Extensive Fountain Pen Collection

[Mcbird]

Hello my name is Barb McAllister and I am very new to this. My husband recently passed away leaving an extensive fountain pen collection. I am trying to identify some of the pens with the idea of selling them to someone who has the same passion as my late husband. If anyone can help with this endeavour, I would really appreciate it. Where do I start? Should I take pics of the pens and post them here?

[Parker51]

It doesn't work that way typically. If you want to learn about the pens, you will likely be helped. If you want someone to appraise them, someone in your area may be able to assist, in person and for a price. Pens vary tremendously and to appraise remotely would require a major investment in photographs from you, and time to examine the photos by us. To use the information to identify and grade them and then take more time to compair them to historical sales in order to give a competent indication of value at a distance is not an insignificant thing to do. It is work. Very few people work for free.

[penmanila]

very sorry to hear about your husband's passing, first of all. i'll do my best to offer some practical advice.

 

some dealers like robert speerbrecher ("speerbob") and david isaacson (google their names for contact details) buy whole collections. while you might end up getting less for the collection as a whole, it saves you a lot of time, effort, and heartache; you'll need to rely on the dealer's reputation for fairness. ask them upfront what their assessment fees, if any, will be. if the collection is spectacular, they might even fly or drive out to close the deal with you personally. i'm pretty sure any potential buyer will want pictures for a quick and very tentative idea of what the collection is worth, so best to take good pictures of the pens to show and send by email.

 

again, individual sales of the most desirable pens will likely net you more, but even this could be very tricky if you're unfamiliar with pens. a buyer looking for specific pens might cherry-pick and leave you with the less marketable ones. that's why i'd probably go the bulk-sale route if i were you.

[PAKMAN]

Hello and Welcome to FPN!! Glad to have you as a member!!

[Chrissy]

Hello and welcome to FPN.

[mana]

My condolences. While I echo what Parker51 and Penmanila wrote but your post piqued my interest enough to say that taking some overview pics which show the individual pens (if clear enough) might not be that much of a trouble and investment in time and could lead to you getting a ballpark estimate on the worth of your late husbands pens. Yes, it would not be a professional dealers appraisal (which can be more accurate) but it would at least be a start.

[Henricum_Tropen]

Hello Barb, very sorry to hear of your husband's passing. Welcome to FPN, from Cape Town South Africa. I hope you enjoy your time here.

 

Apart from advice already given here, consider joining the Fountain Pen Network Facebook Group; lots of knowledgeable people there as well.

 

I would like to suggest that you keep a few of your husband's most loved/favorite pens, as family heirlooms, and sell the rest.

 

Perhaps another idea: I have no family left and have bequeathed 10 very valuable fountain pens from my collection to the Afrikaans Language Department at the University of Stellenbosch, here in Cape Town. The idea is that they issue one pen per year for the top student in creative writing.

[jar]

Welcome home. Pull up a stump and set a spell. Very sorry about your husband. You are fortunate that you have one of the better Enablers in FountainPenLand right at your doorstep and he does do consignment sales. Contact Bryant Chatterley Greer at Chatterley Luxuries and Pens. Bryant is one of the good guys and can help you.

 

I have also worked with Bob Speer and Dr Isaacson and both are worth contacting.

Edited December 14, 2017 by jar

[ThomasB]

Hello and welcome from Baton Rouge, Louisiana...Enjoy your time here

[Wahl]

[mitto]

Condolences and welcome to FPN. You have been given some very good advices. Hope you keep a few of your late husband's pens to enjoy writing with.

[OCArt]

Mrs. McAllister, I see that you are in British Columbia and I believe there is a fountain pen club in Vancouver. Perhaps one of their members might be able to take a look at your collection. Here is their website http://www.vancouverpenclub.com/ Best of luck to you.

[OCArt]

I also see that there is a pen store in Vancouver, maybe they can take a look at the collection. Vancouver Pen

512 West Hastings St
Vancouver, B.C.
Tel: 604-681-1612

Edited December 14, 2017 by OCArt

[Mcbird]

Thank you all so much for your kind words and advice, I really do appreciate it. I am totally out of my depth here. I am most certainly going to hang on to a number of his pens and of course our children will each get one. The idea of a dealer buying collection minus of course the ones intend to keep, possibly sounds like the way to go.

[Bluey]

It may be a good idea for you to post a pic of them all together, then people here can identify and give a rough estimate of what each is worth. Then when you contact someone face to face about their value, you can be rest assured that you're getting an accurate price for them. If there is a mismatch, it will at least help to prevent you from getting stung.

[Sasha Royale]

Hi !