Has Anyone Heard Of Henry Simpole?

[Truffle Finder]

Hi there!

Yesterday at Portobello market, it was better than last Saturday, [where I took absolutely nothing all day!] yesterday went pretty well considering that things generally quieten down during the summer season.

A couple of people came to pick their pens up from my booth, having left their pens with me to repair some weeks ago. I tend to get pen repairs done in a week, but sometimes some people take a while before they come and pick them up!

I met a couple of potentially new customers, who I hope to see again, and of course, I gave them all subscription forms for membership to the Writing Equipment Society, as I normally do when I meet 'new collectors'.

Well, I'm off to another Antiques fair at a local Village Hall, and I'm hoping that I will find a few more pens than I did today. All I came home with was a dark Blue Parker 51, with a Stainless Steel Cap, but it was mint, un-used condition, so I was quite happy with my purchase.

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

A short while ago, someone made contact to me regarding two Conway Stewart Pens that he wanted me to service. It turned out that he resides on the other side of the pond, but he sent them to me anyway, [he agreed to pay me for the repairs, and the return shipping charges].

Anyway, when I had done the work on the pens, I contacted him to ask about payment. It was agreed that he would transfer the money to my PayPal account. Thankfully I hadn't sent the pens back at that stage.

Within about 24 hours, an E-mail arrived, stating that XX$ had been sent to my account, [i must stress that the E-mail looked exactly like the usual ones that I have had from the PayPal people to notify me that money was coming in!!] with the exception that they had not written the correct term at the start of the E-mail.

I have spent the best part of the morning, [this morning!] sorting it out, and changing my password [Twice!] with the help of a lovely person at PayPal, but I have sorted it out now..........................I hope!!!

Truffle Finder.

[Ghost Plane]

oh dear!

[Truffle Finder]

"Oh dear! Indeed Ghost Plane!!!"

"Oh great and mighty wonder! Let this be a warning unto us all!!!"

Truffle Finder!

[esterbex]

Yes, there's been some ebay and paypal hacking in the news reports of late. So "phishing" emails

are bound to be coming in an email near you if you have an account with either. Both need new passwords

if you haven't done that already..."You" being everyone with those accounts.

 

Glad you weren't caught Truffle!

[Truffle Finder]

I am going to the fish restaurant with Alistair [from the Onoto Pen Company] for lunch today!

Apart from the meal, it will be great to see him again after quite a long time, and catch up with the news.

The problem with the Paypal payment is still ongoing. The man in the USA has 'cancelled' the payment [that I didn't receive!], and apparently has sent another payment for the same amount! But I still haven't received a confirmation from PayPal that any activity has occurred.

Am I correct in thinking that confirmation comes through pretty well 'immediately' after a transaction has happened?

I will wait until tomorrow morning before I do anything else, but I would welcome anybody's views about this, if anybody else has had a similar experience.

Truffle Finder.

[Shimmershadow]

Is there any way to contact the person directly to confirm that he's sent the payment? (Preferably via telephone?) Paypal is usually pretty up-to-the-minute as far as showing payment and alerting one to activity; even if he sent an e-check and it was still in a pending state, it would show up in you account. I've just unloaded a bunch of stuff on eBay and have been dealing with PayPal non-stop for the past few days--they're pretty quick. Aside from changing your password, I would forward a copy of every fraudulent/suspicious-looking email to PayPal, alert your customer that his account may have been hacked and explain the situation thus far, and hopefully things will get straightened out. You're clever for picking up on the slight difference in the email--these phishers are VERY sophisticated and quite good at duplicating the real deal.

 

In the meantime, enjoy your fish and your visit!!

[Truffle Finder]

Thanks Shimmershadow,

I'm inclined to agree with you, and I am very suspicious about this person who has 'apparently' sent me the money.

The trouble is that when I opened the E-mail from him, the page looked exactly like it was from PayPal, including the little orange 'strip' which invited me to 'claim my money', and the first time, that's exactly what I did!!!

Then I got suspicious, and that's when I spoke to PayPal, and they advised me to change my password, because the E-mail that I described to them, was definitely not from them!

The E-mail that I received from him this morning looks very similar to the first one, [but I didn't 'access my account' through them!] so I googled my account, and there was nothing there! Surprise Surprise!!!

If nothing has come through from the 'real' PayPal by tomorrow morning, then I will send it off to PayPal and leave it to them to investigate the matter.

One thing's for sure, I will not be sending the pens back until some 'real' money appears at this end!!!

Thanks for your feed-back.

Truffle Finder.

Edited May 28, 2014 by Truffle Finder

[Truffle Finder]

Just to bring things up to date.

I have had more conversations with the very nice PayPal people, and it appears to have been a mistake on the 'sender's' part, and my account didn't receive the money!

Anyway, they [Paypal] have asked me to contact the guy in the USA, and request payment from him. This apparently will go through perfectly OK!

I haven't had any response yet, but I live in hope!

Truffle Finder.

[Shimmershadow]

Good luck, TF! I hope this works out as it should, keep us posted!!

[Truffle Finder]

Great news!

The payment has at last gone through without a hitch.

It will be good to get the repaired pens in the post to their owner, early on Monday of next week, [i don't like posting things just before the weekends when packages are hanging around in sorting offices with limited numbers of staff running around!]

