Parker Vac golden web price?

[penmainiac]

Hi guys, I saw a listing on ebay for a Parker Vacumatic Golden Web, the seller had it listed for $500 and I sent them an offer of $200, skeptical that they would accept it. Well turns out they did, what is the usual market price for one of these? In good condition?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[silverlifter]

Depends on the size and condition (https://www.peytonstreetpens.com/parker-vacumatic-golden-web-fountain-pen-full-size-5-speedline-fine-very-nice-restored.html).

[penmainiac]

Depends on the size and condition (https://www.peytonstreetpens.com/parker-vacumatic-golden-web-fountain-pen-full-size-5-speedline-fine-very-nice-restored.html).

Condition is superbly well. The seller also offers free returns. I’m on a limited budget so I’m choosing between this and a NIB MB146 Unicef, and I can’t decide what would be the better purchase.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[christof]

$200 for a Golden Web in "superb" condition is a very good price. I payed more for mine ten years ago...

https://live.staticflickr.com/1640/25818820563_4825b7038c_z.jpg

[Chrissy]

IMHO When you suggest you're deciding between a Parker Vac Golden web and a Montblanc 146 Unicef you're talking about a really vast difference. It's like comparing apples with a chair.

[penmainiac]

IMHO When you suggest you're deciding between a Parker Vac Golden web and a Montblanc 146 Unicef you're talking about a really vast difference. It's like comparing apples with a chair.

Except one is an extremely rare golden apple no?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[penmainiac]

$200 for a Golden Web in "superb" condition is a very good price. I payed more for mine ten years ago...

https://live.staticflickr.com/1640/25818820563_4825b7038c_z.jpg

How much did it cost you?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jon Szanto]

Who cares about the MB? Go for the rare pen! If you decide to pass on it, I'll take it.

[proteus]

penmainiac,

‘ what is the usual market price for one of these? In good condition? ‘


In answer to your question.

I spent a few moments researching your question.


On UK ebay, good ones sell for £300

Mint ones are more


Can you please post an image of the pen that you have mentioned.

[penmainiac]

penmainiac,

‘ what is the usual market price for one of these? In good condition? ‘


In answer to your question.

I spent a few moments researching your question.


On UK ebay, good ones sell for £300

Mint ones are more


Can you please post an image of the pen that you have mentioned.

Here are some pictures from the seller, he’s reported that the pen has no cracks chips or bite marks, just some micro scratches.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210205/2e734cd18774517cd0ec45495834cede.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210205/c14f0c6b85b83a21496db9a1a77a9d33.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210205/62cb270fec7392cd506a7b1df8beb58c.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jon Szanto]

On UK ebay, good ones sell for £300 Mint ones are more

Are you quoting prices for completed sales or asking prices. Also, prices for objects are best tracked over time, not a one-look snapshot.

[Jon Szanto]

Here are some pictures from the seller, he’s reported that the pen has no cracks chips or bite marks, just some micro scratches.

I have no idea why you are even hesitating.

[penmainiac]

Here are some pictures from the seller, he’s reported that the pen has no cracks chips or bite marks, just some micro scratches.

I have no idea why you are even hesitating.

Just put in the order, I can’t wait!!![emoji16]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[proteus]

From the images shown it looks great.

Buy it.

Nb – JS – I have read your replies to my comments a few times
My polite reply - You decide the answer.

[Jon Szanto]

Nb – JS – I have read your replies to my comments a few times. My polite reply - You decide the answer.

I'm not trying to be confrontational or anything, and I know we have been in purchasing discussions before. Just keep in mind that many people read through these threads and *won't* have the benefit of past discourse. I tend to make it a rule to ask that question when someone mentions that they are figuring out current selling price points, because there are many, many people who are not aware of how off the mark you can be when you only look at asking price, yet that is precisely what they were doing.

Not about you at all, and I meant no offense.

[Chrissy]

On UK ebay, good ones sell for £300 Mint ones are more

Are you quoting prices for completed sales or asking prices. Also, prices for objects are best tracked over time, not a one-look snapshot.
Interestingly I just did a search and found one currently on auction on ebay UK. (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Parker-Golden-Web-Pattern-Vacumatic/143935313346?hash=item21833695c2:g:J6YAAOSwgkVf9Ya-) We can watch and see what it fetches in a couple of days time. :)

However, when searching for "Sold items" it appears that this same seller has recently sold this pen at least twice. Once in November and once in January, so all may not be as it seems....... Unless, of course, he has at least 3 identical golden web pens. :dirol:

[Yazeh]

I found two others... One being auctioned and is now about 15$ (https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Vintage-1940s-Parker-Vacumatic-Fountain-Pen-Golden-Pearl-Brown-14K-Gold-Nib/383938875311?hash=item59648a4faf:g:0QAAAOSwdUdgHcV t) with a misaligned nib another for 4500 (https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Parker-Vacumatic-Golden-Color-Web-Fountain-Pen-1936-1937/313194099513?hash=item48ebd2b339:g:dxwAAOSwNC1fQqk V)US $.
Quite a contrast ;)

[Chuck Naill]

Personally, I would never make an offer out of ignorance. Do you homework before bidding. As JS said, others may read this later.

