Pens

About Vintage Pens

Vintage pens, in particular fountain pens, are highly collectible and come in a wide variety of colors and styles, from elaborate jewel-encrusted casings to sleek and simple cigar-shaped designs. There are three main types of vintage pens: 1) dip pens have a nib to dip into an inkwell; 2) fountain pens have a self-contained ink reservoir; and 3) ballpoint pens have a little ball that allows ink to flow out when the pen is put to paper.

The 1920s were a time of innovation and prosperity for pen manufacturers, who started developing plastic pens in a variety of colors and styles. The Sheaffer Balance, released in 1929, started a trend toward streamlined pens. The 1930s saw the introduction of more affordable models, sold in dime stores. The 1940s ushered in ballpoint pens, and a more modern look typified by the famous 'Parker 51', the classic collector pen released by Parker in 1950...

Up until the 1960s, the emphasis in the pen industry was on the development of better-performing and easier-filling pens through innovations in nib and reservoir technology. In the mid-1880s, craftsmen had created the first reliable fountain pen, but it had a long way to go.

By the 1960s, ball point and cartridge technology had made performance a non-issue, and manufacturers like Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman and Montblanc began to focus on fancier material and designs, with a variety of colors, lacquers, and engravings to differentiate their high-end products. Pens became a gift item and fashion statement, and were ultimately produced as limited editions for the collector market.

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview With Vintage Fountain Pen Collector Jim Mamoulides

When I got my first job out of college, I did what a lot of people do: I ran out and bought myself a Montblan… [more]

Guest Column: Collecting The Parker 51, A Classic Vintage Pen

The Parker "51," produced by the Parker Pen Company, is considered by many collectors to be the best pen ever… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Parker51.com

Parker51.com

Ernesto Soler's extensive homage to one of the most popular pens ever produced, the Parker "51," introduced in 1941… [read review or visit site]

Penhero.com

Penhero.com

Jim Mamoulides' vintage and modern pen-cyclopedia. Start at the main gallery, featuring detailed articles (with pho… [read review or visit site]

1001 Ink Bottles

1001 Ink Bottles

This site has lots of great photos and descriptions of rare vintage ink bottles. In particular, check out the Water… [read review or visit site]


