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For Parker 51 Plum Collectors

FPIndian12

By FPIndian12
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joss Collectors Item

joss

Posted
Posted

Funny. The seller claims that he does not want to mislead and that he is aware about date codes on P51 pens but yet did not include the code in the description.

The pictures suggest though that the pen is not plum.

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Barry Gabay Vintage

Barry Gabay

Posted
Posted

My old eyes are not as clear as they once were, but that 51 looks mighty similar to my four (3 regular, 1 demi) plum 51s. Joss, maybe your screen or eyes are better than mine. I suspect they are. Do you think the pen shown might be a burgundy? Curious what you think.

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FPIndian12 Mint

FPIndian12

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Funny. The seller claims that he does not want to mislead and that he is aware about date codes on P51 pens but yet did not include the code in the description.

The pictures suggest though that the pen is not plum.

Either the colour is not Plum or the image is too blurry to tell the colour.

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pajaro Museum Piece

pajaro

Posted
Posted

It looks like burgundy. I think that if you want to have a pen accepted to be plum, you must show it in bright light to show the plum color with no ambiguity. If the color isn't properly shown or is ambiguous, it is burgundy. That one looks burgundy anyway, so I can see why the seller made the pics in ambiguous, not bright enough light.

"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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Barry Gabay Vintage

Barry Gabay

Posted
Posted

Thank you all for making me look more closely and use stronger light. You all are correct that the pen for sale is a burgundy. Will try to attach photo with 4 plums beside 2 shades of US burgundy and 1 UK bloody burgundy.

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

Posted
Posted (edited)

Well, given that the seller says it's Plum and *then* says it's "probably from the 1960s"....

It's so hard to tell with the poor quality photos. For one or two of the pix I was thinking "okay, maybe" but for others, was going, "Naaah... looks like Burgundy...."

Of course, even if it turns out it IS Plum, it's way too rich for my blood....

And if it's Burgundy? Well, I have a Burgundy from the early 1960s for which I paid $15 US, and then another $25 for a 51 cap. That's just over 1/10th the price of the one in this listing.... Or, to put it another way, I paid just under $72 for my Plum Demi. Including shipping. So he's charging an awful lot of money for a box. And it's not even "a really nice box" at that.... :rolleyes:

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: His other two listings seem also to be way pricy.... Wonder what would happen if someone gave him a low-ball offer....

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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pajaro Museum Piece

pajaro

Posted
Posted (edited)

Well, given that the seller says it's Plum and *then* says it's "probably from the 1960s"....

It's so hard to tell with the poor quality photos. For one or two of the pix I was thinking "okay, maybe" but for others, was going, "Naaah... looks like Burgundy...."

Of course, even if it turns out it IS Plum, it's way too rich for my blood....

And if it's Burgundy? Well, I have a Burgundy from the early 1960s for which I paid $15 US, and then another $25 for a 51 cap. That's just over 1/10th the price of the one in this listing.... Or, to put it another way, I paid just under $72 for my Plum Demi. Including shipping. So he's charging an awful lot of money for a box. And it's not even "a really nice box" at that.... :rolleyes:

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: His other two listings seem also to be way pricy.... Wonder what would happen if someone gave him a low-ball offer....

 

What you paid for the plum demi was a bargain, and I think you know it wasn't a regular price. For an NOS or low use plum, the listed price is not unreasonable, and only about $200 too much for a burgundy. Yes, there are bargains to be had, and there's no need to pay the usual going rate if you are patient, and if you regularly scan markets.

 

The only 51s I paid more than $50 for were an NOS Burgundy and my plum regular sized pen. Most of the rest were $5 to about $30. I picked up several NOS 51s at yard sales. A couple more by checking the newest buy-it-now ebay ads. Grab them as soon as they come up.

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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pajaro Museum Piece

pajaro

Posted
Posted

Burgundy. Oh, what a great matched set! Not.

"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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FarmBoy Museum Piece

FarmBoy

Posted
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Thank you all for making me look more closely and use stronger light. You all are correct that the pen for sale is a burgundy. Will try to attach photo with 4 plums beside 2 shades of US burgundy and 1 UK bloody burgundy. attachicon.gif IMG_3278.JPG

One of your Plum pens has a Vac cap on it.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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mitto Museum Piece

mitto

Posted
Posted

The pen is not Plum. However the 'No Imprints' is not a criterion for a pen to not be a Plum. A Plum (or any other early production 51 in any other color for that natter) may have the imprints worn away due to one reason or the other.

Khan M. Ilyas

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

Posted
Posted

Clueless seller with delusions of wishful thinking. The Pilot Metropolitan is worth about $15-20 US, and the Esterbrook maybe the same to double, depending on the nib.

The 51? It's hard to say -- that one COULD be plum since the color seems pretty true for the Metropolitan and the Estie. Or it could be black....

The rest of the pens in the lot I couldn't ID, but the gold colored one looks like the silver overlay on a Morrison ringtop. So, maybe $80-150, depending on condition. I suppose someone could ask what the various pens are labeled as being, and also ask for better pix of the nibs. Not me though, I'm feeling poor at the moment -- just sent off payment for the Pilot Decimo of my dreams (my very belated Christmas present).

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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CS388 Antique

CS388

Posted
Posted

Bad photos.

 

Agree. But, looks as if it could be plum? Has that purple sheen? Could be a trick of the light, of course.

 

Still way overpriced, imho - unless there are some other unrecognised gems in there?

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