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Vintage Fountain Pen Collecting - A Hobby You Will Love

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 roughly 60 year period there were an extraordinary number of innovations and styles introduced by many different manufacturers. Many of the pens created during this time are prized by collectors for their beauty and functionality.

Fountain pens today are still very practical writing instruments, and many different styles and types are still being manufactured. However, these are not generally considered to be collectibles. Most hobby collectors will still focus on and be mainly interested in antique fountain pens, generally those manufactured prior to 1965. But many folks still love the hobby, and with all the variety of antique fountain pens available, there is something that will appeal to most everyone.

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.

Buying a used car is a good analogy for buying an antique fountain pen. The condition of the vehicle, who manufactured it, and the model, are all important in determining value. Antique fountain pens are the same way. If all you want is a large collection it is very easy to start buying antique fountain pens online. But if you want to become a serious collector, you will need to become educated about buying antique fountain pens that have value as collectibles.

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 best books recommended for beginning collectors is "Fountain Pens Past & Present - Identification & Value Guide" by Paul Erano.

This is considered by many vintage fountain pen collectors to be a very comprehensive book about how to collect vintage pens. There are many color photos and also vintage fountain pen ads. It has lots of different and valuable information, and reviews how to find vintage fountain pens and restore them. It also covers the basics for how to value pens. Of course the actual values for specific pens change over time. However this book is a good guide to determining the relative value of different vintage pens. If you are truly interested in collecting antique pens as a hobby, this is an excellent book to add to your collection.

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.

However if you are unable to buy the vintage fountain pen you have been bidding on, the chances are very good that sometime soon a similar pen will come up for auction. There are so many auctions for vintage fountain pens on eBay, if you are persistent and keep trying then sooner or later you will get the one you want.

Article Source: http://www.articleadventure.com

Sara Bondia loves buying and selling on eBay, and enjoys researching details on vintage fountain pens. You can find some great deals and get more details on collecting fountain pens from her Vintage Fountain Pens website. Click on over and see all that's available!

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