What Pen Are You Waiting For In The Mail 2016

[PabloAU]

Currently awaiting:

- Montegrappa Fortuna Copper Mule (medium)

- Karas Kustoms Fountain K olive green w/ brass section (broad)

- Bexley Owner's Club 2016 orange & black ebonite (14k medium)

[inkstainedruth]

@akustyk -- Yes. You wonder sometimes. I ended up reading a number of the Ebay members helping members threads last night. And a lot of them were sellers whining about how Ebay stacks the deck in favor of the buyers, especially in "he said/she said" types of disputes over condition, etc. But the flip side seemed to me (at least in that thread, which was fairly lengthy) that almost no one seemed to be taking the buyer's side. When I bid on something, I do it in good faith, and if I win I try to pay ASAP. Generally immediately: in the case of the Plum 51, I was at something when the auction ended, stayed for dinner, went to a party afterwards, and got home at 1:30 AM -- all assuming that I had been outbid (I almost didn't log on because I didn't want to depress myself by how badly). When I discovered that I had in fact won -- and hadn't contacted the seller for hours afterwards the auction ended, I felt *horrible*.

After mailing the package back to the seller yesterday, my husband and I went to lunch with a friend of hers, then watched a movie on TV at her house. I logged into Ebay so I could tell the seller the tracking info, and then did some random searches (massively running down the battery on my phone in the process). Some other listings had ended, including one from Saturday morning that I got outbid on (which was more annoying than anything else). But then I checked my watch list and discovered that pretty much as soon as the seller got the tracking info, the seller had *relisted* the pen -- described more or less as previously, with the exception that it was no longer listed in "very good condition". I was LIVID. I hadn't even gotten a response from him that he'd seen my message to him. So I said (more politely -- but only slightly) something to the tune of "WTH? I just mailed it back to you -- how can you sell it when you don't HAVE it?" And the guy was like "I trust you...." So I had to, once I got home, say "and if something happens (bad weather, package mis-delivered, etc) what are you going to do? How are you going explain to the *new* high bidder that their pen is coming from halfway across the country from where you live?"

So the guy sent me a message saying "Wow, you've had some bad experiences" and said he pulled the listing, but also told me to "chill out". Which I thought was *extremely* patronizing. Especially after saying he knew almost nothing about pens. And since I didn't know to arrange for a shipping label sent to me through the Resolution Center (I've only had to ever return one item from Ebay before -- a CD that appeared to be damaged in transit, and which looked as if the package was stepped on: by the "Lola" character from Kinky Boots -- and I got the shipping label directly from the seller to send the CD back and get a replacement) I suspect I'm out that $6.95 for Priority Mail. And my understanding -- from what I was reading -- is that sellers can wait up to a week and a half or two weeks to send out refunds before getting dinged by Ebay.

@ScienceChick -- thanks. It's very strange -- every time I think I've got an Emerald Pearl Vac in my sights, something happens (usually not this bad though). I had my eye on a small one with a lockdown filler at DCSS a couple of years ago, but even the seller was having a bit of trouble getting it to stay locked, and that spooked me a bit). And I was on a bit of a budget, so ended up getting a Parker 61 that year, and getting some other pens repaired, and I also picked up an Esterbrook 9555 nib. And then I saw a few that year at OPS that seemed to be in good shape and not horribly priced -- but then this little Brown Shadow Wave caught my eye.... I've done okay with the other colors of Vacs I wanted -- even have a Junior Red Shadow Wave now. But there's just some weirdness in the universe with me and Emerald Pearl ones (and, to some extent Green Shadow Waves, but I'm not as freaked out about them somehow -- generally because I just couldn't afford the few ones I've ever run across. Even more expensive than the Red Shadow Wave was, for the most part. I've even gotten the Silver Pearl Major on Ebay, and it's a great pen -- didn't need anything but flushing out, and I paid less than I remembered paying for it (and less than for the Emerald Pearl that just got returned, at that... ).

In this case, I actually looked at the pix again (and no, because I didn't go through the Resolution Center I didn't take pictures of the nib, either...) and they really made the nib look better than it was -- even the one I requested of the underside of the nib and feed.

I'm also not quite sure how to deal with feedback in this case. The seller packed the pen well, so it definitely wasn't damaged during shipment, IMO. And it was shipped pretty quickly. And he did put up the one extra photo (although I had also asked for better -- meaning, "less blurry" -- ones from other angles as well). And he did offer to refund the purchase price including shipping -- but I'm not sure if I can get back the money I paid to send it. But the nib did look a lot worse than in the photos, and the date code clearly put it at later than the "1930s" -- although I did tell him I knew it was a later model to start with. (Honestly, that's *why* I asked about any markings: I was pretty sure from the shape of the blind cap that it was going to be a 3rd Gen. Vac with a plastic plunger, and that was fine.) But the fact that he slapped the pen right back up without even waiting for it to get delivered; and the somewhat snotty response to that other buyer -- the one with the chipped decanter -- and to me? That really kinda set my back up. And that isn't a very wise thing to do....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Laefar]

Just got my new (although actually old) Sheaffer triumph 440. Need to get a new converter for it, because the original one rusted to it's guts, but god, this nib is a beauty!

[PensAreFun]

Currently waiting for:

• Sheaffer Lifetime Balance in black and pearl from the early 1930's.
• Visconti Homo Sapiens Dark Age.

