Soaking in milk is a traditional tip for removing fountain pen ink but thanks to Margaret Birdsey of Auckland, we have a new recipe that promises great results using a mixture of Amway bleach and slightly less Amway liquid organic cleanser. Leave the paste on the stain for a day, rinse and if necessary, repeat the process. Handy also for grease spots or even as Margaret found, age-old tea stains on a tray cloth that disappeared with repeat applications. Two caveats though – this recipe doesn’t work on ballpen ink stains and although pretty colour-safe, should not be used on wool or silk!
Up until the 1970s, fountain pen collectors mostly sought the decorative earlier 20th century pens or those from the 1920s golden age of writing instruments when hard dark rubber gave way to the early plastic and celluloid. Coupled with the more interesting ideas in architecture, the fountain pens in this era started to mimic features of art deco design.
Nowadays fewer pens are sold through auction houses and antique shops with Internet sites like TradeMe in New Zealand, and eBay internationally doing more business. But internet purchase does have the disadvantage of not being able to inspect the pen so beware incomplete descriptions of the condition.
If you want to buy a collectable fountain pen, ask yourself?
Do I want a vintage or modern pen? Modern limited edition pens started with the Parker Silver Spanish Treasure model 75 pictured above and made in 1966; Montblanc kicked off its limited editions with the first of its yearly Writer’s Series in 1992; other manufacturers have added limited edition offerings of their own. Some modern limited editions have appreciated in value - generally those with fewer than 2000 pieces – while for others, the value change is more in keeping with inflation.
How well known is the brand? – Waterman, Parker, Sheaffer, Wahl-Eversharp, Onoto, Swan and Montblanc are best bets. Internationally American buyers and American brands dominate but most vintage pens in New Zealand are English-made including Conway Stewart, Onoto and Swan.
How rare is the finish or design? Does it have unusual precious metal finishes? For example, a Parker 51 with a lustrloy cap and blue or black barrel is worth less than say a Parker 51 with a gold-plated cap and the rarer cordovan brown barrel.
What condition is the pen in? The more pristine and unused the pen, the higher its value. Look for damage to the nib, clip or any missing parts. The original box, instruction leaflet or warranty card also adds value.
How does the pen write? Anything less than a 14 kt gold nib is not really collectable but it's important that you like the way the nib writes, so dip it in ink and try writing.
Extremely high values are still being paid for collectible pens with instances of some models fetching over US $50,000 routinely. But if you are not an experienced collector, valuation is difficult. The best means is to trawl the internet sites or you can check collector's guides such as Carter's Everything Vintage for Australasia but remember, dealer prices tend to be higher to provide their business margin.
Europens offers some Vintage and Limited Edition Pens for sale on its vintage pages from time to time, and can also offer repair and maintenance for vintage pens of most major brands.
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