Featured 1940s Parker Vacuumatic Pen...

I finally opened another box of family 'stuff'. This was my Uncle's pen. I did a little research and a lot of them are for sale "restored." It seems to be in great condition and they're priced between $200-$400. Wow. I had no idea pens were so valuable.

 

good ones are !!!
nice find...
@Shangas

 

There are several of this model under "SOLD" on Ebay so you can get a good selling price estimate.

Pen buyers are very picky about certain things --condition of the nib, the condition of the ink dispenser (probably a better name for that)... other things that might be hard for a non-pen expert to check. Might be good to have a pen person take a look if selling.

Likely the nib section on this 14K. Look for a 14K stamp on the metal end.

 

The plunger seal likely dry and/or leaky. Try sucking water with it.

 

This pen is a Parker Vacumatic from the 1930s. Originally called the "Vacuum-Fil". It was supposed to be Parker's top-of-the-line pen after the Duofold of the 1920s.

The nib will almost certainly be 14kt gold. They were hardly ever made of anything else.

Price varies enormously on condition. There's literally dozens of things that pen-collectors pick and fiddle over.

Condition of the nib,
Nib-width,
Filling-mechanism,
Functionality,
Cosmetics,
Age,
Model,
Completeness,
Condition of box and/or papers (if present).
Condition of the plating.
How well / when the pen was restored (if ever).
Who made the pen, when, where, how, and why? (yes, each of those individual bits matter).

The list goes on and on and on and on.

A pen of this vintage will be the better part of 80-90 years old. Unlikely to still be working, if it hasn't been maintained properly, but they can be restored to working condition if you can find a decent technician (shop around -- there's a few of them here and there).

Test the pen with COLD water to see if it works. Stick it in, and then pump the piston up and down a couple of times. If it does work, you should see bubbles coming out and water being drawn in, although after all this time, the seals etc, have probably perished.

 

Wow. Great information! My mother had a cigar box full of old pens that have advertising on them. This is the first one I found that is just a pen and it's really nice. The nib is gold. The side says Geo. S. Parker, Parker Vacuumatic, Made in USA and has a 4. on the end which I think means 1944. I haven't been able to unscrew the tip to check the tip. It's stuck and I don't want to break it. I will try water as you suggested.

 

...why are you trying to unscrew the nib?

 

I watched a Youtube video of a man who restores pens and the end unscrews so you can clean it.

 

Do not try to remove it

 

There’s almost no limit to how valuable a pen (especially a fountain pen) can be. It’s very much like jewelry, in that it usually has a lot to do with the materials used and/or how upscale the maker was, but some pens are like collectible costume jewelry- they were relatively cheap when made, but few survived and the ones that did can be surprisingly expensive.

Do not try too hard to take a pen apart if you don’t know exactly how it comes apart. They can be easy to crack.

Nibs are usually marked with the metal used and sometimes the maker, but that isn’t always the case, and sometimes nibs have been replaced. That definitely affects the value, usually for the worse.

Many, of course, are worth very little, but I know several collectors who bought pens worth $500+ at thrift stores for under a dollar, because they didn’t write (the ink having dried up 30+ years ago) and nobody thought a pen could be real gold or silver.

 

well , not nobody !!

 

The nib looks original. I doubt my uncle changed it. It says Parker USA and has the arrow. It looks like gold

 

Because they also make very inexpensive pens, Pilot/Namiki pens are often overlooked. However, they can be absolutely gorgeous and extremely valuable:
https://www.gouletpens.com/products/namiki-emperor-maki-e-fountain-pen-goldfish

This is my absolute favorite fountain pen. Not particularly valuable (especially used) but extremely sturdy, easy to refill, a good traveler, and click action… so can be mistaken for a ballpoint if you don’t look closely. There are versions that retail close to $1,000, but this is the one I own:
https://pensavings.com/products/pilot-vanishing-blue-gold

There are also pens that are so over the top that people have trouble imagining they’re made with real precious metals and gems:
https://www.pianki.com/Gold-Pens_c_978.html

 

I am old enough to remember when we used fountain pens in school. They had plastic ink capsules so we didn't have to dip them in inkwells!

 

I have a Waterman from the 1910s which is 18kt gold all over. One of the gems of my collection.

 

I love my fountain pen but I began to write so little that the pen was needing to be cleaned/refilled every time I did pick it up.

 

Ooooooo!

 

I have the same problem these days ☹️