Esterbrook Brand Being Revived This December?

[lestylo]

...how low will the "deluxe" models have to be discounted to actually sell?

 

My guess is less than $20 on ebay eventually.

See:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-CHILTON-1923-COLLECTION-NAVY-BLUE-LACQUER-FOUNTAIN-PEN-M-NIB-/271719707465?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f43c1b349

[SockAddict]

Y'know, the $75 pens aren't actually *that* bad, except for the whole "not actually an Esterbrook" thing. Two of the three colors are decent. The deluxe models are gawd-awful.

 

Anybody know what a real Estie J would have cost in today's money?

[Doug C]

Shame on Fahrneys for selling these....

[benbot517]

Well, a dollar pen sold for $1.00 to $1.50 (Richardpens). I used an inflation calculator, and that comes to $9.87-$14.81. Assuming that the cost didn't change from dollar to J, that's about what they sold for in today's money. Rough estimate.

Edited January 28, 2015 by benbot517

[pen2paper]

<--clears throat to interject a side thought..

 

if one seeks a reliable (edited to include the word New*) pen, with easily interchangeable variety of screw-in/out nibs, variety of filling mechanisms, a long term warranty, with a solid reputation, there are exceptional production models with these features easily found in Ohio, USA, and for a very reasonable price.

 

I honestly don't know about the Truewriter. I recall it being somewhat problematic several years ago, but many swear by them, so their quality control may be consistent now.

*used and NOS (vintage - New Old Stock) Esterbrook in excellent to repairable condition are still out there.

 

Parting chuckle.. significant scenes in Planet of The Apes, Sleeper, ought to have included what We Know would be the most logical post apocalyptic find > pocket protector with a pristine Estie J.*

* might? need a new sac ; )

Edited January 28, 2015 by pen2paper

[Freddy]

Continues to be a fascinating read...

 

Thanks...

 

Fred

There's no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary

~ Brendan Behan ~

 

off to have a Taylor Bird Sazerac...

[spaceink]

Those Bexley pens look really nice but of my price range for a casual everyday fun pen.

 

I think the Levenger True Writers get most of the Esterbrook comparison because you can get one for under $100. Would like to try one out at some point.

Edited January 27, 2015 by spaceink

[FarmBoy]

If you want an Esterbrook J series they are still available on the auction site. For $100 you could likely get 4 or 5 of them and they still have interchangeable nibs.

[JonSzanto]

If you want an Esterbrook J series they are still available on the auction site. For $100 you could likely get 4 or 5 of them and they still have interchangeable nibs.

 

Word.

[Jerome Tarshis]

If you want an Esterbrook J series they are still available on the auction site. For $100 you could likely get 4 or 5 of them and they still have interchangeable nibs.

As FarmBoy himself has pointed out above, possibly more than once, these pens are not being marketed to people who are thinking about buying the original pen on the auction site. Looking at what might be called the economics of the thing, it is unlikely that this new company could fabricate and sell an object that duplicates the original Estie at the prices of today. The auction site will always be underselling them.

 

The same consideration informs all these posts we read on other brand fora, wishing that Parker would bring out the 51 again or whining that Montblanc has forgotten how to make its 1950s nibs. You'll be able to buy the actual 51 (of which I've bought a few) or actual 1950s MBs (of which I've bought two so far) on the auction site for less money. The manufacturers know that.

 

There is, however, a market consisting of people who are prepared to pay more money for less pen, as I evaluate such things, and quite a few new pens are meeting that need. It isn't sinful to find something creepy about buying used or possibly used pens. I've had at least one bookish friend who couldn't bear to touch library books because they might be contaminated with God knows what, or there might be pages missing, or Something might be Imperfect. It isn't how I think about pens, but there are people who get excited about newly manufactured pens in a way I don't.

[stez]

Calling these monstrosities an Esterbrook is like calling a Yugo a Ferrari.

They are ugly. They lack charm, grace, innovation and style.