[penmainiac]

Personally, I would never make an offer out of ignorance. Do you homework before bidding. As JS said, others may read this later.

I’ve done quite a lot of reading on Parkers, I knew straight away from the listing that is was one of the famed golden webs, I just never thought the seller would accept such a low offer[emoji28]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[christof]

$200 for a Golden Web in "superb" condition is a very good price. I payed more for mine ten years ago...

https://live.staticflickr.com/1640/25818820563_4825b7038c_z.jpg

How much did it cost you?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can't remember the exact sum, but was something between $250 and $275. As already said, 10 years and more ago...

[proteus]

Chrissy,

My comments ‘I spent a few moments researching your question.’

I was a little understating, I did not wish to appear flash ( clever )


I spent an hour or so looking at all the sold prices available.

Firstly I when through all sold prices on ebay UK then USA

Even looked at Germany, France and Canada ( none there )

After that I went to Worthpoint, there were a few there.

Then Catawiki records

Lastly, all the large vintage pen dealers available on the net ( about 15 all, all in the USA ) , their sold pens.


I think that I covered all avenues to arrive at an accurate valuation

[Chuck Naill]

Personally, I would never make an offer out of ignorance. Do you homework before bidding. As JS said, others may read this later.

I’ve done quite a lot of reading on Parkers, I knew straight away from the listing that is was one of the famed golden webs, I just never thought the seller would accept such a low offer[emoji28]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, Ive done the same, but never used the forum to confirm the offer.

[proteus]

I have a quick question please.

Is this image correct when you view this pens barrel at a certain angle

It looks like it is 3D

[Jon Szanto]

Looks normal to me. That pattern has always had a lot of 'life' to it, even more so in person. I'm really sorry they didn't do more with this style of celluloid.

[Farmboy]

Looks like that barrel has a name engraved on it.

When buying lockdown vacs you really want to see as much of the filler as possible. If they are rotted expect to pay 50+ for a replacement

[penmainiac]

Looks like that barrel has a name engraved on it.

When buying lockdown vacs you really want to see as much of the filler as possible. If they are rotted expect to pay 50+ for a replacement

What specifically qualifies as “lockdown filler rot”? I’ve heard the term thrown around, but not much info can be found online.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[christof]

What specifically qualifies as “lockdown filler rot”?

https://live.staticflickr.com/7229/7394282920_5806a5d8da_z.jpg

[proteus]

I have never owned a Parker Vac before.

All my collection is post 1948 - P51 Aero onwards.

But I have worked on a few P51 Vac mainly out of interest – look at and restore the filling systems.

I was very surprised by this pen ( thanks, penmainiac )
I always knew what they were but never looked that closely at one until now.
What a vastly clever and attractive pattern

My wanted list has been empty for years, I think I will add this to my list

Today I read an article written by Mr. Jim Mamoulides

https://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/Parker/ParkerVacumaticGoldenWeb.htm

I have looked at this pen, restored @ £329

nb – I offer my further thanks to JS & Farmboy for their recent replies / comments on the barrel image that I posted.

[penmainiac]

What specifically qualifies as “lockdown filler rot”?

https://live.staticflickr.com/7229/7394282920_5806a5d8da_z.jpg

Ouch, that looks very scary. Is there anything particular that needs to be known about repairing these types of fillers? I’m assuming it would be a huge no no to soak them, but what else should I be aware of?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jon Szanto]

Ouch, that looks very scary. Is there anything particular that needs to be known about repairing these types of fillers? I’m assuming it would be a huge no no to soak them, but what else should I be aware of?

As you can see, the 1st gen lockdown fillers can have issues of their own - in this case, a situation where a pen was stored with ink in it, eventually causing (likely after diaphragm failure) the aluminum tube of the filler to corrode away. Then you have an issue with sourcing replacement filler.

This isn't my area. Farmboy is deeply knowledgable. All I can say is that vac fillers have a lot of twists and turns and unique bits of info and techniques, and need some special tools to do the work. If the pen is for yourself, it is probably a good time to send it to one of the people who already know how to work on these pens, unless you are planning on getting into vac restorations on a regular basis, which in that case an investment in tools would be a start, and then a lot of study online and with repair manuals.

[penmainiac]

Ouch, that looks very scary. Is there anything particular that needs to be known about repairing these types of fillers? I’m assuming it would be a huge no no to soak them, but what else should I be aware of?

As you can see, the 1st gen lockdown fillers can have issues of their own - in this case, a situation where a pen was stored with ink in it, eventually causing (likely after diaphragm failure) the aluminum tube of the filler to corrode away. Then you have an issue with sourcing replacement filler.

