Is It Just Me Or Did Parker 51 Prices Go Up Like Crazy Recently?

[Venemo]

Hey guys,

 

During my vacation in Greece, my bag was stolen and with it my trusty Parker 51. So I started to search for a replacement on ebay and a few other sites, and I just realized that they are now selling for like 2-3x the price I got mine back in 2018.

 

It was a British burgundy 51 with a rolled silver cap, and I got it for about 60 bucks or so in 2018. But now, I can't find the same model anywhere below 180~200. Hell, I can't even find a decent one with a lustraloy cap below 100~120.

 

What gives?

Edited August 4, 2020 by Venemo

[sanesan]

I don't think so. Rolled silver caps in good shape have always been in demand so I think you just got yours at a good price. Regular aerometric 51's can still be found for around 50-75.

[Venemo]

I don't think so. Rolled silver caps in good shape have always been in demand so I think you just got yours at a good price. Regular aerometric 51's can still be found for around 50-75.

Can you give me an example of where to find them for that price?

[Kenlowe]

I have seen just the opposite, really low prices on many pens including the 51. I saw a NOS 51 go for $40, still in its box. This was on ebay, people have really slowed down in both buying and selling, especially buying.

 

Now might be a good time to buy if you are confident about the future.

[sanesan]

There are plenty on the US ebay site if you browse through the sold listings, although sellers may not be too keen on shipping internationally at the moment. I personally picked up a black 51 special for 25 dollars a few weeks ago, and it's a really nice writer.

[Venemo]

I mostly looked at European offers on ebay, maybe it's just different in Europe then?

[MBDostoevsky]

You have to add shipping costs to your decision making / bidding process. It does matter depending on your destination and the buyer's location.

 

Sometimes you buy a pen at a bargain price only to pay an exorbitant amount as shipping fees / taxes.

 

I would recommend to look at the seller reputation... some cheaper versions may require restoration or come with minor/major blemishes depending on what you are looking for.

 

I am not a restorer therefore I try to buy pens that are either restored or are claimed to be in working condition.

 

Sometimes you do find good deals in case you are willing to spend lot of time on eBay.

Edited August 5, 2020 by MBDostoevsky

[pajaro]

I mostly looked at European offers on ebay, maybe it's just different in Europe then?

 

The 51 is an American pen, and most of them are probably in the USA, making them more available here and that has some effect on price.

[Matlock]

 

The 51 is an American pen, and most of them are probably in the USA, making them more available here and that has some effect on price.

Not just an American pen, it was made in England as well.

[Estycollector]

Vintage Esterbrooks are noticeably higher on eBay since last Fall.

[Venemo]

There are indeed a bunch of sellers in the UK, but they are slightly more expensive than those in the US. Maybe the market in Europe is just smaller, like pajaro suggested. Especially the rolled silver cap models cost an arm and a leg.

 

I spent some time looking around and indeed some okay-ish pens can be found for 60~70 bucks on ebay, but all reputable sellers charge at least 100, typically 120~150. I wonder, what's the reason for the difference? Is it because the reputable sellers' name commands a higher price, or is this just their cost of cleaning, testing and restoring these pens?

[Estycollector]

Here is a seller that I have used for repairs. They also sell pens. http://parker51.com/index.php/for-sale/51s-for-sale/

[Venemo]

Here is a seller that I have used for repairs. They also sell pens. http://parker51.com/index.php/for-sale/51s-for-sale/

I was actually looking at that site as well, and most of the 51s on sale there also go above 100 bucks too.

[pajaro]

Not just an American pen, it was made in England as well.

51s were made in Argentina too. So, where do you think 51s are most numerous today?

[shalitha33]

Please treat this just as my opinion. My apologies if i annoy / offend any one sorry.

 

If you are after a good deal my recommendation is to avoid ebay and most of the online shops. Either go to local antique fairs or regional auction sites specific to your country. You are likely to get much better deal. Current situation around the world isn't going to be good for antique fairs so next best thing would be local auction sites.

 

I am not going to link to any running auctions in order to comply with policies. This is the last closed auction i can see in an auction local to my area. Who ever won it got 5 pens for around $83 US, (Site is showing on NZD).

 

Most deals are not that great but you can consistently get 51s for around 50$-85$ mark. Upper being r.silvers or 12ks.

 

However there is an obvious drawback. you are basically buying as it is. If you go with a reputable dealer you will pay a little extra, but you will end up with a product that's in good order. And some one to back it up if something goes wrong. This is a better option in the long run, shipping a pen to repair added in to the cheap deal may not be cheaper at all.

 

If you can repair the pen your self or know some one that can, then cheap option is good. If you are in a middle of nowhere (like me ) and have to ship pens to either the US or Europe to get repaired, then the answer is obvious.

 

 

Reuploaded the image removing user ids .

Edited August 17, 2020 by shalitha33

[Venemo]

Please treat this just as my opinion. My apologies if i annoy / offend any one sorry.

 

If you are after a good deal my recommendation is to avoid ebay and most of the online shops. Either go to local antique fairs or regional auction sites specific to your country. You are likely to get much better deal. Current situation around the world isn't going to be good for antique fairs so next best thing would be local auction sites.

Your opinion isn't offensive at all. In fact, it's consistent with my experience so far.

 

Most of the stuff that we can see on various auction sites do need repairs. So, if you factor in your time spent repairing and tuning these pens, you might end up in the same range as you would have if you bought from a reputable seller in the first place. I think this is what I didn't realize when I started this thread initially.

[Estycollector]

Your opinion isn't offensive at all. In fact, it's consistent with my experience so far.

 

Most of the stuff that we can see on various auction sites do need repairs. So, if you factor in your time spent repairing and tuning these pens, you might end up in the same range as you would have if you bought from a reputable seller in the first place. I think this is what I didn't realize when I started this thread initially.

So. those for sale on the Parker 51 site, at least you can be confident they will properly perform. BTW, he recommends refilling on a regular day each week.

[FarmBoy]

I've not seen any recent spike in 51 prices. I wish there were one, I have a few to many...

Most of the pens found on the parker51.com site are not your average everyday pens thus they command higher than average prices.

[Estycollector]

There are several in the $110-150 range.