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Current Price Trends


Highbinder

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Hello, I have an interest in vintage Pelikans, particularly the 400NN series.

 

I have noticed over the last few years prices have been creeping up on eBay, to the point now a pristine example can fetch upwards of £250.

 

What I'd like to know is how best appraise damaged or unrestored pens. So far I have been using eBay completed listings search function and assessing against my own judgement of what I'd pay.

 

I'm currently looking at a pelikan 400 tortoise, monotone ob nib, user grade, with considerable brassing. I don't have the experience to give what I'd feel to be an accurate offer.

 

I suppose the crux of this thread is a curiosity in how other buyers adjust value considering aspects such as brassing, micro cracks, unrestored states (opposed to a serviced pen), bleaching/fading, mismatched parts, etc.

Platinum 3776 - F, Pilot Decimo - F, TWSBI Vac Mini - 1.1i

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I don't generally collect rare pens. On a rare pen I might be persuaded to buy an example with some defects, if I had the hots for that pen. If rare, you have to take what you can find, sometimes.

 

For other pens I have given up accepting any defects that I can notice. Defective samples bother me, and it's bothersome if you have to sell such a pen, because you will probably end up discounting it heavily. It does all depend on how easy it is to find a pen. I have bought some pens with small defects, and later upgraded them. The lesser pens became testers.

 

Brassing would make me want to get at least 20% off of the current regular price. I can stand this more easily.

 

Cracks or micro cracks I try to avoid at all costs. On some pens this can render the pen useless or send you on a chase for parts, which I have found to be costly. At least 50% off of the going rate, but others will probably disagree.

 

Unrestored depends on the pen. Sheaffer Snorkel, total show stopper. Pelikans, if the piston works without leaks, no effect.

 

Bleaching or fading, I probably wouldn't want it, but I might take it for about half off or more from the current going rate.

 

Mismatched parts depends on the available supply. I might look for 20% off if I could get a part or parts reasonably.

 

I have learned from stamp collecting that defects in an item make me feel very defensive about an item. With pens you might take defects as making it user-grade, if you can live with that. For collection items, I don't really want defective pens at all. I don't like feeling defensive about their condition.

Edited by pajaro

"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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If you refuse to go to German Ebay....you pay pirates to scalp you in England and the US.

I was looking the other month for someone, and E-90-110 for 400nn Tortoise......not NOS....but in good condition.

Some folks refuse to ship to the US because of the famous hotel owner **..........but you should have no problem getting pens shipped to England.

**The guy was from Portugal and had some 400-400nn's for about E100.

There are others listed no sales to the US............that didn't use to be there, but climate counts to some folks that don't even live in the path of Hurricanes.

 

Personally, having seen the prices of normal Pelikans or other '50's era German pens on American Ebay.....I'd never dream of selling any of my Germany pens anywhere else but in the US.

 

Well over 30 times I've not only told everyone to go to German Ebay....the seller has to take Pay Pal, in a bank transfer costs $35............and ship to the US.

I've listed 7 or 10 of the names of fountain pen in German.****

And other things....dip pen nib names....ink well and so on. In Spanish too.

But folks would rather pay twice or three times as much or more than do it in German.

 

 

*** that might get you the names....if you enter that and my name......in writing instruments.

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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I do it very similarly to you. I look at past sold auctions and gauge it by my own value judgement. I certainly will not pay premium for pens with significant wear. It's all very subjective though. I have found as Pelikan prices have risen over time for new products, the secondary market has responded in kind. I've always assumed this was due to a heightened sense of luxury about the brand. Not quite sure a lot of the increases are justified and I often see pens go unsold time and again due to unreasonable pricing.

PELIKAN - Too many birds in the flock to count. My pen chest has proven to be a most fertile breeding ground.

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THE PELIKAN'S PERCH - A growing reference site for all things Pelikan

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I just went on ebay Germany, and things I have bought on ebay US recently were more on ebay Germany. This does not account for finding a relative bargain price, which I did on ebay US. With more browsing on ebay Germany, you might find better prices than I saw. The thing about ebay is that you can see what the regular retail, so to speak, is and then go back until you find a better price. I have also found better prices on Amazon from Seitz-Global. Bo Bo Olson will probably have a better take on the German market. I'd have to be more cognizant of Euro to dollar conversion and I found my knowledge of German challenged. If I immersed my self in this, I could probably understand it better, so I recommend it. You might pick up some German and get a broader market knowledge.

 

I found a better price on a Pelikan item I was looking for from Cultpens in the UK. Even shipped here, it was about a $50 savings.

"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 think comparison shopping is a good idea; some sellers have unrealistic price expectations. But on the whole, I've noticed that in the last ten years Pelikan has become very collectible, and that is driving up prices. The reasons for this are understandable - Pelikans are durable, they have a long history, and an interesting line of models and rarities.