[Runnin_Ute]

TWSBI Eco white with a 1.1 stub

[Papa_Oso]

I'm waiting on 3 pens!! Two Jinhaos (450 and 750) and a Gama Raja. I also have a pen stand that just was delivered today!!! Its a wooden stand with holes drilled into it that I found on Etsy. CANT WAIT!!!!!

[BrianV]

  On 2/22/2016 at 8:04 PM, Papa_Oso said:

I'm waiting on 3 pens!! Two Jinhaos (450 and 750) and a Gama Raja. I also have a pen stand that just was delivered today!!! Its a wooden stand with holes drilled into it that I found on Etsy. CANT WAIT!!!!!

 

I am also waiting on a Jinhao 450 and a 750, along with a Pilot Metropolitan.

 

Low budget beginner pens, but should hopefully outperform me for a while!

[majolo]

Decided to order an Ohto Rook for the super small pocket factor (3.7 inches!) with a couple colors of Diamine cartridges, Package shipped yesterday.

[inkstainedruth]

  On 2/23/2016 at 2:25 PM, BrianV said:

 

I am also waiting on a Jinhao 450 and a 750, along with a Pilot Metropolitan.

 

Low budget beginner pens, but should hopefully outperform me for a while!

 

Not familiar with the Jinhaos (I only have a metal body 599, the Safari knockoff), but I like my Metropolitan a whole lot. It performs a lot better than you'd expect for a $15 US pen (although I'm really glad I got the M nib -- the F nibbed one I tried seemed really scratchy).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Manalto]

Is "waiting on" a regionalism? In this part of the U.S., it's "waiting for" as in the headline of this thread. In this neck of the woods "waiting on" is what restaurant employees do for you when you dine. It's also a spousal complaint, sometimes followed by "hand and foot." Some might argue that temperamental, high-maintenance pens merit this interpretation of the term.

[BrianV]

  On 2/23/2016 at 5:28 PM, inkstainedruth said:

 

Not familiar with the Jinhaos (I only have a metal body 599, the Safari knockoff), but I like my Metropolitan a whole lot. It performs a lot better than you'd expect for a $15 US pen (although I'm really glad I got the M nib -- the F nibbed one I tried seemed really scratchy).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I actually ordered a 599 today for $1.34 US shipped off of Ebay. How do you find it?

[inkstainedruth]

  On 2/24/2016 at 1:51 AM, BrianV said:

I actually ordered a 599 today for $1.34 US shipped off of Ebay. How do you find it?

 

Better than I expected -- although I absolutely despise the color, which is apparently called "Champagne Gold". It's not my best pen, by any means, but for the money it's not bad. It had a converter in it, which helps (I got it last year in the FPN Valentine's Day swap). It doesn't get a lot of use unless I'm trying a bunch of ink samples: put stuff in a cheap pen like that or the Noodler's FPCs or the Parker Vectors to start with to see if I like the color and behavior of the ink. And it's not overly heavy, even though it's metal (I think).

The best part about it, though, was that I learned that I could (maybe) get used to the grip on a real Safari after all.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

Well it looks as if I'm shortly to be in the position of waiting on three Parker Vectors, each in a different color, thanks to a "2nd chance offer" on Ebay. I had been outbid Saturday morning, but apparently the initial high bidder thought that the auction was for all five pens in the photo -- not for one in "your choice of color". Which was perfectly clear to me (to the point where I contacted the seller to see how it would work if I wanted more than one color, which I did).

Not the cheapest price, especially when I will have to then get converters for all of them. But nice cheery springlike colors -- I chose pink, yellow and a sort of yellow-ish (olive?) green. (Well, I'm getting them if I can figure out how to do it -- the seller said to click the "accept offer" button which didn't seem to be there.... ; have I mentioned recently that I hate technology?)

In other news, I heard from someone from the post office where the seller of the Vac (the one I'm returning) is. She said there are probably two barcodes -- old and new -- on the package and the old one probably wasn't crossed out. She's going to contact the regional sort facility *here* and try to get things straightened out, so that the seller gets the pen back, and I can get my refund....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Zookie]

A pair of Wearever Pennants, red with medium nibs.

[da vinci]

  On 2/20/2016 at 3:17 PM, uemuraw said:

Linda and Mike Kennedy from Indy-Pen-Dance just shipped my "DailyItalics" Two Mont Blancs and my daughter's Parker Sonnet. Woo-hoo!

We need pictures of those nibs!

[dylim1]

Goulet exclusive Delta Unica Matte Black.

[Maccabee64]

Delta Dolcevita Oversize w/ Silver trim

 

Shawn Newton Custom (He said it would be started by the end of February so that should be any day now! )

[Zookie]

I just purchased a new, unused Rotring Skynn fp with a broad nib and am waiting for that. I went back and forth about it, having read mixed reviews, but for 6 bucks just couldn't resist

Edited February 26, 2016 by Zookie

[dasXFnib]

Snagged a Sheaffer Snorkel Sentinel (Black/Silver w/F conical nib)...

The "snorkel" itself MAY need a cleaning, as the seller informs me it won't fill completely.....

Hey, I love a challenge.....especially with vintage pens!!

 

Always try to get the dibs....on fountain pens with EF nibs!!

[Cryptos]

Still waiting for a Matador Express to arrive. Have until 4th March before needing to get worried, though that is the absolute latest. The pen is supposed to have a springy italic nib too. Normally don't have to wait more than a couple of weeks. It's been 3 so far, gnash, gnash!