Please don't do this to the Esterbrook name.

stez .

[Brian Anderson]

Well, a dollar pen sold for $1.00 to $1.50 (Richardpens). I used an inflation calculator, and that comes to $9.87-$14.81. Assuming that the cost didn't change from dollar to J, that's about what they sold for in today's money. Rough estimate.

 

J models escalated to about $3.50 during their reign, which still puts it about $34-35 in today's dollars.

 

The story gets even more interesting, images owned by my friend Len Provisor and displayed on my site were "borrowed" and posted on facebook. When I politely asked for credit to be given or the image to be removed, they were removed and a phone call was received this morning indicating it was disrespectful for me to have asked.

[benbot517]

 

J models escalated to about $3.50 during their reign, which still puts it about $34-35 in today's dollars.

 

The story gets even more interesting, images owned by my friend Len Provisor and displayed on my site were "borrowed" and posted on facebook. When I politely asked for credit to be given or the image to be removed, they were removed and a phone call was received this morning indicating it was disrespectful for me to have asked.

 

Even at that price it was still one heck of a deal. I've seen the J compared to the Lamy Safari, and i have to say it's a pretty good comparison.

[Margana]

 

J models escalated to about $3.50 during their reign, which still puts it about $34-35 in today's dollars.

 

The story gets even more interesting, images owned by my friend Len Provisor and displayed on my site were "borrowed" and posted on facebook. When I politely asked for credit to be given or the image to be removed, they were removed and a phone call was received this morning indicating it was disrespectful for me to have asked.

How cheeky! Fountain pen successes are to be encouraged and applauded and I've even mentioned the reboot on my blog. However, my vintage Esterbrooks would disown me if I was ever so "disrespectful" again. Glad that's settled.

[spaceink]

 

The story gets even more interesting, images owned by my friend Len Provisor and displayed on my site were "borrowed" and posted on facebook. When I politely asked for credit to be given or the image to be removed, they were removed and a phone call was received this morning indicating it was disrespectful for me to have asked.

 

Wow, these guys are showing themselves to have very minimal marketing or PR smarts, especially when it comes to online matters. Way to be "respectful" to a community of people who would've,could've been their customers..

[sd10521]

 

J models escalated to about $3.50 during their reign, which still puts it about $34-35 in today's dollars.

 

The story gets even more interesting, images owned by my friend Len Provisor and displayed on my site were "borrowed" and posted on facebook. When I politely asked for credit to be given or the image to be removed, they were removed and a phone call was received this morning indicating it was disrespectful for me to have asked.

I guess it was not being disrespectful to use your images without permission.

Shows us what kind of operation is going on there...

[inkstainedruth]

 

Wow, these guys are showing themselves to have very minimal marketing or PR smarts, especially when it comes to online matters. Way to be "respectful" to a community of people who would've,could've been their customers..

Especially to Brian Anderson -- someone that *I* would consider my go-to expert person for all things Esterbrook.

Man, those people just keep shooting themselves in the foot more and more, don't they?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[OcalaFlGuy]

 

The story gets even more interesting, images owned by my friend Len Provisor and displayed on my site were "borrowed" and posted on facebook. When I politely asked for credit to be given or the image to be removed, they were removed and a phone call was received this morning indicating it was disrespectful for me to have asked.

 

It's nice to read that my initial assessment of these clowns was (IMO) spot on.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Margana]

Just saw Tippi Hedren decked out in a mink, gloves and pearls address an envelope with a green Esterbrook in Hitchcock's "The Birds". The new models could never look that cool.

[FarmBoy]

 

Wow, these guys are showing themselves to have very minimal marketing or PR smarts, especially when it comes to online matters. Way to be "respectful" to a community of people who would've,could've been their customers..

If it matters, 'those guys' are not marketing their pens to the FPN crowd nor are they marketing them to the vintage Esterbrook crowd.

 

It might surprise some but the membership of FPN is not a market maker in the fountain pen world.