Several years ago I wrote an article for "The Pennant", the magazine of the Pen Collectors of America, on buying pens on eBay. This is an update to that article. A lot has changed in 12 years and eBay is a very safe place to buy and sell anything. Those wild west days of 12+ years ago are long gone. EBay is as safe as any good ecommerce site. But there are still some aspects of eBay that are different than Amazon for example, such as more used items and lower barriers to entry for new vendors. Scams are rare. I believe that most people are good. Enjoy the article updated on 12/31/16.
Buying pens on eBay.
You have seen the posts on the various pen forums. “Don’t do it.” “You’ll get scammed.” “Lots of pens on eBay are fake.” “Don’t buy a pen you cannot test first.” Then there are the stories of the broken Vacumatic sold as “Mint,” the pens bought from overseas that never arrive, and the seller who lists every pen, including a chrome Cross pencil engraved “MOM” as “Rare.” Yes, some of these are legitimate concerns with eBay and in fact with any marketplace. EBay has more than 2,000 full time employees policing the site’s 500 million listings round-the-clock. They are there for a good reason. Like any marketplace there are honest sellers, dishonest sellers, and the just plain clueless sellers.
Still, whether you’re a novice collector or an acknowledged expert, eBay is nearly impossible to ignore. The site’s Pens and Writing Instruments category is loaded with marvelous deals, hidden treasures and, just maybe, that red Parker Giant that you have been seeking for several years. There are over 276,000 pen listing on eBay on the day I’m writing this article. How long can a pen collector really avoid such an incredible 24/7 flea market, estate sale, and pen store all wrapped into one easy-to-use package?
I have 18 years of experience and more than 50,000 successful transactions on eBay. While the vast majority of those transactions were as a seller, I’m a regular buyer on eBay as well. I talk to other buyers and sellers regularly, and hardly a week goes by that I do not get an email from someone asking my advice about buying or selling on eBay. While I do not claim to be an expert at everything in the internet pen world, I do think I have the whole eBay-buying-and-selling-to-make-money system figured out. These are my top 10 pieces of advice for avoiding a disappointing eBay buying experience.
If it is too good to be true, it probably isn’t true. Your mother told you this and it is good advice. No one sells brand new Montblanc pens at 80% below retail. If the deal just doesn’t make sense, be very suspicious. Compare pricing with what other dealers are asking for the same product and, if the price is way out of line, gather more information before buying. With used and vintage pens, there is much more flexibility due to condition, scarcity and perceived value. On exception is when an auction is started at $1.00. Often dealers will start at $1.00 with no reserve just to move an item. When buying new pens, buy from a trusted seller. Nearly all counterfeit pens are one of four brands: Montblanc, Cartier, S.T. Dupont or Parker. Keep in mind that counterfeit vintage pens are exceptionally rare but show up on occasion. You do have to watch out for the occasional “Frankenpen”—a pen assembled from a pile of parts that may or may not reflect an original pen. The seller may not even know it’s not correct. If you do buy a counterfeit pen or a pen that doesn’t meet the description, you are very well protected by eBay policy so you won’t lose money (assuming you figured out it is fake).
Don’t get caught up in the bidding and pay more than you’re comfortable with. Before you start bidding on a pen at auction, set a limit and don’t exceed it. Spend a little time investigating the going price for the pen. Unless it’s a very rare pen, there will likely be some market data available. Check past auctions on eBay, other auction sites, and Google it. Once you set your top price, stick with it. Unless the pen is exceedingly rare, you’ll likely not have to wait long before another one shows up on eBay and you can try again.
Check seller’s references and feedback. While eBay’s feedback system is not perfect, it’s still an excellent way to check out the seller. A seller can game the system for awhile, so be extra careful if the seller’s feedback is under 50. Once over 50 or so, you’re likely dealing with a serious seller. Also look at what they buy and sell to be sure these are real products, and not low cost items to build feedback. Go look at the seller’s feedback and read the comments, especially the negative ones. Every seller will get a negative feedback every so often no matter how hard they try to avoid it. There are bad buyers out there who insist on leaving a negative feedback no matter how hard you try to fix a problem. I received my first negative feedback after 999 positive feedbacks. I was devastated. I tried very hard to satisfy the buyer and even refunded his money and let him keep the pen for free. He still insisted on leaving a negative feedback. Worst part was it was not even my fault. He just didn’t understand how to use a fountain pens and damaged it. If someone has a ratio of one or two negative feedbacks for every 300-400 positive, there is likely nothing to worry about. Also, if this is a big purchase, ask about the seller on one of the online pen forums and Google the seller’s eBay name. See what comes up.
