The Fascinating Hobby of Collecting Antique Fountain Pens

By: Sara Bondia

The Golden age of the fountain pen is usually considered to have started in the late 1800s, when it became the writing instrument that dominated, through World War II when it was largely replaced by the ballpoint pen.

During this time there were an extraordinary number of styles introduced by various manufacturers. The fountain pen was improved in many ways and there were lots of innovations during this time. It's no wonder that today many of what we refer to as "vintage" or "antique" fountain pens were created during this period. As well as being functional some of these antique fountain pens are so beautifully crafted that they can also serve as miniature works of art.

Many types and styles of fountain pens are still manufactured to this day and they are still in demand as practical writing instruments. However, vintage fountain pens are normally thought to be those manufactured to prior to 1965. Vintage fountain pen collecting is a past time that many people have fun with. There are an amazing variety of pens available, enough to satisfy the most avid collector.

If collecting vintage fountain pens is a hobby that interests you then you can get started very easily. Throughout the United States there are vintage fountain pen shows held in or close to large cities. If you are fortunate enough to live in an area where you can take advantage of an antique pen show then you will have the chance to look at thousands of vintage fountain pens and talk to other collectors.

If you have ever bought a used car, you know the manufacturer, model, and the condition of the car will play a large part in its value. It is the same way with vintage fountain pens. If you go online and just start buying pens that happened to strike your fancy, you would certainly build up a large collection. However, if you can take the time to become educated then you will be much more likely to buy writing instruments that have lasting collectable value.

Fortunately there are some pen guides available which you can use to educate yourself and help make a wise decision when buying a vintage fountain pen. If you are serious about collecting antique pens as a hobby, you will want to add a few good reference books to your personal library.

One of the better books recommended for beginning hobbyists was written by Paul Erano. It's called "Fountain Pens Past & Present - Identification & Value Guide".

This is a very complete and comprehensive book about collecting vintage fountain pens. It is considered by many collectors to be essential for their personal library. It explains how to find vintage fountain pens, how to restore them, and gives much additional valuable information. There are old vintage fountain pen advertisements, along with many color photographs. It discusses basic concepts surrounding the valuation of vintage fountain pens. You have to keep in mind actual values of vintage fountain pens can vary quite a bit, but the information in this book is enough to get started.

Also, thanks to the Internet, you can frequently locate copies of the actual brochures published by a pen manufacturer for those vintage fountain pens you are interested in. The original brochures are collectibles by themselves, but you can also frequently buy a PDF version in an electronic format to uncover as much detail as possible about your pen.

A really good place to find an excellent selection of vintage fountain pens is eBay. Over 1000 auctions frequently are occurring at any given time on this online auction giant.

Unfortunately you will not be the only person interested in that particular pen. There will be other people bidding against you who would like that same item. Because of the frenzy which often results on eBay auctions, some people will be willing to pay more than the actual collectible value of the vintage fountain pen. To avoid becoming one of these people yourself, do through research and set a limit as to the amount you feel like the item is worth. It is very tempting to bid above this amount, but you would always be wise to set your limit and not go above it.

Because there are such a huge number of auctions on eBay, if you are unable to buy one particular vintage fountain pen because you are outbid, the chances are good that there will be another pen auctioned in the near future. So keep bidding and good luck!

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Sara Bondia enjoys researching information on vintage fountain pens, and she loves buying and selling on eBay. Get more information on collecting antique fountain pens and see some great bargains at her Antique Fountain Pens website. Come over now and see some amazing pens!

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