Jump to content

Buying Vintage Pens Around Seattle Area?

acornham

By acornham
in Fountain & Dip Pens - First Stop

 Share

Recommended Posts

acornham NOS (New Old Stock)

acornham

Posted
Posted

To the admins: If this isn't in the right place, please move it. I was thinking it might work in Market Watch, but I can't post there.

 

I was trying to find some pens around the Seattle area by looking at some thrift shops in the area. However, I couldn't find a single pen. Where are some places you would think I should go?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 7
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Driften

    3

  • XYZZY

    2

  • inkstainedruth

    1

  • acornham

    1

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

Posted
Posted

There's a town a little northeast of Seattle, Snohomish, that my in-laws took me and my husband to. It has more antiques stores in one place than I've ever seen.

I saw pens in several of the places, and picked up a green Sheaffer Snorkel in one. I can't say what you'll find, since it's been a while since we were out there (I'm hoping to go back out there at some point and wander through the big antiques mall at the edge of town at leisure -- because there are things I might want to look at besides pens; the time I was there they had a guy walk me around to all the booths that might have pens).

If you're willing to travel further afield, there's some places between Leavenworth and Spokane on US 2. I think I saw a couple of Esterbrooks in one of the booths at Apple Annie's, but they were nibs I either already had or didn't want. Again, I have no idea what you'd find if you were looking now.

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."

Link to comment
Share on other sites
XYZZY Vintage

XYZZY

Posted
Posted

Thanks Ruth for the pointer to Snohomish!

 

OP: You said Vintage, so I don't know how to help you with that. For new Japanese pens, Kinokuniya (next to the Seattle Uwajimaya) has some Japanese pens. Apparently the lady who staffs the desk is pleasant and happy to let you dip some pens, but when I realized that they charge MSRP (so no way I would buy) I decided not to take advantage. She has a few more expense Pilot and Platinum pens under glass (I recall a Pilot 823 and Platinum 3776 Kumpoo, among others). They also have Japanese stationary. Cheaper Japanese pens (Pilot Kakuno, Metropolitan, Platinum Preppy) are just stocked on the pegs on the wall and not behind glass, so there's the novelty of seeing fountain pens stocked that way in a US store in 2018. And the MSRP price of those pens is still pretty low, offset by not paying or waiting for shipping.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Driften Collectors Item

Driften

Posted
Posted

Thanks Ruth for the pointer to Snohomish!

 

OP: You said Vintage, so I don't know how to help you with that. For new Japanese pens, Kinokuniya (next to the Seattle Uwajimaya) has some Japanese pens. Apparently the lady who staffs the desk is pleasant and happy to let you dip some pens, but when I realized that they charge MSRP (so no way I would buy) I decided not to take advantage. She has a few more expense Pilot and Platinum pens under glass (I recall a Pilot 823 and Platinum 3776 Kumpoo, among others). They also have Japanese stationary. Cheaper Japanese pens (Pilot Kakuno, Metropolitan, Platinum Preppy) are just stocked on the pegs on the wall and not behind glass, so there's the novelty of seeing fountain pens stocked that way in a US store in 2018. And the MSRP price of those pens is still pretty low, offset by not paying or waiting for shipping.

 

 

US MSRP or Japan MSRP?

Laguna Niguel, California.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Honeybadgers Donor Pen

Honeybadgers

Posted
Posted (edited)

As for vintage stuff, check the larger antique stores. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes not. There is one vendor of high end mont blanc and stuff (new only) and we have the store in the uwajimaya that deals in a lot of japanese stuff at a wide range of prices, and the UW bookstore has lamy and some pilot stuff as well as a near-complete range of noodlers, lamy, J Herbin and pelikan inks.

 

And US MSRP or more, Driften. it's a neat store, especially for japanese paper, but don't expect any good deals whatsoever. Nothing is even close to what you'd pay online.

 

Short answer, no. Nobody gives a (bleep) about writing in Seattle. It hasn't become quite hipster enough yet for the bandwagoneers to want it.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
XYZZY Vintage

XYZZY

Posted
Posted

 

 

US MSRP or Japan MSRP?

Frankly I just assumed these are US MSRP. Platinum Kumpoo and Pilot 823 were both around $350.00.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Driften Collectors Item

Driften

Posted
Posted

Frankly I just assumed these are US MSRP. Platinum Kumpoo and Pilot 823 were both around $350.00.

 

 

Sounds like US MSRP, thanks!

Laguna Niguel, California.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43972
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      35672
    3. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      31697
    4. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    5. Bo Bo Olson
      Bo Bo Olson
      27747

  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Misfit
      On my second trip to Japan in seven months, while the going is good

      By Misfit · Posted

      Oh to have that translucent pink Prera! @migo984 has the Oeste series named after birds. There is a pink one, so I’m assuming Este is the same pen as Oeste.    Excellent haul. I have some Uniball One P pens. Do you like to use them? I like them enough, but don’t use them too much yet.    Do you or your wife use Travelers Notebooks? Seeing you were at Kyoto, I thought of them as there is a store there. 
    • A Smug Dill
      On my second trip to Japan in seven months, while the going is good

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      It's not nearly so thick that I feel it comprises my fine-grained control, the way I feel about the Cross Peerless 125 or some of the high-end TACCIA Urushi pens with cigar-shaped bodies and 18K gold nibs. Why would you expect me or anyone else to make explicit mention of it, if it isn't a travesty or such a disappointment that an owner of the pen would want to bring it to the attention of his/her peers so that they could “learn from his/her mistake” without paying the price?
    • szlovak
      On my second trip to Japan in seven months, while the going is good

      By szlovak · Posted

      Why nobody says that the section of Tuzu besides triangular shape is quite thick. Honestly it’s the thickest one among my many pens, other thick I own is Noodler’s Ahab. Because of that fat section I feel more control and my handwriting has improved. I can’t say it’s comfortable or uncomfortable, but needs a moment to accommodate. It’s funny because my school years are long over. Besides this pen had horrible F nib. Tines were perfectly aligned but it was so scratchy on left stroke that collecte
    • stylographile
      Bits and bobs to bring with me to in-person meets

      By stylographile · Posted

      Awesome! I'm in the process of preparing my bag for our pen meet this weekend and I literally have none of the items you mention!! I'll see if I can find one or two!
    • inkstainedruth
      My notes and advice on fountain pen cleaning

      By inkstainedruth · Posted

      @asota -- Yeah, I think I have a few rolls in my fridge that are probably 20-30 years old at this point (don't remember now if they are B&W or color film) and don't even really know where to get the film processed, once the drive through kiosks went away....  I just did a quick Google search and (in theory) there was a place the next town over from me -- but got a 404 error message when I tried to click on the link....  Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth 

  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More

  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...