Anyway, I suppose I have learned a little bit more about the ways of PayPal, after the experience.

Truffle Finder.

[Pen Nut]

Scamming dogs !!! They are all over at the moment. I love filling in the forms they attach to their e-mails, offensive ? Yes you can bet they are but if they want to try it on they deserve all they get . *&^% em !

[esterbex]

Now, now Pen Nut! All is well. Turns out it wasn't a scam....the sender didn't "send" correctly. It's all sorted and the sun will come up tomorrow, as scheduled!

[Truffle Finder]

Today at Portobello, it was quite brisk, lots of people both collectors, and 'users' of fountain pens came to look over my stock. As usual, some bought, and some just enjoyed the viewing of the pens!

All I know is that I wasn't able to read a great deal of my book, which I am reading at the moment.

Still, the weather was kind, and the walk from and to the station was beautiful in the lovely sunshine!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

I've just been browsing through the thread on the Conway Stewart forum, [about the link up with Onoto ] and I must say, I enjoyed reading about how people have talked about their feelings about these two companies working together. Without a doubt, there is a certain amount of nostalgia and even romanticism about both the names 'Conway Stewart and Onoto', evoke in people's minds when they are mentioned.

I was lucky enough to have met Don Yendle before he had secured the legal right to use the name of Conway Stewart, and I tried to do everything possible to help [wherever I could] like providing him with examples of the various clip styles and sizes, and the levers that had been used on the vintage models from the original factory. I did this because I was so pleased to be 'able' to help, but also because I am such a nostalgia freak! Also because my sister and I both had Conway Stewart Dinkies when we were at Prep-School, so I suppose it is perfectly understandable that Conway Stewart is a name that is 'warm' in people's hearts, [mainly people of a certain 'age' range, you understand!!!]

I must admit though, that I had never heard of the name Onoto, before I started collecting vintage pens, [in fact, at first I honestly thought that it must have been a French company, with the De la Rue name stamped somewhere on the pens!] but as time went on, I realised that they were the 'Rolls Royce' of British pen manufacturers, and that their main customers were among the 'Doctors and Solicitors' fraternity, so it was hardly surprising that I had never even heard of them. Since then of course, I have learnt quite a bit about the original company, and have got quite a few of their lovely vintage Magnas in my 'Pension Scheme' collection.

I am in the fortunate position of having had dealings with both of the re-born companies, [having been commissioned to make several over-lays for both] and I am very pleased that they have decided to work together, as I am quite sure that it will prove to be beneficial to both companies in the long run.

Conway Stewart have got the factory, and the machinery, and the production skills, and Onoto have a very high standard of quality control and good customer relations, so, combined they both should succeed in this current economic climate.

Alistair Adams is a great CEO [i hate that expression, why can't people just use the old name of director? "Because it's the modern term that everyone now uses!" I know!!!] and he has demonstrated that he has good 'taste', and having chosen the path then he follows it through until it's conclusion.

I sincerely wish the 'Conway Stewart /Onoto alliance' every success in the future.

Truffle Finder.

[Postscript]

If only YOL could join the fray. A trifecta.

 

Post Script

[Ghost Plane]

I'm with you on that fantasy.

[esterbex]

I heard a little bird tweet that the CS 100 shown to the right, with the Simpole cap band, will be re-commissioned by the FG Thomas pen shop for an additional series in sterling silver. Don't know what pen colours will be offered, but it is stunning in that blue and gold speckled resin. Apparently several versions were made . https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/248191-cs-100-going-back-into-production/?p=3006166

 

http://i987.photobucket.com/albums/ae359/darthmini/thomaseditions.jpg

[Ghost Plane]

Looking forward

[Truffle Finder]

I have just returned from my usual jaunt up to Portobello Antiques Market, and I am feeling a little 'bushed'! [i am getting older! I keep hearing myself saying that!]

The morning was a little 'sparse' to start with, but things picked up by about midday, and my first sale of the day was made, [a 142 Mont Blanc pen]. Then a very good [collector] friend of mine came to see me, to have a chat, show me some of his latest pen-purchases, and to pick up a couple of pens that he had left with me to see if I had some spare parts that they needed.

My trusty friend [Tim] turned up at about 1.45pm, and as I normally do shortly after he arrives, I started to pack up, but I was interrupted by a couple who had seen me earlier, and had left without buying a Mont Blanc Pen that they had tried out earlier on in the day. They had decided that they wanted it, and so a deal was struck, and they appeared to be very happy when they left.

Before I had closed the folder displaying the other Mont Blancs, another couple came up to my booth, asking me if they could try some of them! It turned out that it was the young gentleman's 30th birthday coming up, and he had decided that he wanted to treat himself to a decent fountain pen. After trying a few from my stock, he settled for a silver capped MB 142, and bought a leather MB pochette to go with it.

So what had appeared to be a rather mediocre day at first, it turned out to have been a very good day indeed.

In two week's time, I will be attending the annual re-union down at Clouds House in Wiltshire, and this year, I have suggested that they could run a raffle [at the registration desk], for one of the Conway Stewart 100's with silver filigree cap-band, and silver trim, with just a plain black body and cap. All the proceeds going to them.

I just hope that there will be a sufficient number of fountain pen lovers [or hopefully 'users'] there who will buy tickets on the day!

Truffle Finder.