Red Duofold Sr - Beaten By Sumgai On Ebay

[sanesangowdayya]

Urghhhh this red duofold senior was in my cart and about to be mine but I was beat by a hair of a second.

 

Here's the listing if anyone's curious. Earlier this week I also lost a lot of 10 sheaffer fountain pens for $40 bucks. Yep TEN for FOURTY dollars.

 

Someone is going to be a really happy camper.

Edited November 18, 2017 by sanesangowdayya

[penmanila]

True, I would count that as a sumgai. Lucky guy! I know the feeling, because now and then, I've been the sumgai

Edited November 18, 2017 by penmanila

[mitto]

I agree. Let the buyer celebrate.

[PaulS]

I've recently given up bidding - I think there are far more snipers now, and although I do my best to punch in around the two second mark, I was being outbid frequently on the better items, so it seemed pointless, I'm unsure how the snipe works, but became so paranoid that I was beginning to think that system had the ability to block my bids - based on the assumption that they will only bid one jump over me, the app. needs to know what I'm bidding before it knows where to place it's own level, and then it has to go in and be successful before the sand runs out.

Not that it really bothers me - and of course removes the risk of the odd bad purchase and dodgy seller - I have good antiques markets to haunt, plus my charity shops - but feel sorry for those who don't have those alternatives.

[Chrissy]

Urghhhh this red duofold senior was in my cart and about to be mine but I was beat by a hair of a second.

 

Here's the listing if anyone's curious. Earlier this week I also lost a lot of 10 sheaffer fountain pens for $40 bucks. Yep TEN for FOURTY dollars.

 

Someone is going to be a really happy camper.

 

I'm not sure what you mean when you say it was 'in your cart.'

 

Do you mean you had both pressed the Buy it Now button, and that his instant PayPal payment beat yours to the post?

[mitto]

...

 

I have good antiques markets to haunt, plus my charity shops - but feel sorry for those who don't have those alternatives.

+1

Same here. But the reason may differ. As in my case it is because I don't have a Paypall account and, hence, can't shop around on ebay but to be honest I haven't felt the need, as yet, for bidding on ebay. All my pen purchases are from antique stores and flea markets. And I am content with what I am finding as well with the prices I pay.

Edited November 18, 2017 by mitto

[penmanila]

ebay gives you the option just to "add to cart" which is different from "buy it now"-- a kind of halfway measure, like an intent to buy.

 

 

I'm not sure what you mean when you say it was 'in your cart.'

 

Do you mean you had both pressed the Buy it Now button, and that his instant PayPal payment beat yours to the post?

[Chrissy]

ebay gives you the option just to "add to cart" which is different from "buy it now"-- a kind of halfway measure, like an intent to buy.

 

 

This is exactly what I thought. Absolutely they do, and it is not an 'intent to buy'. It's just somewhere to put things while you think about them, and make decisions, like adding it to your Watch list. Or like adding something to your cart on Amazon.

 

However, adding it to cart was a clear mistake. When you see a real sumgai deal like this you have to press the Buy it Now button and pay. Nothing else comes close enough. Lesson learned.

 

Sadly, that is why the OP was beaten.

[penmanila]

that's why i've never used that "add to cart" option myself--it's basically meaningless. i just use the watchlist, so ebay reminds me when something's closing soon. otherwise, i hit the "buy" button asap.

[Raif79]

I snatched one up on Fleabay recently. I was so proud of myself. Then after a day or two I noticed a crack in the barrel threads. I took it apart to see if the crack was surface or all the way through. I did a whoops and ripped the sac off. Yes the crack was all the way through. I checked the auction and noticed how carefully the seller took pics of every angle except one that would show the crack. Luckily I was able to source out another correct barrel. I also had to order some new sacs and shellac (Ive misplaced mine). Oh and the pressure bar was wonky so I have a new one on the way also. After Thanksgiving Ill have a wonderful (yet expensive now) Senior Big Red. Itll be a fantastic pen when I get it up and running again. Absolutely no brassing to the cap band and clip.

[mitto]

I found two in the wild - a Senior and a Special - for $140 and both are still to be restored. Both are orange / red flat top with the lucky curve banner. The Senior has a single wide raised cap band.

Edited November 18, 2017 by mitto

[PaulS]

sorry to hear your story Raif79 - hope you get the pen up and running and am sure it will be a great writer.

You might think having the pen in your hand, at the antiques market, would be a way to avoid all faults and cracks etc., and that you'd go home with a pocketful of good condition pens - sad to say it doesn't always work. When it's dark and cold at half six a.m. in November or December, and you're trying to hold a torch, blow into your fingers to warm them - you can still come home with six cracks in a cap lip that you didn't spot. But this week was good for me - I had two 51s, an English Vac. 51, a Relief No. 3 minus its cap but with original box and original nib, three Swans, a French (I assume) Waterman with 18 ct. nib and soldier clip I think, a Mentmore, a 61 with the broadest nib width I've ever seen and a very worn Parkette of some sort.

[Fermata]

"a very worn Parkette of some sort. "

 

Who has been talking?