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Mont Blanc Agatha Christie 3 Piece Set$2,025 Ends Monday 5 bids 20 watchers
Mont Blanc Limited Edition 3353 Of 4810$1,680 Ends Saturday 42 bids 21 watchers
Sir Henry Tate Limited Edition 535 Of 888 $1,225 Ends Saturday 16 bids 10 watchers
Montblanc Agatha Christie Fp, Mint, Writers Series,1993$908.88 Ends Sunday 8 bids 48 watchers
Montblanc Czar Nikolai Vermeil Ballpoint, No Reserve !!$870.00 Ends Sunday 5 bids 8 watchers
Conklin Fountain Pen$775.00 Ends Sunday 14 bids 27 watchers
Montblanc Czar Nikolai Vermeil Ballpoint$750.00 Ends Friday 1 bid 3 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstuck Agatha Christie Bp$711.00 Ends in 3 hours 19 bids 17 watchers
Montblanc Jules Verne Fp, Sealed, Writers Series, 2003$705.00 Ends Sunday 7 bids 27 watchers
Montblanc Ramses Ii Ballpoint Pen$680.00 Ends Thursday 26 bids 23 watchers
Montblanc Marcel Proust Pen 1999 Nib Mint $1nr No Joke!$660.00 Ends in 2 hours 30 bids 36 watchers
Montblanc Limited Edition Franz Kafka Fountain Pen$650.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 11 watchers
Rare Oversized Waterman Overlay 456 Near Perfect But...$610.00 Ends in 3 hours 11 bids 16 watchers
Vintage Extr Rare Fantastic Omas Penna Del Dottore Box$600.00 Ends Sunday 9 bids 32 watchers
Fabulous Montblanc Meisterstuck 146 Solitaire Vermeil$600.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 24 watchers
Montblanc Ernest Hemingway Bp Limited Edition$591.00 Ends in 4 hours 17 bids 32 watchers
Montblanc Writers Edition Friedrich Schiller Set$548.49 Ends Thursday 16 bids 20 watchers
Montblanc Hemingway Bp, Writers Series, 1992$521.00 Ends Sunday 9 bids 45 watchers
Montblanc F. Scott Fitzgerald Fp, Sealed Writers Series$511.06 Ends Sunday 11 bids 30 watchers
Montblanc 75th Anniversary Ball Point 2-tone Rose Gold $500.00 Ends Monday 7 bids 13 watchers
Vintage Solid Silver Montblanc Meisterst??ck # 146 $490.00 Ends Monday 14 bids 49 watchers
Montblanc Jules Verne Bp, Writers Series, 2003$482.77 Ends Sunday 9 bids 24 watchers
Vintage Coral Red Montblanc Pusch-button Filler # 6 $480.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 32 watchers
Rare Montblanc #246-green Marbled-pf-gold Nib F-1948/50$465.00 Ends Saturday 12 bids 30 watchers
St Dupont Palladium 007 James Bond Ballpoint Pen 482006$449.00 Ends Sunday 18 bids 19 watchers
Montblanc Jules Verne Ltd Edition Ballpoint Pen + Box $423.84 Ends Sunday 13 bids 39 watchers
Rare Nettuno (stipula) Fp & Rb Set, Numbers Matched New$419.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 11 watchers
Vintage Rare Fantastic Tibaldi Modello 60 Blue & Ivory$405.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 16 watchers
Montblanc Pen Boheme Solitaire Gold Plated Citrine $405.00 Ends Sunday 14 bids 16 watchers
Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Solitaire Silver Pen$405.00 Ends Monday 10 bids 11 watchers
New! Mont Blanc Marlene Dietrich Special, B/p 101401$399.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 2 watchers
*new* Montegrappa Rollerball "marostica" Limited Rare $399.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 11 watchers
Montblanc Greta Garbo Special Edition Fountain Pen Med$399.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 15 watchers
Vintage Wonderful Oversize Omas Paragon Ht Tiger Eyes$375.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 17 watchers
Montblanc Oscar Wilde Meisterstuck 1994 Nib Mint $1nr$375.00 Ends in 2 hours 28 bids 24 watchers
Montblanc William Faulkner Ballpoint Pen$360.00 Ends in 18 hours 4 bids 15 watchers
Montblanc Greta Garbo Fountain Pen New Mint $360.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 32 watchers
1948 Pelikan 100n Rare Mint Vintage Fountain Pen !!$355.00 Ends in 23 hours 20 bids 22 watchers
1929 Montblanc #1 Safety Ultra Rare Vintage Pen Mint$355.00 Ends Saturday 15 bids 48 watchers
Montblanc Nicolai I Rollerball Pen$350.00 Ends Thursday 9 bids 12 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstuck Fountain Pen 144 Gp Anniversary$350.00 Ends Friday 9 bids 13 watchers
Montblanc Sterling Silver Rollerball$350.00 Ends Saturday 7 bids 10 watchers
Waterman Le Man 100 Fontainebleau Mahogany Wood$350.00 Ends Monday 10 bids 28 watchers
Montblanc Voltaire Fp, Mint, Writers Series, 1995$345.00 Ends Sunday 9 bids 26 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstuck Solitaire Fountain Pen 16661 Ss$338.33 Ends Monday 15 bids 7 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstuck Solitaire Legrand Pen Ref#102382$335.00 Ends Wednesday 11 bids 4 watchers
Montblanc Edgar Allen Poe Bp, Writers Series, 1998$330.00 Ends Sunday 12 bids 36 watchers
Sailor Marble Ebonite Professional Gear Fountain Pen $330.00 Ends in 16 mins 20 bids 21 watchers
*brand New* Montblanc George Bernard Shaw Ballpoint Pen$325.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 33 watchers
2001 Montblanc Meisterstuck Fountain Pen Mint In Box Nr$325.00 Ends Saturday 9 bids 6 watchers
Montblanc Starwalker Ballpoint Diamond Special Edition $324.13 Ends in 15 hours 5 bids 28 watchers
Vintage Exceptional Limited Omas Roma 2000 Ii Millenio$306.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 10 watchers
Waterman Edson Blue Fountain Pen$306.00 Ends in 4 hours 8 bids 14 watchers
Montblanc Edgar Allen Poe Ballpoint Pen$305.00 Ends Thursday 6 bids 15 watchers
Montblanc Dostoevsky Rollerball, Writers Series, 1997$305.00 Ends Sunday 15 bids 29 watchers
Omas 360 Lucens Fountain Pen Limited Edition Ht$305.00 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 5 watchers
Montblanc~meisterstuck~18k Nib~149~black~fountain Pen$300.00 Ends Sunday 21 bids 31 watchers
Pelikan M1000 Green Striped Fountain Pen$300.00 Ends in 4 hours 2 bids 13 watchers

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Source: Google News

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