http://fotos.subefotos.com/fc1dabe1589b2debc759cf92c6120c5do.jpg

 

http://fotos.subefotos.com/6f4016d5bd1d7e0d607049f9ba94b80fo.jpg

 

http://fotos.subefotos.com/92bf4dfe7a3bca1d1b4ba0e84c3dec99o.jpg

 

All the set is 112 $ .

 

Is a good deal for a set of "Forest Green" or"Navy grey? in this condition? Tell me, please.

 

Yes, Rizo. That is a good deal. Enjoy your pen set and take good care of it.

[FarmBoy]

 

Not to mention Vac pens in Aero Colors. Or the colors that some experts come up with explanations that sound credible. Like they no longer made a color and substituted a completely different color for the customer when work was needed to be done. I have heard that the Navy Grey parts replaced the Dove Gray ones because Dove was no longer made. If you put a Dove Grey blind cap on a Navy Grey it is not even close to the same color so I am not sure I accept this thought. Personally I think they made a few colors that were never advertised and they had that color available at the end of the Vac Pen line. Instead of trashing it they made some and never stamped them Parker. They may even have been made along the way and just sat in the warehouse. Then instead of trashing them they sent the parts to dealers at a good price and they could do what they wanted with them. The ones I have seen are a Brick Reddish color, A Navy Grey that is way more Green than Grey, and a strange Dark Plum Color. So I think runs of pens were made in small amounts with left over or colors that never got accepted during decision time. Or they were going to offer some new colors for the Vac line but decided to make the new Aero line instead. They would have been the Colors for the final year of the Vacumatics had they not gone to the Aerometric 51. Personally this is what I think happened.

I took a Navy Green that is way more Green than Grey to the Columbus Pen Show this year and got several different answers:

Two said they were non faded Nassau Green. Others said: teal, prototype green, battleship gray, sage, Navy Grey, and some foreign country only color. I do know it looks different in different lighting conditions. I have also seen Nassau Greens that were not even close to each other in color and shade.

 

From whom did you get the color opinions? Three of the most serious 51 collectors in the world were there, I wonder if one of them saw the pen and commented.

[FarmBoy]

I have a question regarding 51s. How many pens does one need to see before you notice trends? Trends being something like a particular configuration, say a nib style, or a color, or a specific date code, or combinations of date code and feature.

Thought I'd ask since there seem to be trends and/or observations that I have not noticed and I thought I would have by now. Which leaves me thinking I've not seen as many pens as I thought I had or I'm not very observant.

Farmboy

[rizo]

More of the set

 

http://fotos.subefotos.com/fc1dabe1589b2debc759cf92c6120c5do.jpg

 

http://fotos.subefotos.com/6f4016d5bd1d7e0d607049f9ba94b80fo.jpg

 

http://fotos.subefotos.com/92bf4dfe7a3bca1d1b4ba0e84c3dec99o.jpg

 

All the set is 112 $ .

 

Is a good deal for a set of "Forest Green" or"Navy grey? in this condition? Tell me, please.

 

The pencil is correct? Is not a Franken? What age could be this set?

[ANM]

 

Not to mention Vac pens in Aero Colors. Or the colors that some experts come up with explanations that sound credible. Like they no longer made a color and substituted a completely different color for the customer when work was needed to be done. I have heard that the Navy Grey parts replaced the Dove Gray ones because Dove was no longer made. If you put a Dove Grey blind cap on a Navy Grey it is not even close to the same color so I am not sure I accept this thought. Personally I think they made a few colors that were never advertised and they had that color available at the end of the Vac Pen line. Instead of trashing it they made some and never stamped them Parker. They may even have been made along the way and just sat in the warehouse. Then instead of trashing them they sent the parts to dealers at a good price and they could do what they wanted with them. The ones I have seen are a Brick Reddish color, A Navy Grey that is way more Green than Grey, and a strange Dark Plum Color. So I think runs of pens were made in small amounts with left over or colors that never got accepted during decision time. Or they were going to offer some new colors for the Vac line but decided to make the new Aero line instead. They would have been the Colors for the final year of the Vacumatics had they not gone to the Aerometric 51. Personally this is what I think happened.

I took a Navy Green that is way more Green than Grey to the Columbus Pen Show this year and got several different answers:

Two said they were non faded Nassau Green. Others said: teal, prototype green, battleship gray, sage, Navy Grey, and some foreign country only color. I do know it looks different in different lighting conditions. I have also seen Nassau Greens that were not even close to each other in color and shade.

 

Brick red was a test color. They made pens in several test colors that never made it into production, even though there may have been a number of them made. Back then color control was not as precise as it is today. A batch of a regular color might vary some over the next batch of the same color. Colors can also change with age and exposure. Spare vac parts are not interchangeable with spare aero parts. Although it is possible that Parker did special orders, making a special order of one pen of a particular off production color would have been remarkably expensive.

Edited November 25, 2015 by ANM

[KZ900]

I guess the ultimate is to have an exact Vacumatic and an Aerometric in the exact same color with an accompanying pencil. Was there any documentation of the Brick Red as a test color?

[Erik Dalton]

Has the sac been replaced, been refurbished? If so I think you have a very nice pen and pencil set. The gold seems to be in good shape. Often the gold on the clip is worn off, but it all looks good from the pix.

If you like it, are willing to work on any issues that arise, and it will give you enjoyment then the set is a good deal.

[Florida Blue]

In my (admittedly limited) experience, the colors that have been cataloged that fetch the most money are Buckskin Beige, Yellowstone (also called "Mustard") and Nassau Green.

 

As ANM mentioned, there are several known pre-production colors that were sold to the public from about 1939-1940. Besides Brick Red, there was also "Raspberry" and a dark green color that was different than Nassau.

[ANM]

Test color:

 

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/matthewsno/DSCN0866_zpsnjx64hfm.jpg

[RalphP]

Very Nice! One in the hand is worth several brochures...

[FarmBoy]

Test color:

 

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/matthewsno/DSCN0866_zpsnjx64hfm.jpg

 

What are the markings on the barrel. Usually something like XM-XXX-abc

[ANM]

I don't recall any markings on the barrel. It had been pretty well used. Parker info was on the blind cap. I don't have that pen anymore.

[Florida Blue]

Test color:

 

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/matthewsno/DSCN0866_zpsnjx64hfm.jpg

 

I remember the thread you posted about that pen a while back. It was a nice one.

[ANM]

 

I remember the thread you posted about that pen a while back. It was a nice one.

Someone offered to buy it at the same time I needed to put new gutters on my house, otherwise I'd still have it.

[Florida Blue]

Someone offered to buy it at the same time I needed to put new gutters on my house, otherwise I'd still have it.

 

I'd probably do the same if I was in your position. I write with all of my pens and I don't see them as collectors pieces.

[surprise123]

 

I don't think any Aero 51's were Nassau Green. That was a Vac color and usually fetch the higher prices. [/quote

Naussau green stands for nautical sage green, right? I just got one of them in an aero style on ebay.

[mitto]

That must be teal blue if in case the pen was aerometric.

[FarmBoy]

 

I don't think any Aero 51's were Nassau Green. That was a Vac color and usually fetch the higher prices.

Naussau green stands for nautical sage green, right? I just got one of them in an aero style on ebay.

Nassau Green stands for Nassau Green and was only a Vacumatic filled color. Most Nassau pens found are double jewel though single jewel pens in Nassau exist.

Edited December 17, 2017 by FarmBoy