"If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live."

– Lin Yu-T'ang

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Don't Buy Now!!!! :angry: :headsmack: Is the number one rule....anywhere in the world!!!

Instant gratification is the way to the poor house. :wallbash: :doh: ..........the Hunt is fun in it's self. :happyberet:

Look in the past auctions.....to get an idea what they go for. Your budget limit + 10%....make your bid, snipe is best, and forget it.

Do Not be stupid and get in a nickle and dime bidding war.........the idea is to get a pen at a good price....not to stroke your ego and send your wallet to intensive care.

 

You can also put US pens into your German search.....there are them too. Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman and so on.

 

This is my list, in I had to hunt it up my self, being an American living in Germany.

My wife collected demi-cups; so used Mokkatasse, Moccatasse, Espressotasse and often found bargains in one would be listed in one spelling and not the others. The same goes for fountain pens, but for fountain pens there are many more names. Pelikan (füllhalter, füllfederhalter, füller, kolbenfüller, "fountain pen")

That should list probably every pen that has Lamy and one of the terms in brackets in it's title. Maybe this is helpful for you.
Füller Füllfederhalter Füllhalter Füllfeder Kolben Füller.....piston pen kolbenfüller................now I think German Ebay will do either as both, but to be sure use both. Schulfüller..............school pen SCHREIBGERÄTE writing instruments....can also be a inkwell set. Fountain pen (who’d thought it?) Fountainpen............Germans often write many words all glued together, and someone might make a mistake. Füllhalter-Ständer..............pen stand. a couple of letters one needs occasionally, ü, ö ... ä .....in often ue, oe or ae don't work. Füller Füllfederhalter Füllhalter Federhalter Feder......nib Terms for single nibs....or dip pen nibs. Federspitze für Tinte.....nib for ink Feder für Füllfederhalter.......nib for fountain pen. Feder für Füllhalter Feder für Federhalter

 

Hi, haben sie, feder im fine dafur? Do you have a nib F/Fine for the pen? Tower , Soennecken sub-brand

 

Spanish and German

Tintengefäß - Tintero...inkwell
Tinteros
Tintero doble
Tintenfaß...inkwell...........you don't want them, cost too much to mail. Pluma
Pluma Estilográfica
Estilográfica

Dip pen is "palillero"
and nibs "plumillas".


South American Spanish "pluma fuente"
Italian

XF = Extra Fine

F = Fine

M = Medio

B = Largo

BB = Extra Largo

OB = Obliquo Largo

OM = Obliquo Medio

OF = Obliquo Fine

(For Pelikans…’50’s-40-30’s) Ist under die Feder all 4 rille im ordung. ‘30’s 100-100N 3 rills. Are the 4 rill/combs in order, 3 rills/combs.

Ist die Federspitze beschaedigt ? (Is the nib point damaged.)

Die “iridium” Rundung am Ende noch vorhanden ? (Is the iridium tip there.)

 

Hat die Feder einen Riss an der Seite ? (Does the nib have a crack in the side.)

 

Ja das ist sichtbar von oben sieht die Feder gut aus, (Does the nib look good.)

aber ist unten das Korn mit der Iridiumbeschichtung noch in

Ordnung ? (Is the tip’s iridium in order.)

 

Hat der Fuellhalter kleine Risse oder tiefe Kratzer in der Aussenhuelle ? (There are no cracks or deep scratches?)

Below is some stuff I copied from a professional pen seller.

 

 

 

 

Der Artikel ist gebraucht und weist starke Gebrauchtsspuren auf. (eventuell defekt / für Bastler)

This item has been used and shows heavy signs of wear and tear.

 

 

Der Artikel ist gebraucht und hat Gebrauchsspuren.

This item has minor defects but it works.

 

 

Der Artikel ist gebraucht aber in einem gutem Zustand.

This item has been used but is in very good condition.

 

 

Der Artikel ist neuwertig.

This item is second-hand but as good as new.

 

 

Der Artikel ist neu und unbenutzt.

This item is new and has not been used.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Geez, thanks. I knew the grammar, but the vocabulary escapes me after forty years. That should help a lot of people navigate ebay.de. There's the Martini web site as well.

 

You appear to be a master linguist.

"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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Thanks.....but it's only a dented brick wall and calluses on my forehead.

And time to look.

And $ saved by having different names.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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There are several nice 400NNs on eBay now. A couple appear in good condition for about $170. That is a great price for a superb pen. A tortoise shell is a little more. There are a few of those, too. Several of the sellers have great buyer satisfaction. I have purchased numerous vintage Pelikans, and have been disappointed only once. The others have been excellent.

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