Author Topic: Vintage nib prices on ebay  (Read 59926 times)

Offline sheila247

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #60 on: February 15, 2017, 03:32:20 PM »
LOLOL   That was good!  Yep - I have almost as many straight holders as I have oblique holders.  I really do have a problem.  I have two boxes from John Neal that arrived today that I haven't opened yet because I go so excited by the nibs.   Squirrel!!!!   

Offline prasad

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #61 on: February 16, 2017, 02:23:07 AM »
Use them all.  That's what they're for.

I was fortunate to be able to come to an agreement with an online seller for an unopened box of vintage Gillott 404 nibs.  Although it was pricey for me, I think 62 cents per nib is a fair price for vintage 404s.
You got them. @Empty_of_Clouds
You've been looking for this for a long time. The price is excellent. Cheaper than the modern nibs. And you got a full box. Congratulations.  :)

Happy writing
Prasad
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Offline AAAndrew

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #62 on: February 16, 2017, 09:02:59 AM »
LOLOL   That was good!  Yep - I have almost as many straight holders as I have oblique holders.  I really do have a problem.  I have two boxes from John Neal that arrived today that I haven't opened yet because I go so excited by the nibs.   Squirrel!!!!   

I see no "problem" in all of this.

I have an "L" shaped desk at work and as you can see, the non-computer side is a perfect example of how this is not a problem.

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Offline sheila247

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #63 on: February 16, 2017, 10:21:06 AM »
Looks like mine!  I too have a corner desk and then a bookshelf filled with the overflow, and a tower of drawers next to that, and .......    I am set up in our living room so I have to try and have it look somewhat organized.

Here are a couple of pics.

Offline AAAndrew

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #64 on: February 17, 2017, 05:04:47 PM »
Another pen to look out for.

I just purchased two boxes of of Turner & Harrison #145. I paid $22 for an unopened box, and $17 for an opened box with 119 pens in it.

The 145 was known in the old catalogs as the "Republic" and was labeled as a Bookkeeper's Pen. I would say the best equivalent in well-known pens is a Gillott 404. It's amazingly fine, very springy action and quite nice swells. A very nice pen The seller had another box he was going to sell on eBay but I figured I had enough and would leave the rest for someone else.

This is now my favorite practice pen. (yes, I've started to practice a bit)
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Offline sheila247

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #65 on: February 17, 2017, 07:48:12 PM »
I have one of those - it is a very nice and smooth nib.   

Good for you @AAAndrew for starting to practice.   :)  Nibs want to feel needed.   :P

ash0kgiri

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #66 on: February 26, 2017, 05:31:48 AM »
Thats a steel @AAAndrew. How do you find such amazing deals. Is there a way we could keep track in near future.

-Ashok

Offline AAAndrew

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #67 on: February 26, 2017, 07:29:00 AM »
I have several followed searches on eBay. Turner & Harrison is one, but some of the best deals are found in the category Other Collectable Pen Acc.  People who don't know exactly what it is post there but you do have to wade through a lot of junk to find the occasional pearl.

It's just keeping your eyes open. It also helps to have a few old catalogs to compare against, especially for sealed boxes when you can't see the Pen.
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Offline sheila247

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #68 on: February 26, 2017, 10:58:43 AM »
A question for the collectors - how do you store your nibs?   Do you sort them by type, by manufacturer, or by use?   

Offline AAAndrew

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #69 on: February 26, 2017, 01:26:35 PM »
I may not be the best to copy as I'm more of a collector than a serious user. I would say depends on if use or collecting is more important.

The nibs are stored by Manufacturer/number/imprint in small plastic boxes. Each line in my spreadsheet is stored separately.

Catalogued by these fields: with example
Maker Name: Esterbrook
Number: 048
Imprint: R. Esterbrook & Co.
Location: Made in USA
Name: Falcon
Amount: 28
Shape: Falcon
Finish: Bronze
Flexibility: Firm-flex
Series: (some nibs are part of a series, Like Hunt Round Pointed)
Notes: have box
Biz?: (If this is imprinted for a company like B&O Railroad)         

Joseph Gillott's   
603 EF   
Joseph Gillott's   
England   
Mid-Elastic   
2   
Straight   
Grey   
Flex      
(no series)
(no notes)
(no business indicator)                              
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Offline sheila247

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #70 on: February 26, 2017, 03:07:36 PM »
Not sure how well that work for me - but it does give me some ideas for the spreadsheet I am building.   :-)   

Offline InkyFingers

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #71 on: August 15, 2017, 03:45:17 PM »
With the surging price on ebay, where would one find good valued nibs?  Flee markets?  Private auctions?  Other web.sites?

Offline AAAndrew

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #72 on: September 08, 2017, 03:22:33 PM »
Just to make you sigh, I got an office supply catalog today from about 1939-1940. (not sure if I can nail it down closer than that).

You could buy a gross of Gillott #1 Principalities for $2. A gross of 303's was also $2. A gross of the Spencerian #1's (New York, the yucky ones) was $1.50.  Wholesale was 20% less.

And you should see the paper, the desks, the blotters,... It's 352 pages (except the 10 pages of fountain pens which were cut out, grrrrr!) of everything an office could want.



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Offline AnasaziWrites

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #73 on: September 11, 2017, 10:26:49 AM »
With the surging price on ebay, where would one find good valued nibs?  Flee markets?  Private auctions?  Other web.sites?
eBay is difficult these days, as so many people are looking constantly with saved searches.
One spot I've not seen mentioned is pen shows. They are mostly about fountain pens and modern pens, and nibs are rarely displayed, but ask the vendors if they have any nibs.  Sometimes they have jumbled box of them undisplayed.
 To answer your earlier question, no one I know uses Gillott Principalities on a regular basis as they are too expensive to replace. A few old timers with a stash of them might use them on occasion or for special pieces. I can't imagine using them for all the practice work necessary to have the skill to get the most out of them.

Offline AAAndrew

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Re: Vintage nib prices on ebay
« Reply #74 on: September 11, 2017, 11:21:12 AM »
The interest on eBay does seem to be quite high these days with prices rising accordingly. I'm hoping it's a bubble.  ::)

Fortunately most people still haven't discovered the wonderful world of everyday pen nibs, my area of collecting interest, so I can still get often find good deals on interesting nibs. But even there you have to look, and it seems most sellers think all nibs must be worth $2 each or more.  Buying by the box when possible is the only way. But then I saw a box with 55 later-date Esterbrook 357's just go for $192.

Kind of crazy. Patience is the key, and knowing when to step away.
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