This isn't my area. Farmboy is deeply knowledgable. All I can say is that vac fillers have a lot of twists and turns and unique bits of info and techniques, and need some special tools to do the work. If the pen is for yourself, it is probably a good time to send it to one of the people who already know how to work on these pens, unless you are planning on getting into vac restorations on a regular basis, which in that case an investment in tools would be a start, and then a lot of study online and with repair manuals.

I’ve recently purchased the tools including a vac wrench, I think the direction I need now are maybe the old manuals or any other piece of information? I’ve done work on normal 3rd gen vacs but never a lockdown so I’m a bit curious how these can differ.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jon Szanto]

I’ve recently purchased the tools including a vac wrench, I think the direction I need now are maybe the old manuals or any other piece of information? I’ve done work on normal 3rd gen vacs but never a lockdown so I’m a bit curious how these can differ.

Got it. I know people who do some of this work that have old Parker manuals as well, but I don't know that those can be found these days. You are possibly already familiar with Richard Binder's vac repair page (http://www.richardspens.com/ref/repair/vac.htm), though if not, that would be an important read. The other source I would suggest would be the Marshall/Oldfield book "Pen Repair", which has six pages on the vac filler restoration.

And now I'm officially out of my depths. If you need more specific info on how to do the work on the lockdown era filler, others will have to weigh in.

[Ron Z]

More often they rot down at the barrel end where the tube slides through the cone where you can't see the damage until you take it out of the pen or disassemble the pump. The cause is a damaged diaphragm, leaking the often corrosive ink (permanent inks) into the pump and blind cap, and then left to sit there. The slit on the sides rots away and it jams, or the thing corrodes so badly that you can't dislodge it from the cone without breaking something. The notches are often worn because the owners simply turned the tube, instead of pushing down and then rotating to unlock it. Sometimes they can be cut again, but if worn too badly the end of the pump will hit the inside end of the blind cap and unlock on you, or pump ink out.

If you find a clean lockdown filler for $50, don't even think about it, buy it.

It's worth noting that if you have a good tube, the parts can be swapped around to fit into a larger or smaller pump. The only difference is the size of the cone and the thread bushing.

[Farmboy]

As to differences in disassembly, I see a lot of lockdowns that were damaged during removal. Usually crushed bodies or the metal tore because someone decided to pull it out.

[penmainiac]

More often they rot down at the barrel end where the tube slides through the cone where you can't see the damage until you take it out of the pen or disassemble the pump. The cause is a damaged diaphragm, leaking the often corrosive ink (permanent inks) into the pump and blind cap, and then left to sit there. The slit on the sides rots away and it jams, or the thing corrodes so badly that you can't dislodge it from the cone without breaking something. The notches are often worn because the owners simply turned the tube, instead of pushing down and then rotating to unlock it. Sometimes they can be cut again, but if worn too badly the end of the pump will hit the inside end of the blind cap and unlock on you, or pump ink out.

If you find a clean lockdown filler for $50, don't even think about it, buy it.

It's worth noting that if you have a good tube, the parts can be swapped around to fit into a larger or smaller pump. The only difference is the size of the cone and the thread bushing.

Where could a clean lockdown filler be found? Ebay doesn’t seem to have any separate filler units, would I have to buy a whole pen?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[penmainiac]

As to differences in disassembly, I see a lot of lockdowns that were damaged during removal. Usually crushed bodies or the metal tore because someone decided to pull it out.

Yikes, I have a rod to push the filler out, do these lockdowns have the fragile ebonite pellet cups?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Farmboy]

No fragile pellet cup. You want to push on the edge of the sleeve (cone shaped seat that hold the diaphragm) or you get crushed filler syndrome.

[Ron Z]

The problem is that the pellet cups aren't ebonite, they're celluloid, and can be very brittle. I've seen pens where the filler comes out, with no hint of a pellet cup anywhere in the pen. Jack Lynch makes hard rubber reproduction pellet cups that work very well.

[penmainiac]

Update: the pen came today! Condition was as I hoped, the pen was in delightful shape with a bit of surface wear, the filler shows no rot at all. The condition on the inside is still unclear but I will find out soon enough [emoji846]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210211/a8994e2fb10695b2f5cabb33a6318068.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ron Z]

It's always a relief when you see a clean filler under the blind cap, isn't it?

[Farmboy]

True relief is seeing a clean filler under the jamb nut.

This one has promise.

[penmainiac]

Its a rather eye catching pen, a shame that its a little too small for me. I manage to get the filler out and after replacing the diaphragm, this beauty will be back on the market[emoji17] Proceeds will probably go to the purchase of a golden web long junior though[emoji16]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Seattleite]

I have a quick question please.

Is this image correct when you view this pens barrel at a certain angle

It looks like it is 3D

Yes... pretty neat stuff. It is a matrix of golden cubes in a transparent field. This allowed you to see the ink in the barrel, much the same way as the striped Vacumatics. Viewed straight on, where light could not pass through, the field appears dark, as in the cap and where the filler unit threads in. There were several celluloids which had transparent bases, but the sharp edges of the Golden Web pattern really show off the effect.

Bob