One Red Fountain Pen

[krandallkraus]

"I'm guardedly optimistic. This is FPN, it's a hobby community, it's not an episode of The Price is Right. If all of us were concerned only about money, money, money, then we presumably wouldn't be buying so many pens in the first place."

Ouch!

[ravantra]

Some very generous individual could "ruin" your quest by giving you the pen in the first trade.

 

I am a little unclear whether I would enjoy the journey or getting the pen more???

[Parse Error]

I wish I could transform a Pelikan M200 into something along the lines of an MB skeleton.

[opitzs]

I wish I could transform a Pelikan M200 into something along the lines of an MB skeleton.

At least you are modest

[JonB55198]

But if you have something to trade that doesn't pop up for sale every day, then it's less of a dollar calculation and more a matter of simply finding somebody who wants it.

 

Tony,

That is a great idea. I'm going to try to use that strategy as much as possible. But, no reasonable trades will be refused along the way. But, if 3 people simultaneously offered trades, then I'd probably pick the best one out of the 3.

-Jonathan

[JonB55198]

Some very generous individual could "ruin" your quest by giving you the pen in the first trade.

 

I am a little unclear whether I would enjoy the journey or getting the pen more???

 

 

I think the journey is going to be worth more than the pen. In the end, I'm pretty sure I might be a little sad and start the whole thing over again with another pen and another goal in mind.

[MaxFrank]

Some very generous individual could "ruin" your quest by giving you the pen in the first trade.

 

I am a little unclear whether I would enjoy the journey or getting the pen more???

 

Hmm i wouldn't say no to that offer, and just start another trade cycle with a new pen

[JonB55198]

Some very generous individual could "ruin" your quest by giving you the pen in the first trade.

Hmm i wouldn't say no to that offer, and just start another trade cycle with a new pen

 

Good Point. If someone wanted to come forward with such a generous offer, it would be hard to say "no." I could always start again.

 

By the way, I'm hoping to get a Broad nib so that I can have Richard Binder make it into a Cursive Itallic nib. Does anyone know if this is best done with a B or BB nib to start with? Thanks.

 

-Jonathan

[RedSox04]

I bet you can get a TWSBI

[pajaro]

So, OP, you plan to repeatedly trade some pen for one of greater value? No even trades? No value added by you to get to the next level? Is the strategy here to induce the members into disadvantageous trades?

[JonB55198]

So, OP, you plan to repeatedly trade some pen for one of greater value? No even trades? No value added by you to get to the next level? Is the strategy here to induce the members into disadvantageous trades?

 

Paul,

 

Nope. I fully disclose that I'm trying to make trades that to me seem like up-trades. But, to someone who has used a pen a bunch and is sick of it... maybe they'd consider trading it for something they have not tried yet. Maybe to them, it is advantageous.

 

-Jonathan

[pajaro]

So, OP, you plan to repeatedly trade some pen for one of greater value? No even trades? No value added by you to get to the next level? Is the strategy here to induce the members into disadvantageous trades?

 

Paul,

 

Nope. I fully disclose that I'm trying to make trades that to me seem like up-trades. But, to someone who has used a pen a bunch and is sick of it... maybe they'd consider trading it for something they have not tried yet. Maybe to them, it is advantageous.

 

-Jonathan

 

Basically, others are going to make a gift to you? I don't think this concept is realistic. In the real world it is possible to make a series of upward-trades. I think that's called a con. Basically you seem to be saying you are planning to take advantage of the good nature, gullibility or the tiredness of someone else with their worldly goods to swap them something of lesser value than what they have. I take a dim view of this.

[Albertine]

Basically, others are going to make a gift to you? I don't think this concept is realistic. In the real world it is possible to make a series of upward-trades. I think that's called a con. Basically you seem to be saying you are planning to take advantage of the good nature, gullibility or the tiredness of someone else with their worldly goods to swap them something of lesser value than what they have. I take a dim view of this.

 

This seems awfully negative to me. Furthermore - wrong. Making a series of upward trades is not a con.

 

It's typical of barter societies that tradesmen are secretive, and guard their knowledge carefully - it's their greatest capital. I have a great aunt who bought a very large diamond ring from someone who thought the stone was paste...she made something like $50,000 and paid less than $100...because she's a diamond fanatic and travels with a loupe in her pocket, she had the expertise to know what she was looking at. That may not have been very nice of her - not CHARITABLE, because it would have been charity to give away her knowledge for free and turn down a huge profit in the process - but it wasn't a con. She was under no obligation to share her knowledge.

