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Massive Rise In Vintage Esty Prices.


jdllizard

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Or this guy is just plain crazy. A trashed out blue SJ for only $104.

 

 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/stonecow/m.html?item=272055894132&hash=item3f57cb8074%3Ag%3AQOoAAOSwAYtWPCto&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

 

I want some of what he's smoking.

Not an SJ. Deluxe has steel cap. Less common nibs. Maybe high priced. Not trashed out.

 

Sophmoric.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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Not an SJ. Deluxe has steel cap. Less common nibs. Maybe high priced. Not trashed out.

Sophmoric.

No, it is definitely a blue SJ, that has cracks on the cap lip and burn marks on the barrel. And it can be yours for the low low price of $104.99!

 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Esterbrook-SJ-Fountain-Pen-with-9788-and-2556-Nibs-/272055894132?hash=item3f57cb8074:g:QOoAAOSwAYtWPCto

 

The first link was to all of his ebay offerings, of which all seem overpriced.

Edited by jdllizard

John L

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Overpriced but with less common nibs. Still.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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For every price, there is a buyer. Which is a nice way of saying there's a sucker born every minute.

"I was cut off from the world. There was no one to confuse or torment me, and I was forced to become original." - Franz Joseph Haydn 1732 - 1809
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Funny listing. The seller has written an essay - perhaps he/she is competing with BruceInOcala for the longest description on an Esterbrook listing :lticaptd: - then again, if the writing sample is genuine the seller seems to have some skill with a pen.

 

High prices for an Estie with issues though, nib notwithstanding. It is noted that a fair proportion of the seller's sales were at "Best offer accepted".

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Etsy has never exactly been known for fair prices... Quite a few sellers list a decent looking fountain pen for months at an outrageous price and then wait for someone who either doesnt care about the price or isnt knowledgeable.

 

I think it happens more for vintage sheaffers than any other brand

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You just have to use common sense in evaluating offerings. Some ebay sellers are high priced, some are not, and you can sometimes find an auction bargain. I don't see evidence that there is a consistent price movement upwards. I'm not even confident that I could break even despite most of my purchases having been good buys. Who's going to pay the high prices? If buyers don't shop adequately, they will make mistakes until they wise up and acquire purchasing acumen.

 

A collector and I had a discussion today about pens. He said that the typical Esterbrook is a cheaply made pen, lacking the quality of pens like the Parker 51 or many Sheaffers. I found it hard to disagree that they are cheap compared to Parker 51, Sheaffer Imperial and Lamy 2000 or Safari. Demand for Esterbrook could push the prices up a bit, but the hundred dollar plus prices aren't justified by the offerings, even though the nibs in those offerings are among those most wanted. I wouldn't pay it, and the high priced BIN offerings don't represent a market movement so much as greed.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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I never quite understand how people can make remarks about how high the prices are for x pen when what they are speaking of is the asking price, rather than the sold price. The only sensible way to look at the market for a given object is what they are actually selling for, rather than what the seller wishes it would sell for.

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

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I never quite understand how people can make remarks about how high the prices are for x pen when what they are speaking of is the asking price, rather than the sold price. The only sensible way to look at the market for a given object is what they are actually selling for, rather than what the seller wishes it would sell for.

 

Agreed. You'll see that all of these seller's items also include making an offer. In line with "there's a sucker born each minute", I'd say this seller wants buyers to bid down from a high point, rather than bid up from a low one. It's a variation of BIN, slanted towards the seller.

 

And...that nib doesn't look quite right. The seller is selling us his penmanship as much as he's selling us that pen. ;)

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I bought a beautiful green cracked ice Esterbrook for less than $80, but I couldn't imagine paying such a steep amount for a regular Esterbrook, even with a flex nib.

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I bought a beautiful green cracked ice Esterbrook for less than $80, but I couldn't imagine paying such a steep amount for a regular Esterbrook, even with a flex nib.

 

Can you post some pics of it? I'd love to see it. I love the cracked ice versions, but don't have one.

John L

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Etsy has never exactly been known for fair prices...

 

Did you mean eBay (just guessing, since that's the O.P.'s example)...?

 

Whether eBay, Etsy, or another source, the common sense rule applies: Know your seller. There are lots of reputable folks out there, including Gary (gweimer1, see post #11) and a number of fellow FPN members. :thumbup:

Why are there fourteen samples of dark plum ink on my desk? Because I still haven't found the right shade.

Is that a problem...??? : : : sigh : : :

 

Update: Great. Finally found one I love (Lamy Dark Lilac) but I can't get more. Ah, life in my inky world....

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Use your head. If you don't have a good head for buying this junk, then you pay for it.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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Use your head. If you don't have a good head for buying this junk, then you pay for it.

 

That applies to just about any type of item listed on eBay, or any public selling forum. I've been there before with musical instruments. Somebody actually thought that Sid Vicious' bass guitar was worth $100,000. It didn't sell.

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Can you post some pics of it? I'd love to see it. I love the cracked ice versions, but don't have one.

post-123202-0-52162900-1448752447_thumb.jpeg

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Can you post some pics of it? I'd love to see it. I love the cracked ice versions, but don't have one.

Oh man that's purty! And the green is my fave, that was a bargain at $80.

 

Thanks for sharing!

John L

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You're welcome. I think I was very fortunate to be given the option to purchase it when it was first acquired by someone who repairs/sells pens.

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Did you mean eBay (just guessing, since that's the O.P.'s example)...?

 

Whether eBay, Etsy, or another source, the common sense rule applies: Know your seller. There are lots of reputable folks out there, including Gary (gweimer1, see post #11) and a number of fellow FPN members. :thumbup:

The post is about an Esterbook that is nicknamed Esty or Estie. I had the initial reaction you did. That is was about the website etsy.com until I looked more closely. I like etsy.com and have three Esterbrook pens that need new sacs and J bars. Oh the procrastination.

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