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View Full Version : Are the Sheaffer snorkel pen expensive?



edteach
May 20th, 2016, 07:35 AM
I see these go for 30 to 50 dollars on ebay not restored. 100 and up restored at many of the FP sites. Are they a more rare therefore expensive pen?

gregamckinney
May 20th, 2016, 08:34 AM
Hi edteach,
The short answer is that it varies. There are more and less expensive colors especially. You will find them restored for less than $100 if you keep watch. Restoration costs run around $30, so if you find a good unrestored one, you can always send it off and end up with a nice, writing pen for not too much money.

Classifieds on the pen sites, IMO are a better place to find (restored) Snorks then on ebay, unless you know the seller.

Best Regards, greg

stub
May 20th, 2016, 08:34 AM
Look around you can find something restored in the $30-$40 range if you look for Admirals and Specials. There are a ton of Admirals out there and twice I have scored restored Admirals that were user grade and had personalizations, but were otherwise great writers for $35. A well restored Sheaffer Admiral Snorkel is a heck of a fantastic pen.

Other snorkels occasionally turn up on eBay and etsy restored for under $100. I got 3 in last year from Kaczs Pens (valiant, clipper, sentinel), check Speerbob, others. Place a WTB add with your price.

Keep looking! You can find a good snorkel for under a hundred for sure.

jar
May 20th, 2016, 08:38 AM
Snorkels were only made for somewhat less than a decade, from 1952 to 1959, and then in the PFM format only from 1959 to 1968. So the whole life of the filling mechanism was less than 20 years. During that time lots were made, but compared to other makers pens and other models they will be somewhat scarce. Some versions were only made during shorter periods and so those models will be even more scarce.

Wile E Coyote
May 20th, 2016, 03:11 PM
Watch for Rick Krantz's Saturday pen trays sales in the for Sale subforum, and you will have a very reasonably-priced restored Snorkel, usually with a one-year warranty.

Fred

I'll second that; Rick has some great pens and great prices.

Rick Krantz
May 20th, 2016, 10:52 PM
This week, he has two touch downs, they are like snorkels without the snorkel, lol... But priced right, 1 year warranty. Thanks for the kind words everyone!

stub
May 20th, 2016, 11:09 PM
Snorkels are great but personally like the Touchdowns better generally and the models are have a lot of overlap, unless you are looking for a PdAg nib. Anxiously awaiting a TD from Monsignor Krantz as we speak.

pajaro
May 21st, 2016, 03:55 PM
The Snorkel is cute and fun to mess around with. They can be expensive to restore or repair. I have one in a desk pen, and got rid of the others. For those curious about different pens and how they work or who just like playing with pens, a Snorkel is probably something you should see in person. It might be worth it to have one around, and is worth seeing and fooling with if you haven't seen one.

jbb
May 21st, 2016, 04:03 PM
I just found a desk-style Snorkel at an Estate sale that I'll probably try to sell. What's a fair price to sell one for when it's un-restored?

newkid
May 21st, 2016, 04:56 PM
I bought my Sheaffer Snorkel last October from Rick Kranz. His restored pens are excellent values and carry a warranty. Hard to go wrong with that.

N.K.

kirchh
May 21st, 2016, 05:40 PM
Due to the vast numbers made during their very successful run, Snorkels are very common and are therefore relatively inexpensive compared to other top-quality models from major makers.

--Daniel

sharmon202
May 21st, 2016, 05:51 PM
I got a restored excellent one from Indy-Pen-Dance-$75.

edteach
May 21st, 2016, 07:08 PM
What is inexpensive? Thanks

Jon Szanto
May 21st, 2016, 07:13 PM
What is inexpensive? Thanks

Here's a thought: I'm on a number of pen forums, and I often see people asking questions using the term expensive or inexpensive or etc. The problem is that these are all meaningless in a larger sense, because whatever money I might have to spend on a pen might be either a lot less, or a lot more, than someone else.

What is exceedingly helpful is for people to frame discussions in concrete terms. For instance, had you titled your thread "Are Sheaffer Snorkel pens, restored, available for under $100.00?", it would have been easier to answer. If you said "$30", even easier. Otherwise, the descriptor is subjective, even if not intended.

edteach
May 21st, 2016, 07:26 PM
What is inexpensive? Thanks

Here's a thought: I'm on a number of pen forums, and I often see people asking questions using the term expensive or inexpensive or etc. The problem is that these are all meaningless in a larger sense, because whatever money I might have to spend on a pen might be either a lot less, or a lot more, than someone else.

What is exceedingly helpful is for people to frame discussions in concrete terms. For instance, had you titled your thread "Are Sheaffer Snorkel pens, restored, available for under $100.00?", it would have been easier to answer. If you said "$30", even easier. Otherwise, the descriptor is subjective, even if not intended.
So... What is inexpensive? If I have to nail it down, what does a restored Sheaffer Snorkel in the lower end of the line go for? Being new to the FP area of collecting, I believe the statesman is a good example of the more entry level of the line.

stub
May 21st, 2016, 09:24 PM
I just found a desk-style Snorkel at an Estate sale that I'll probably try to sell. What's a fair price to sell one for when it's un-restored?

Unrestored Snorkel Desk pens are plentiful and cheap. I have 3, all bought on eBay for less than $20. Desk pens, especially those w/o bases are seemingly pendom's last bargain frontier.

Want a great pen, a funky nib but can't afford the inflated priced? Look for desk pens. I have a Sheaffer Vac-fil factory stub that would have been worth hundreds had that nib been on another pen. It is EPIC.

YMMV

Unrestored garden variety snorkel? In good condition with anything other than F/XF? Maybe $25 ?

HughC
May 22nd, 2016, 03:49 AM
$70 plus is "reasonable" for restored. For durability I suggest the "Clipper" with stainless steel cap is worth the extra as the entry level user model. The plastic caps do crack around the clip if over extended.

Regards
Hugh

jbb
May 22nd, 2016, 07:39 AM
I just found a desk-style Snorkel at an Estate sale that I'll probably try to sell. What's a fair price to sell one for when it's un-restored?

Unrestored Snorkel Desk pens are plentiful and cheap. I have 3, all bought on eBay for less than $20. Desk pens, especially those w/o bases are seemingly pendom's last bargain frontier.

Want a great pen, a funky nib but can't afford the inflated priced? Look for desk pens. I have a Sheaffer Vac-fil factory stub that would have been worth hundreds had that nib been on another pen. It is EPIC.

YMMV

Unrestored garden variety snorkel? In good condition with anything other than F/XF? Maybe $25 ?

Thanks! I'm listing mine https://www.etsy.com/listing/196159798/sheaffer-snorkel-desk-fountain-pen-with?ref=shop_home_active_1