What is my Fountain Pen worth?

This is the first question that arises among various people who intend to sell their Fountain Pen. You can find your best answer by visiting eBay, Penbid or some other similar venue, where you can gain maximum knowledge about the prices that comparable pens have sold for in past auctions. You can also take the help of authoritative guides that are hard to find in market but they helps you the best as anything out there. You can expose your pen in certain exhibition, online auction sites, antique roadshow program on TV and other similar venue.

Therefore, the short answer of what's your pen worth? is something between the least you'll accept for it and the most someone is willing to pay for it. Hence, if you want the long answer, the price depends upon these terms mentioned below:

Venue
Rarity or interest
Condition

Venue

Old fountain pens, such as a piece of fine china or an antique watch, etc. gain its own value because someone, especially collectors might be interested in owning it. Interest is the core factor in defining the fountain pen's value. A reliable and accepted price guideline is always established in fountain pens deal because of its enough brokers and enough customers. Therefore, price tends to become highly situational. Pens are often sold less than it worth. It may worth a bit more if is sell on auction (online sites or storefront).

Nowadays, the internet is playing vital role in equalizing world prices for pen. For e.g. at present, vintage Montblanc 20 can be easily available in online from European dealers for very lower prices but several year ago, it was sold for quite handsome amount in US. And the same is true in the reverse direction.

Rarity or interest

The price primarily depends upon its supply. If there's shortage of particular pen and is able to gain attention and interest of many people, its value highly increases. Therefore, collectors who are really interested get ready to pay very high price for the particular pen. The excellent example of the effect of rarity on value is 1930s Waterman Patrician, the company's flagship pen. The pen was quite pretty and nicely detailed but it was not the fantastic Doric. Hence, its price suddenly touches the sky when its shortage arises because of waterman's slipping market share.

Likewise, pastel Esterbrook J-models lacks in market. So, EST. collectors are still trying their best in collecting this piece. Though its model is like swirly green J next but it really cost more. Similarly, Parker Vacumatics, which were similar to traditional laminated style and made from unusual plastic and slight cheap in price, are now often sell for higher price because of its quite a bit scarcity.

Condition

The price that an average collector is willing to pay depends upon the condition of the fountain pen. The condition often is related to its ready-to-write condition. Refurbishment of most pen is possible as long as their parts are available. While from the fear of being discolored due to interaction of new sac with the plastic, many collectors won't re-sac their pen with good light-colored celluloid.

The condition also refers to cracks, scratches, worn, brasses, non-factory engravings, damaged point, loose-fitting trim parts and non-original parts. These conditions surely lower the value of a pen. For many interested collectors, the differences between a "good" pen and a "mint" pen can often be pretty understated.

It is recommended to visit eBay or elsewhere, if you've an old pen to sell and don't have much knowledge about it.