Thats not a penny. Its a ...

[Tallone]

That's not a penny. It's a ...

Well, I'll get to that in a minute. The wife an I hit an estate auction yesterday. Small crowd. Good prices. I picked up the following:


- A 1930s vintage (I think) Boy Scout hat. Paid $20 for it. eBay prices are all over the place. Hard to tell if I will make any money on it or not.

- A crumb sweeper set from the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. This was in a pile of silver plate junk that nobody wanted. I bid $5 on it. I think I might get $20 for it - maybe.

- A nice old writing set. Paid $30 for it. The box looks hand-made of what looks to me like walnut veneer with mother-of-pearl inlay but I bought it mainly for the 6 fountain pens that were hidden in the long compartment with a lid. I don't think many people looked under the lid. There are two Schaeffer pens, two Parker, one Arnold, and one Esterbrook. No gold nibs unfortunately and it is hard to tell what the pens might bring but I'm guessing no more than about $20 each. There was also a nice pair of Italian made scissors in the box. There was also a bunch of miscellaneous little junk like paper clips, stamps, and a few coins. It turns out one of the coins, which I thought was a penny because of the size, was this:



It is a little hard to read the writing but this is a trade token issued by the Brooks-Scanlon Corporation. Brooks-Scanlon Corporation was in the lumber business. I wish this token was in better condition as you can't even make out the word "Brooks" except for the "ks". I couldn't find another token from this company on eBay so there is no telling what it is worth. I'm hoping this token will sell for a very nice price.

 

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[diggummup]

Very nice. I like the fact that the desk still has the key and inkwell in it. It's a lap desk correct?

 

[jochart]

the antique lap desk is awesome, I've been looking for one to display my old dip pens

 

[EccentricInTexas]

Awesome finds!!! Make sure you find all the hidden compartments in that writing desk.

 

[Mackaydon]

Here you go: 5 CENTS TRADE TOKEN BROOKS-SCANLON CORPORATION DAYTON,OH (05/11/2013)
Don.....

 

[Tallone]

Yes, it is a lap desk. There is a large compartment accessed by pulling up on a cloth tab located just above the pens you see in the photo. This would be the place to store paper and envelopes. I found the scissors in there. When I first looked at the desk, I was disappointed not to see the key. I found it among the small junk but disappointed again when I discovered the key will slide the bolt out but will not retract it. So, I could lock the desk but not be able to open it again!



Thanks, Mackaydon. I saw that Worthpoint listing when I was researching the token. Unfortunately, without a subscription, Worthpoint doesn't give you the sale price. I wish my token was in such good shape. I'm concerned the poor condition will significantly limit its value.

 

[bdsawyer]

The token on worthpoint sold for$13. Really like the desk and the pens. Pays to always look inside boxes at a sale or auction.

 

[Tallone]

Thanks, bd. If a token that nice sold for only $13, I imagine mine isn't worth much of anything given its terrible condition.

 

[Tallone]

A member of TNet asked for more detailed pics of the pens.

This is the Arnold pen.


This is the Esterbrook pen. There is a purple stain on it which, I presume, will hurt the value somewhat. BTW, what is the little lever on the shaft called? There is probably a specific name for that but I don't know what it is.


There are two Parker pens.




And there are two Sheaffer pens.




On the last Sheaffer pen, the piece holding the nib is loose and falls off.

 

[Mackaydon]

I believe that part is called the 'lever', or 'lever pin'
Don....

 

[Butter Hat]

It's the lever. Those are known as lever-fillers.

Arnold is a third-tier maker, but they can be popular. Your estimate of about $20/per is close, apart from the button-filling Parker. The Parker 21 is a nice color which may add a bit of value.

The Esterbrook's nib damage and the stain would put it at the lower end for value, though.

 

[The Gilded Lens]

The writing set/desk is AMAZING!!!! I would use that. Great finds!

 

[diggummup]

That Parker Vacuumatic Emerald Pearl Junior is the best one of the lot. The Parker 21 is no slouch either.

 

[Tallone]

A member asked about the nib size on the Parker 21. Here is a picture of it:



Would that be considered a fine point?

Is there a resource out there somewhere that provides details like "Vacuumatic Emerald Pearl Junior"?

 

[Butter Hat]

A member asked about the nib size on the Parker 21. Here is a picture of it:

View attachment 1233446

Would that be considered a fine point?

Is there a resource out there somewhere that provides details like "Vacuumatic Emerald Pearl Junior"?

It might be. Might also be a Medium. Probably not extra-fine.

Richard's Pens is a good place to gather info on makes and models. There's also a Parker site and I'll see if I can find a link later.

 

[Mackaydon]

This might help:

 

[batcap]

That Parker Vacuumatic Emerald Pearl Junior is the best one of the lot. The Parker 21 is no slouch either.

Indeed diggummup knows and beat me to it. I would have paid $30 for just the pens. Take a 2nd look at that Parker Vaccumatic. I can't see everything, but that looks like a gold nib to me.
God forbid anyone from scrapping vintage nibs.

 

[billjustbill]

Indeed diggummup knows and beat me to it. I would have paid $30 for just the pens. Take a 2nd look at that Parker Vaccumatic. I can't see everything, but that looks like a gold nib to me.
God forbid anyone from scrapping vintage nibs.

Batcap,

You have my curiosity up. What would a 14kt nib sell for as a writing point verses gold scrap?

Thanks,
Bill

 

[Butter Hat]

Batcap,

You have my curiosity up. What would a 14kt nib sell for as a writing point verses gold scrap?

Thanks,
Bill

I don't know what gold scrap goes for. But fountain pen users always place a premium on gold nibs. The 'extra' varies by make, model and scarce-ity...I noted recent sales of even broken gold nibs, and a sale where a single gold 51 nib went for more than the price of four steel nibs from the same model.

 

[batcap]

Nibs weigh next to nothing. One gram max, more likely 1/4 to 3/4 gram. So at 14k that's $5-$20 before the scrap dealer gets his percentage. An intact fountain pen could auction for $2 - $500, depends on the pen. The only nibs you are likely to find at auction are broken, and fountain pens without nibs don't sell or sell for a fraction of what they would intact. A pen with other parts broken, missing or needing service can still sell for way more than scrap. It takes a little work to investigate, but it could pay off very well.