Ask questions. EBay makes it easy to contact the seller. Do not hesitate to use the eBay message system to ask questions. I would never buy from a seller who doesn’t answer my questions or who seems evasive in their answer. Also check out the seller’s other items. If they usually sell dolls and just have one pen listed, maybe that’s why they don’t seem to know much about pens. Take this into consideration when bidding. Sometimes this is when you can get a good deal, a clueless seller can be a good thing. But asks a lot of questions.
Return policy. With few exceptions, do not buy from a seller who doesn’t allow returns. Sometimes a seller will sell a pen that requires repair or is for parts, selling it AS-IS with no return. That’s fine, but it should clearly be stated and eBay requires all listing to have a stated return policy. If they will not take a return or exchange, stay within your comfort level as to what you’re willing to risk if the pen turns out to not work out for you. If you do buy something listed AS-IS and you are not happy with it, don’t try to return it. You knew the risk and accepted it so take your lumps and move on. That said, in reality an eBay seller must take back any items and give you a refund if you put in an “item not as described” dispute with the eBay Resolution Center. In reality every item sold on eBay is returnable whether the seller likes it or not.
The more information the better. Look for a detailed description and excellent photos. Does it state the nib size and material? Does the photo match the description? Is it damaged? Do they say it works? Is a converter included if it’s a cartridge/converter pen? Does it come with a box? Watch out for tricks like a listing what looks like a brand name but the description doesn’t say the brand name. By showing a photo of a pen that looks like a Montblanc, for example, but not ever saying it’s a Montblanc, they sell you a fake. Read the fine print, if there is any. Pay attention to the shipping fees. Are they reasonable? Will they combine shipping if you buy more than one item? If not, why not? Now days free shipping is the norm in the USA but there are still many sellers who charge shipping.
Be smart when paying. This is simple. Pay with PayPal…period. PayPal is by far the most popular and convenient way to pay for your eBay purchases. PayPal is free to the buyer and absolutely secure. Opening an account is very easy and only requires basic financial information so they can be sure you’re a legitimate buyer. If there is a problem with a transaction, you can dispute it via eBay who works very close with PayPal. Unless the seller can prove the buyer is at fault, they nearly always settle in favor of the buyer. In the case of a scam where the seller has emptied the account and disappeared, Paypal offers up to $2,000 in buyer protection. You should also tie your credit card to your Paypal account and use it for payment. That way if there is a problem, you can dispute the transaction with the credit card company as well. If you follow the rules, it’s nearly impossible to get lose money via PayPal now.
Overseas buying. Pens are everywhere, not just in the U.S. You can get some great deals when buying from other countries. I lived in Thailand for three years, and the pens I found there on a weekly basis were amazing. The world is full of great pens, and eBay gives us more access to them than ever before. Just use PayPal so you are protected in the event there is a problem. Remember the seller may not speak English well or at all so read description carefully and ask questions. Shop internationally, the world is your oyster.
Watch out for all the usual eBay scams. This is the same for all ecommerce sites. Educate yourself about scams associated with the site. Double check anything that seems even remotely suspicious. There is lots of information in the site’s security area. Read it and be familiar with the latest scams. Use eBay’s messaging system for all communications with the seller so there is a record. Watch out for fake and “phishing” emails supposedly from eBay or PayPal. Use the My eBay, My Messages feature to be sure any emails from eBay are really from eBay or PayPal. Unless you’re certain an email came from eBay or PayPal, NEVER CLICK ON A LINK IN AN EMAIL AND NEVER PUT IN YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD FROM THE LINK. Browse to eBay or PayPal and log in there. Go to your My Messages, it should be in there. If you follow eBay’s rules and do not take undue risks, it’s very unlikely you’ll ever have a problem.
Be reasonable and patient. Like with any transaction, sometimes things do go wrong. I doubt there is a single pen collector that hasn’t at least once bought a pen at the show and got home to find a crack or other problem that they and the seller missed. Who hasn’t bought a new pen that they just couldn’t get to feed well or had a disappointing nib? Things do go wrong, and most likely the seller had no intention of selling you a defective product or misleading you. Contact the seller and discuss the issue. If you followed my advice and bought from a seller who will take a return, they will take the pen back, replace it, fix it, etc with no problem. Be sure to pack it well when you return it. It wouldn’t be fair to the seller if it was returned in even worse condition than when it was shipped to the buyer. Give the seller plenty of time to fix the issue and do not put in a complaint with eBay or Paypal unless you just cannot work out the problem with the seller. Once the problem is resolved, be sure to give positive feedback. Never leave negative feedback without discussing the problem or reason with the seller first. Most sellers will go to extraordinary length not to get a negative feedback.
