Just skimming through eBay’s new vintage listings this morning and I am overpowered by all the Parkers! Good pens, of course, but so many of them, almost to the exclusion of other old brands. The pens I’m really looking for, the Swans, Mentmores, Summits and Wyverns seem very thin on the ground compared with a few years ago. This isn’t a scientific study, just my impression. We always knew the profusion of old pens couldn’t last forever. Are they tapering off now?
Amusingly, I see Jinhao pens sneaked into the listing simply by adding ‘vintage’ to brand new pens.
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I regularly troll around antique shops and fairs and whereas 3 years ago there were always a few of the pens you list, lately they have basically disappeared. It’s so bad I’m tempted to think the unthinkable, folk are scrapping them for the gold. I hope not but it’s possible. Gold is at an all time high. I have several very nice Mentmores. I think they’re pretty well up there with Conway Stewart.
Scrapping pens for gold has always happened, mostly by house clearance people. Over the years I educated some of them and they became suppliers of pens for me. I don’t know how the market is now but I know there is much less discussion of vintage pens. It may be that it is once more the practice to strip out the nibs and throw the rest away.
The Mentmore Autoflows, especially, are superb pens. They don’t have quite the cachet of Conway Stewarts but they’re great writers and very robust.
I didn’t think that there was much interest in Mentmore, Swan, Summit or Wyvern Pens so have not bothered to advertise them. I have quite a collection of all of them, so maybe it’s the right time to start selling?. If you are looking for anything let me know…..
Dear Deb, the situation in Australia is much the same as in Britain. The interesting pens have evaporated, with each day a repetition of its yesterday: Parker “51”, Montblanc, a few Pelikans, the odd ‘luxury’ brand from Italy…and not much more. “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow…” It could be an interesting subject for an economist to explain. In the meantime you have your Swans and I have my Conways, so we’re well insulated from the arctic blasts. Best wishes from Decimus (who turned 10 last week.)
Belated happy birthday wishes to Decimus! As I’m no longer in business I’m not looking at this situation daily but Sunday’s snapshot was a little depressing.