[Raif79]

Yeah PaulS youre right. My only problem is that I live in an area devoid of any culture or class. I did see a Parker 51 set in an antique store once. That was 10 years ago. For now I have to trust my Sumgai online. The nib is fantastic on mine. I made a full page journal entry on day 1. I made it halfway through a work day before I noticed the crack on day 2. Fluorescent lights. Theyll find every flaw.

[Chrissy]

that's why i've never used that "add to cart" option myself--it's basically meaningless. i just use the watchlist, so ebay reminds me when something's closing soon. otherwise, i hit the "buy" button asap.

 

Spot on!

 

Although it wouldn't count as a sumgai deal in anyone else's opinion, when I saw a brand new Waterman Kultur in sapphire blue for £8 inc free delivery the other evening, that is exactly what I did.

[mitto]

sorry to hear your story Raif79 - hope you get the pen up and running and am sure it will be a great writer.

You might think having the pen in your hand, at the antiques market, would be a way to avoid all faults and cracks etc., and that you'd go home with a pocketful of good condition pens - sad to say it doesn't always work. When it's dark and cold at half six a.m. in November or December, and you're trying to hold a torch, blow into your fingers to warm them - you can still come home with six cracks in a cap lip that you didn't spot. But this week was good for me - I had two 51s, an English Vac. 51, a Relief No. 3 minus its cap but with original box and original nib, three Swans, a French (I assume) Waterman with 18 ct. nib and soldier clip I think, a Mentmore, a 61 with the broadest nib width I've ever seen and a very worn Parkette of some sort.

 

 

Good for you, Paul. My score this week was an English aero 51 with broad nib and gold English made cap, two NOS S21s, a nice clean PFM IV, a sterling silver 75 set and an English aero P61 with cracked barrel, deformed section, replacement P51 jewel on its cap top and like yours a broad broad nib with ample tipping material. I rescued the jewel and nib from this beat up 61, used them in some of my P51s in need of parts. I have spare barrels as well cap jewel for the P61. And I am looking now for a section and nib to also complete the P61.

Edited November 18, 2017 by mitto

[PaulS]

we all collect in different ways and I respect those guys who wish to snipe and increase their success rate - have to admit that sometimes it takes me days to get over losing something rather special that I really wanted, but lost. Then again there are some of us who prefer the "let's go out and see what turns up" approach. It takes all sorts - but whatever modus operandi floats your boat make sure you're enjoying it.

 

The Parkette had me confused for a while - the barrel imprint was so worn it took a lot of squinting to find the name - but the clip should have been the answer. No idea as to which one it is although it's an all Canadian job and ball-ended clip so am assuming mid 1930s - and yes, another black pen with brassed furniture

[penmanila]

speaking of sumgai big reds, i got mine as a sumgai--sort of--for $55, in near-perfect shape and fully restored, five years ago. but it took another sumgai find to get it. here's what happened:

 

i went to the baltimore pen show, and after cruising around for a bit, stumbled on what i thought was a single-jewel long major vacumatic--in burgundy! nice pen, and i haggled the price down to $55 from $60. but i didn't realize what i had until i ran into david isaacson, whose eyes lit up when he saw the vac and identified it as a truly rare 1942 model (there were many red vacs all the way to the early '50s but very few specimens remain of this 1942 edition). "this is a $600 pen!" david declared.

 

 

now, i was a serious parker and vac collector and this would have been one of my prize finds, but i had something else in mind--after 30 years of collecting, i somehow still had to get a big red, and had been lusting after the very fine examples on david's website, which were running for as much as $400 then. i already had a dozen red vacs--OSes, a senior max, etc.--and i wasn't going to miss this new one.

 

i offered david a straight swap for one of his best big reds (i always preferred the 1928 double-banded one and have a few of them now), and he accepted, and we both came out of the show very happy

Edited November 19, 2017 by penmanila

[sanesangowdayya]

speaking of sumgai big reds, i got mine as a sumgai--sort of--for $55, in near-perfect shape and fully restored, five years ago. but it took another sumgai find to get it. here's what happened:

 

i went to the baltimore pen show, and after cruising around for a bit, stumbled on what i thought was a single-jewel long major vacumatic--in burgundy! nice pen, and i haggled the price down to $55 from $60. but i didn't realize what i had until i ran into david isaacson, whose eyes lit up when he saw the vac and identified it as a truly rare 1942 model (there were many red vacs all the way to the early '50s but very few specimens remain of this 1942 edition). "this is a $600 pen!" david declared.

 

 

now, i was a serious parker and vac collector and this would have been one of my prize finds, but i had something else in mind--after 30 years of collecting, i somehow still had to get a big red, and had been lusting after the very fine examples on david's website, which were running for as much as $400 then. i already had a dozen red vacs--OSes, a senior max, etc.--and i wasn't going to miss this new one.

 

i offered david a straight swap for one of his best big reds (i always preferred the 1928 double-banded one and have a few of them now), and he accepted, and we both came out of the show very happy

Very nice! A pen show is the last place I'd expect to be a sumgai.

 

By the way, I feel a sudden urge to get an OS vac or a PFM now. Those deb's and tiny snorkels aren't doing it.

[amk]

Never hesitate over a good buy-it-now. I will always remember my little moment of doubt over a Delta Dolce Vita up for £50. As I watched, the 'sold' bar came up on the listing. Damn, damn, damn.