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Requesting ideas for downsizing collection without actually giving pens away


Paul-in-SF

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How about trading them for some cooler things that you don't have?  Thus downsizing the size but increasing the quality, or at least the variety, of what you have.

 

I think this is difficult, but possible.

 

Cheers,

 

“It’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness

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A couple of possible ideas you could consider.

 

You could sell the pens to a pen dealer who tends to have clients who are pen aficionados or collectors. Or ask them to sell the pens for you on consignment. That way it is more likely that the pens go to enthusiasts. I don’t know many pen dealers but the one that came into my mind was Guillaume Chappuis at Watch and Write in Switzerland (used to be 123stylo.com), who sells mostly vintage and rare pens via Facebook rather than being generally accessible to the random public. His Instagram account is watch.and.write, so you can see his posts and get an idea of what I mean. Someone like this has an established client base that he knows and he would probably know who exactly might be looking for some of these pens. In any event, only pen enthusiasts would know about his business. I’m sure there are other pen dealers you could find with a bit of research who might fit the bill.

 

Or you could perhaps sell the pens at a higher price with an offer to refund a portion of the price on receipt of a hand-written letter from the buyer, written with the pen. Of course you would have to honour the refund whatever they write, but I suspect in at least some of the cases you will get a nice letter that tells you something about the buyer and why they wanted the pen. It may go some way toward giving you the feeling that you have a connection with the buyer and that they are enthusiastic about the pens. In some cases you may feel like you want to refund a bit more based on what you learn.

 

Just trying to be a bit creative here. Maybe there are other things you can think of.

 

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On 12/25/2020 at 5:13 PM, yazeh said:

I have to agree with sgphototn,whole heartedly. When we give something away, it's theirs and they can do whatever they want to do with it... 

Yes, and if you're selling them on ebay you have no say as to what happens to the pen after it leaves your hands.

The same thing cannot be said about a pen that is gifted or sold under these circumstances here today. It's different when one of the conditions of the sale is that you actually have to care about the pen. 

 

If you know they're going to destroy the object because they don't care enough OR if you know they're going to treasure it for life IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE(in the consciousness and "the heart," of the seller). Especially if the seller genuinely cares about these objects. 

 

Whetheror not the buyer actually follows through with that condition, is the topic of discussion. HOW do we find good folks to look after our pens when we are gone (or when we have a NEED to part ways with them)?

 

I think this topic is AWESOME, and I think we should establish A STANDARD for selling/gifting pens to folks who will genuinely do their best to properly enjoy+use+look after pens THAT OTHER'S choose to part ways with for one reason or another.

 

basically the answer to our dilemma is: we have to get to know EACH and every single person... then discover which one of these people in the group actually cares about these objects MINIMUM to a degree you find suitable, AND THEN finally you have to make them agree to post an update thing every year for 2 or 3 years just to make sure they actually still have it and didn't sell it off or ruined it or whatever 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

those who ACTUALLY care, I'm sure, will continue to update ya on these pens long after the 3 years are up = )

 

BY THE WAY

 

Paul = ) 

 

Here I am = )

 

I have about 70 American bucks and I fit the bill you're lookin' for!

 

✓ I don't ever get rid of my pens

 

✓ I baby all my pens as though they're delicate, extremely easy to scratch up and made of solid 24k gold

 

✓ I research every pen so that I know how to properly take care of it, and to appreciate it a little more (sometimes their history makes me like them so much more than before! like my Parker vp! I liked it because the nib is funny~! I didn't realize how special that thing is ❤️ IT'S SPECIAL❤️ like Ferrari F40 is last car Enzo Ferrari touched with his mind SPECIAL)

 

✓I like pens = ) a lot ❤️ and I would be honored if you considered me as a potential candidate for a new home for 1 or 2 of your pens👍I don't know what kind of pens you have and I don't know if you've already sold it or not but it sounds like you've got some quality objects, and WELL... 1 more pen this year won't hurt riiiiiiiiiiiiiight hahahahaha

 

For me to get rid of a pen, I would NEED to know that THAT pen will be in good hands❤️if I'm ever going to part ways with any one of them, I have to know the person likes it tremendously. if I don't know if the pain is going to be cared for and I still am giving it away it is because I am giving it to somebody in my family who I hope will appreciate it just by the sheer fact of how nice it is. Hasn't backfired yet = ) Last time I gave away a pen it was a parker jotter to a complete stranger because they asked me for a pen(it was a nurse at this hospital I was at) and I thought I would let her use one of my nice pens. She was ecstatic at how nice it wrote and asked me where to get one and all the good stuff just basically drooling over this nice pen = )

Yup she was jumping around all over the place when i told her it was hers hahahah 

I know that pen is in good hands ❤️

I feel good thinking about it

I know she uses it, and even if it accidentally got lost in the future I KNOW she's enjoying it just as much as I would have OR MORE probably more = )

 

if I sold that pen on ebay... (i don't think I would ever actually sell ANY pen, but for argument's sake)... if I did... The uncertainty of its fate... it's not a nice feeling to possess within the heart... This guy wants to knowwwww that HIS pens aren't going to be abused or ignored, but rather appreciated and cared for. There's nothing wrong with that = )

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  • 1 month later...
On 1/16/2021 at 4:44 PM, bisbob said:

What brands are you looking to sell? I'm venturing into Viscontis and would give them a good home.😃

I have two viscontis and like them and use them a lot.  A bright green Breeze and a VanGogh Irises. Some of my favorite pens to write with. 