 

And then there's the fact that different people often value the same things differently. I'm guessing that back in the day when people traded salt for gold, both parties to the trade walked away feeling like they'd gotten the better end of the bargain. I think that was what made the original red paperclip adventure so interesting - the person who did it was swapping between different types of value. Someone else in this thread pointed out that it took the guy a whole bunch of trades to get from a paperclip to a snowglobe...which is a pretty remarkable escalation in value, when you think of it.

 

A bunch of people have already pointed out that the OP will have a harder time doing trade-ups when he's sticking to a single type of item, to pens. Plenty of people have wondered if he'd be able to get very far. That's fair. But accusing the OP of being a con artist, or suggesting that trying to make a good trade is a kind of cheating is poor form, if you ask me.

Edited March 15, 2011 by Albertine

[JonB55198]

Basically, others are going to make a gift to you? I don't think this concept is realistic. In the real world it is possible to make a series of upward-trades. I think that's called a con. Basically you seem to be saying you are planning to take advantage of the good nature, gullibility or the tiredness of someone else with their worldly goods to swap them something of lesser value than what they have. I take a dim view of this.

 

I refer you to http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/ to see how it worked out for this one gentleman. Perhaps after reading this you will not be so jaded. I hope this helps

[JonB55198]

Plenty of people have wondered if he'd be able to get very far. That's fair. But accusing the OP of being a con artist, or suggesting that trying to make a good trade is a kind of cheating is poor form, if you ask me.

 

Thanks for the defense Albertine.

[Chairman]

Think of it in economist's terms: a trade here is mutually-beneficial exchange that should leave both parties happier and increase the the overall social welfare. Transaction costs (i.e. shipping) are going to limit the possible trades. Might want to modify your plan and offer to pay the other party's shipping costs--you'll probably get a lot more trade offers.

[monochromejournal]

I traded hockey and baseball cards as a kid and trading up or down was purely subjective. Besides the point of those trades was the negotiation and the art of the deal (the road traveled and not just the destination).

 

There are two types of people in this world - half full and half empty.

 

Jon - I imagine you're the former and it would appear from some of the responses on this thread that there is no shortage of the latter amongst the FPN membership.

 

Rarely has the 'price' of a pen factored into the enjoyment and value I derived from using it. Then again I'm not a collector.

 

Good luck I look forward to 'trading down' if you have something that interests me.

Edited March 15, 2011 by monochromejournal

[tonybelding]

I honestly don't know if you can really start it off with a Wing Sung...Especially if it is used.. :embarrassed_smile:

 

The red Wing Sung 322 in question wasn't used, it was NOS never inked. I've had several Wing Sungs, but this one is a model I hadn't seen before. . . Red celluloid body, sort of Targa-like metal slip-on cap, Triumph style conical nib, aerometric squeeze filler. It's quite a chimera. I filled it with Waterman Florida Blue, and it quickly proved to be a nice writer with a surprisingly smooth nib and good flow. Unlike a lot of Wing Sungs, I didn't have to repair or adjust anything on this one, it was ready to go.

 

Plus, if Jon's plan works, then this pen will have a story to go with it.

 

I don't feel like I got ripped off.

[lapis]

What a silly question! Now please don't hold it against me but I couldn't help seeing it like this: It all depends on what you're going to trade!.

Very roughly, the value of an M1000 would equal the value of about 2-3 M800s, 3-4 M215s, 10-20 Hero 100s, and 40-50 Kulturs or NNs.

 

Mike

[OcalaFlGuy]

I honestly don't know if you can really start it off with a Wing Sung...Especially if it is used.. :embarrassed_smile:

 

The red Wing Sung 322 in question wasn't used, it was NOS never inked. I've had several Wing Sungs, but this one is a model I hadn't seen before. . . Red celluloid body, sort of Targa-like metal slip-on cap, Triumph style conical nib, aerometric squeeze filler. It's quite a chimera. I filled it with Waterman Florida Blue, and it quickly proved to be a nice writer with a surprisingly smooth nib and good flow. Unlike a lot of Wing Sungs, I didn't have to repair or adjust anything on this one, it was ready to go.

 

Plus, if Jon's plan works, then this pen will have a story to go with it.

 

I don't feel like I got ripped off.

 

I think that's up to US to decide!

 

:ltcapd:

 

but you do gotta tell us what you traded for it and a pic of your WS would be cool too!

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL -"it'll never fly" has historically been a pretty strong incentive to make it do so.

Edited March 15, 2011 by OcalaFlGuy