Overwhelmed

[Squeaks]

Good afternoon. My late husband collected pens, mostly fountain pens. The bulk of the pens predate 2001. Lots of manufacturers, some sets and lots of ink, refills and other accessories. In doing an Ebay search (I just looked at the waterman's so far, the pens don't seem that expensive. Anyway, I am basically looking for advice, I was planning on going to the Baltimore Pen show but I don't know. I don't think he had anything more expensive or exotic than the MontBlanc's. Any advice would be appreciated Thanks ~

[sirgilbert357]

Sorry for your loss. This is a tough situation to be in. Selling pens in lots never gets you the best price. And selling individually will require a lot of work and time. I would certainly wait for more responses before you decide on a course of action, but maybe post this in a discussion forum, not the classifieds? And if you look up the Baltimore Pen Show vendors list, you could call some of them and see if any will be willing to appraise the pens in person if you go to the show. Just a thought.

[Dougc]

The pen show is the best idea. You might try Bryant Greer of chatterly luxuries as well.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

[Squeaks]

Thank you~ I appreciate it.

[zaddick]

Hello. I'm sorry for your loss. Unless you want to invest a lot of time and effort to maximize return, your likely easiest and still reasonable solution is to reach out to small pen sellers that sell mostly used pens. I highly recommend you reach out to Teri at Peyton Street Pens. She has a nice website and buys collections to refurbish and resell. I have bought from and traded with her, but I am otherwise unaffiliated. She may also be able to point ypu towards other dealers. Maybe someone like Bert at Bertram's Inkwell or Nathan at The Pen Market could be a good place to start.

[724Seney]

Please allow me to add my very sincere condolences for your loss. Trust me, we understand your angst about this........

Some here have had the foresight to have their collections all photographed, described and appraised in anticipation of their demise but most (I think) have not and this is a constant source of worry because we would all like to know our wishes will be known and our pens well cared for once we are gone.

All of the names in the above posts are good ones. You won't go wrong with any of them. Not so with all the names on the list of vendors for the Baltimore Show, though. I'll leave it at that........

One name(s) not yet mentioned are Steve and Ed from the Fountain Pen Hospital. Perhaps the best reference I can provide for them is that when one of the world's most pre-eminent and revered collector /sellers recently passed away his Estate turn to Steve & Ed to liquidate his sizable collection. I have it on good authority they were that particular collector / seller's personal choice for this task which made the decision you are facing an easy one for his widow. Others may know more about this than me and, if I am incorrect, I hope they will say so..........

I have absolutely no conflicts of interest to disclose in making this recommendation. That said, I have made some purchases from them over the years and have always been very pleased.

Good luck!

[Nexus]

My condolences. In regards to your pen collection, I echo what zaddick says. The more work, the higher your return. But if you just want to box it all up and wait for a check, then Teri Morris over at Peyton Street Pens in Santa Cruz, CA is the way to go. She will sort through your husband's collection, identify each piece and condition (even if the pen is broken) and then send you a check. She is well known in the pen community and honest.

You can check out her website at https://www.peytonstreetpens.com/

I have no affiliation, just a satisfied customer.

[gloucesterman-18]

Please add my condolences to those expressed above.
I have had direct buying and selling experience with Teri at Peyton Street Pens and have found her to be
an honest and conscientious person to work with. If I were you I would definitely consider contacting her.

I have no affiliation with her other than that mentioned above.

[BlkWhiteFilmPix]

My condolences and best wishes for finding a good home for your husband's pens.

[~JJ]

Greetings, and I also offer my condolences. This is never an easy hurdle, and I sincerely hope things go smoothly for you as you continue on the highway of life.
I hope this doesn't seem too forward, but roughly how many fountain pens are you talking about, total? I know of someone who might be interested, and I'll pass the word.
Good luck!

[Squeaks]

thank you~ I appreciate the information

[Squeaks]

Thank you for the information. Including the Cross pens, probably 40, maybe more . Some are sets that include ballpoints, pencils and rollerballs. I have Waterman, Schaffer, Parker, Pelican, Racife, Pilot, Rotring, TomBow, Mont Blanc and Cross. There could be others. I also have a tone of ink, cartridges, refills (ballpoint & rollerball) to go with the above referenced collection. I am tying to put into a spreadsheet and I am looking up what they are as I go. It's stressful to say the least. I truly appreciate your help