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  • 2 months later...

Honestly, setting a price that's affordable for most people, but still quite high in a general scheme would deter most individuals that don't really care about the pens as such. Why would a random person on a pen forum be willing to invest a 100 euros into a pen that means nothing to him/her. 

 

I, myself, am looking for some decently priced (no need to be cheap, just fair) lever Sheaffers. They are not that easy to come by here in Europe. 

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I would add one little comment to the huge choir here:
Give away pens to people you know. Sell the rest at fair prices.
I'd like to be considered if you have any left, but I'm so new on FPN that I squeak, plus I live in Sweden...
But anything above a starter pen would be real nice for me.
😄

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  • 2 weeks later...

Another idea to consider: Take the same approach as some donators do with museums.
i.e. make a long-term "loan" to somebody, e.g. two years or something, where they can have & use the pen(s) you donate, assuming they know how to care for them properly. I'm sure you can find somebody in your neighborhood which would appreciate that.

It's something to consider, at least :)

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  • 2 months later...

I would divide my group of pens (which I refuse to call a collection), into two segments.  The first portion falls into the "cold dead hands" category (someone will have to pry them out of my cold dead hands to get them).  The seconds segment are nice pens I bought on a whim, but they do not stir my soul, due to my tastes.  Every now and then I will loan out a box of five of the latter group to a stranger who has shown some interest in fountain pens. I only ask that they give a quick review of how they felt about each of the five loaned pens. I want a novice's perception of how each of them felt/wrote for them.  After they have used them a couple months, I ask them to pick out one of the five to keep, and mail back the other four. It almost never fails to surprise me which pen they select to keep. 

 

It reminds me how narrow our favoritism is for specific pens.  The pen which we did not enjoy, often becomes someone else's favorite.  Some of my absolute favorite pens, which are in the "cold dead hands" category, often fails to elicit much interest in they eyes of another person. 

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I like that approach, but I'm not sure how I would find strangers who might show interest in fountain pens (except on here, perhaps). I don't meet very many strangers in real life that I would be able to get to know even that well. 

 

I would have to make a third, middle category (that's who I am) for pens that I do really like (and/or that I went to a lot of trouble to acquire) but that I could live without. Those are the ones I would sell or give away when I knew I had only a few months to live. 

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Assuming the SF Pen Show is still happening in a very few weeks, if you can go, take a case to sell or trade.  If trading I suggest shooting for at least a three-to-one ratio, i.e. give up three to get one.  You'll net -2 thereby decreasing your collection.  
 

Of course the assumption is that you are not overwhelmed by the cornucopia of pens and walk out with more than you came in with. :huh:

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  • 2 weeks later...

I keep 5 or six pens inked, mostly because I enjoy using them and also because I like using different color links. It also affords me the opportunity to assess which ones I prefer to use versus any other. And I find that I am not thrilled with the piston fillers that lack a window to determine how much ink is in the pen. SO now I have 3 set aside for the next pen show to work a trade. Recently traded two for one (Delta Dolcevita) and am thrilled I could cull the herd by one pen, and have an outstanding addition without laying out any cash. Di I get a good deal? I think so.

 

 

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  • 4 months later...

@Paul-in-SF

 

So, what progress have you made?

PXL_20211231_204331742.MP.jpg

PXL_20211231_204313963.jpg

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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@amberleadavis I am very sorry to hear about the stage IV colon cancer (if that is you or whoever it is). 

 

I have not made much progress, I got rid of maybe 35 pens, which sounds like a lot, but I have probably bought that many more since I started this thread. 

 

I don't know what OfferUp is, but I will check it out and get moving. Thanks for the kick in the pants. 

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Dear AmberLeaDavis, 

 

Big HUGE HHHHHUUUGGGGGGGG! I wish I could do something to magically make that cancer go away. I hope it does magically go away, and I will pray that I does. I'm sorry for saying something so naïve. Please email me if you ever want to talk, and I will reply as soon as possible.

 

 

Sincerely, 

 

This guy 

 

 

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Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Mr5x5 said:

Congratulations!  Keep up with your screenings and looking forward to your 5 year NED post.

 

Thank you!

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On 1/2/2022 at 7:00 PM, amberleadavis said:

WWWOOOOWWWWW That is awesome news!!! I am so happy to hear that = ) I am so very happy to hear that Amber! Thank you for the update! Wow this is great!! YYYEEESSSSSS!!!!! ALRIGHT!!!!!!! AMBER THAT IS AWESOME!!!!! This makes everything so much better 😃 Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤️!!!!!!! 

 

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I'd like to add my 2 cents to that - Great news that you kicked it, hope that you really *are* rid of all that (bleep), and good luck making progress with the decluttering (is that a word?)
Anyways, I would think that a big ugly thing like this is - or rather was, I hope :) - can get you to be real introspective and look at your life, perhaps make some decisions about changes to make down the line.

All the best and think positive, it has been proven to actually work, "think nice thoughts" is not just a slogan... 😃

If you need help getting rid of some ink or pens, I promise to give any you send my way a nice home in a lighted cabinet
, where people can admire them.

Stay safe,
Daneaxe

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