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Thread: Happy colours! parker finds

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    Default Happy colours! parker finds

    As I got to the last line of stands at a vide-grenier today I had spent money buying a huge bronze Ganesha, some interesting books, and a nice picture frame. And I was thinking to myself that my fountain pen luck had run out. I'd not seen a single pen. Not even a school pen with a dried up cartridge. Zero, zilch, nada.

    Famous last words.


    The 45's weren't cheap at 10 euros each but I've never found these colours before and couldn't resist them. The Pelikano was then given me.

    And at the next stand I found the pristine Parker 75 for 30 euros. I snapped it up. The nib is a fine with the French assay mark for 750.

    Who can tell me more about these luscious 45s? The caps are both marked 'made in France'; I don't know if the French Parker business occasionally came out with pens that you don't find in the UK or US?

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    Senior Member Fermata's Avatar
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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    I think that Parker brought out some vivid colours in the 70s, I am sure that they had a special name for the range but basically they were trying to catch up on Pop Art that was in vogue at the time, as I recall there were some bright oranges and yellows too, they must be quite rare now and a great buy for the Parker 45 completist.

    Very envious of the 75.

    Being a provincial boy I had to look up vide-grenier, so for the sake of others, I think the English equivalent is a car boot sale, basically a farmers field or other large flat open area where people bring household artefacts to sell, usually loaded into their cars and then displayed for sale on tables, not a bad way to spend a sunny Sunday morning for sellers and buyers.

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    Senior Member carlos.q's Avatar
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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    Is that a barley finish on the 75?

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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    I had to look up "vide-grenier" especially as you come from the UK OP.

    It means "garage sale" I assume you went to one in France.

    As Fermata stated there were several "Happy Colours" of Parker 45's. I've only ever seen an orange one.
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    The 75 is milleraies. I have a barley already :-)

    The way we do vide greniers is rather nice; every village can have one a year, some towns have two, but there are very few 'regular' car boots like in England. Quite often, there's a small funfair as well so you can go on the dodgems or a roundabout after you've done your shopping; there's one fair that used to have knights in armour roaming around and then moved to the 1940s with some great accordion players in the streets!

    This particular fair at Breval is one of my favourites as I picked up my one euro Osmia 'duofold' there, a (nibless) Parker duofold in jade, a couple of lovely Jean-Pierre Lepines, and now this little haul. Over the years, it's done me well.

    Oh, I'm going to keep an eye open for yellow and orange Parker 45s now. I've got a taste for these colours!

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    Senior Member Fermata's Avatar
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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    Quote Originally Posted by amk View Post
    The 75 is milleraies. I have a barley already :-)

    The way we do vide greniers is rather nice; every village can have one a year, some towns have two, but there are very few 'regular' car boots like in England. Quite often, there's a small funfair as well so you can go on the dodgems or a roundabout after you've done your shopping; there's one fair that used to have knights in armour roaming around and then moved to the 1940s with some great accordion players in the streets!

    This particular fair at Breval is one of my favourites as I picked up my one euro Osmia 'duofold' there, a (nibless) Parker duofold in jade, a couple of lovely Jean-Pierre Lepines, and now this little haul. Over the years, it's done me well.

    Oh, I'm going to keep an eye open for yellow and orange Parker 45s now. I've got a taste for these colours!


    These pens fetch high prices, I am not sure why, perhaps the target market at the time was the young who may not have been so careful.

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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    I just realised I've got the green one! So only two to go!

    Thanks Fermata for showing the whole bunch. Wow, that yellow really pings!

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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    The 45 happy colors not cheap at 10€

    You got a real bargain, those colors are not easy to find, I still need the orange and yellow.

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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    Wahl - I know, but my gold standard for these sales is my one euro pens:
    Parker 51
    Waterman 55
    Osmia Supra
    Parker Duofold Junior
    And I paid 3 euros for a Targa a couple of years ago. These 45s were really overpriced!!! :-)

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    Senior Member Wahl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    Quote Originally Posted by amk View Post
    Wahl - I know, but my gold standard for these sales is my one euro pens:
    Parker 51
    Waterman 55
    Osmia Supra
    Parker Duofold Junior
    And I paid 3 euros for a Targa a couple of years ago. These 45s were really overpriced!!! :-)
    Incredible !

    Some are really lucky

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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    Quote Originally Posted by amk View Post
    Wahl - I know, but my gold standard for these sales is my one euro pens:
    Parker 51
    Waterman 55
    Osmia Supra
    Parker Duofold Junior
    And I paid 3 euros for a Targa a couple of years ago. These 45s were really overpriced!!! :-)
    So, maybe you can keep a lookout for me for a couple of pens??? Lol j/k

    Those are great finds!

    (Although it just reminds me how much I paid for a Supra with a pitted nib that I accidentally broke beyond repair. *Sigh*)

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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    I'm really lucky, but I also do spend a lot of time looking - and luck tends to correlate with time spent, oddly enough.

    This little lot I say to myself is to repay me for all the nice weekends during lockdown when I couldn't go anywhere.

    Still it's wonderful when I do make a find like this. And in between times I buy cheap DIY tools, furniture and bedlinen so it's not as if I'm wasting my time.

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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    Quote Originally Posted by amk View Post
    I'm really lucky, but I also do spend a lot of time looking - and luck tends to correlate with time spent, oddly enough.

    This little lot I say to myself is to repay me for all the nice weekends during lockdown when I couldn't go anywhere.

    Still it's wonderful when I do make a find like this. And in between times I buy cheap DIY tools, furniture and bedlinen so it's not as if I'm wasting my time.
    This could be a business opportunity amk, going around these French markets with a wish list and then mailing them to buyers on cost price plus markup plus mail costs. Not just pens, anything small for the mail.

    I do this for furniture, specializing in desks, I find pieces for people and either simply ship them out just as found or restore first.

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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    Quote Originally Posted by Fermata View Post
    Being a provincial boy I had to look up vide-grenier, so for the sake of others, I think the English equivalent is a car boot sale, basically a farmers field or other large flat open area where people bring household artefacts to sell, usually loaded into their cars and then displayed for sale on tables, not a bad way to spend a sunny Sunday morning for sellers and buyers.
    Here, we'd call that a "Flea Market".

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    Senior Member azkid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Happy colours! parker finds

    Or swap meet perhaps.

    Let me know when and where to send my order

    I know exactly what you mean by "luck" equating to time spent looking.
    Last edited by azkid; July 27th, 2020 at 07:35 PM.

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