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What have you done to me, FPN. I've only been using fountain pens for around 8 months or so, but I've fallen so deeply in love with them that I simply cannot revert back to writing with any other type of pen. So, what is the next logical step in my mind? Spend all of my money on fountain pens! The two pens that I own are the Lamy Safari and the Kaweco Sport Classic. While they are both very enjoyable to write with, I've been wanting to expand my collection. Since I have recently begun browsing the FPN, this nagging itch has now become an insatiable desire. I have finally decided that my next purchase is going to be a vintage pen in the lower price range. As easy as it would be to just buy a new pen off of JetPens or something, I feel that vintage pens have a certain charm and look that you will not find on most newer pens <$50. I have been looking at Sheaffer Snorkels, Esterbrook Js, and Waterman Phileases (I saw the thread regarding what the plural of Phileas is, and I'm sticking with this version ) on eBay for the past couple of days, waiting to buy one or two of each and bask in the glory of my success. However, as I am new to buying vintage pens (and the entire eBay auction scene in general), I do have a couple of questions. 1. How much is too much for these pens? As you may have inferred, I try to keep my price range under $50, with a $25 purchase + S&H as an ideal range. However, I see people putting some up for more than double that. Are the cheaper ones simply being sold by people who don't understand the value? I get that the age, condition, model, and packaging all factor in, but some of the highly priced pens don't seem to be much more special than the ones that are much cheaper. ​2. Since I'm focusing more on using the pens for daily writing as opposed to starting a collection of significant value, should I care if something has been restored or if a bladder has been replaced? I've been trying to scope out pens that have are in good condition and have not had any original parts replaced, but there's a part of my brain that keeps saying, "Why care?". 3. Should I be concerned if a pen has not been tested (with water or ink) to see if the filling mechanism is working (this doesn't apply to the Phileas, of course)? I don't have the time or money (translation: I don't want to wait 2 weeks) to replace something if I get a broken part. So many descriptions have "has not been tested/I have not tested it/It's in good condition so I assume it's working", and I feel like I have to purchase something that has been confirmed to be in working order. 4. Are there any other sites where I can get those models at a reasonable price? Preferably older models (which will inevitably cost more money, I suppose). If you actually managed to read that wall of poorly articulated and very non-concise text (written at 1:07 AM, I might add), I commend you . Thanks in advance.