Twenty years ago it would take a collector one year, if not a lifetime, of pen shows, flea markets and estate sales to build a significant pen collection. Now it can be accomplished in a matter of weeks or months online. No online experience will ever beat that feeling you get when you find a mustard yellow Parker 51 at a yard sale for $5, but in reality, chances are that won’t happen very often, and there are four of them on eBay today. (Not for $5, however!) Happy Collecting!
You have seen the posts on the various pen forums. “Don’t do it.” “You’ll get scammed.” “Lots of pens on eBay are fake.” “Don’t buy a pen you cannot test first.” Then there are the stories of the broken Vacumatic sold as “Mint,” the pens bought from overseas that never arrive, and the seller who lists every pen, including a chrome Cross pencil engraved “MOM” as “Rare.” Yes, some of these are legitimate concerns with eBay and in fact with any marketplace. EBay has more than 2,000 full time employees policing the site’s 500 million listings round-the-clock. They are there for a good reason. Like any marketplace there are honest sellers, dishonest sellers, and the just plain clueless sellers.
Still, whether you’re a novice collector or an acknowledged expert, eBay is nearly impossible to ignore. The site’s Pens and Writing Instruments category is loaded with marvelous deals, hidden treasures and, just maybe, that red Parker Giant that you have been seeking for several years. There are over 276,000 pen listing on eBay on the day I’m writing this article. How long can a pen collector really avoid such an incredible 24/7 flea market, estate sale, and pen store all wrapped into one easy-to-use package?
I have 18 years of experience and more than 50,000 successful transactions on eBay. While the vast majority of those transactions were as a seller, I’m a regular buyer on eBay as well. I talk to other buyers and sellers regularly, and hardly a week goes by that I do not get an email from someone asking my advice about buying or selling on eBay. While I do not claim to be an expert at everything in the internet pen world, I do think I have the whole eBay-buying-and-selling-to-make-money system figured out. These are my top 10 pieces of advice for avoiding a disappointing eBay buying experience.
If it is too good to be true, it probably isn’t true. Your mother told you this and it is good advice. No one sells brand new Montblanc pens at 80% below retail. If the deal just doesn’t make sense, be very suspicious. Compare pricing with what other dealers are asking for the same product and, if the price is way out of line, gather more information before buying. With used and vintage pens, there is much more flexibility due to condition, scarcity and perceived value. On exception is when an auction is started at $1.00. Often dealers will start at $1.00 with no reserve just to move an item. When buying new pens, buy from a trusted seller. Nearly all counterfeit pens are one of four brands: Montblanc, Cartier, S.T. Dupont or Parker. Keep in mind that counterfeit vintage pens are exceptionally rare but show up on occasion. You do have to watch out for the occasional “Frankenpen”—a pen assembled from a pile of parts that may or may not reflect an original pen. The seller may not even know it’s not correct. If you do buy a counterfeit pen or a pen that doesn’t meet the description, you are very well protected by eBay policy so you won’t lose money (assuming you figured out it is fake).
Don’t get caught up in the bidding and pay more than you’re comfortable with. Before you start bidding on a pen at auction, set a limit and don’t exceed it. Spend a little time investigating the going price for the pen. Unless it’s a very rare pen, there will likely be some market data available. Check past auctions on eBay, other auction sites, and Google it. Once you set your top price, stick with it. Unless the pen is exceedingly rare, you’ll likely not have to wait long before another one shows up on eBay and you can try again.
Check seller’s references and feedback. While eBay’s feedback system is not perfect, it’s still an excellent way to check out the seller. A seller can game the system for awhile, so be extra careful if the seller’s feedback is under 50. Once over 50 or so, you’re likely dealing with a serious seller. Also look at what they buy and sell to be sure these are real products, and not low cost items to build feedback. Go look at the seller’s feedback and read the comments, especially the negative ones. Every seller will get a negative feedback every so often no matter how hard they try to avoid it. There are bad buyers out there who insist on leaving a negative feedback no matter how hard you try to fix a problem. I received my first negative feedback after 999 positive feedbacks. I was devastated. I tried very hard to satisfy the buyer and even refunded his money and let him keep the pen for free. He still insisted on leaving a negative feedback. Worst part was it was not even my fault. He just didn’t understand how to use a fountain pens and damaged it. If someone has a ratio of one or two negative feedbacks for every 300-400 positive, there is likely nothing to worry about. Also, if this is a big purchase, ask about the seller on one of the online pen forums and Google the seller’s eBay name. See what comes up.
Ask questions. EBay makes it easy to contact the seller. Do not hesitate to use the eBay message system to ask questions. I would never buy from a seller who doesn’t answer my questions or who seems evasive in their answer. Also check out the seller’s other items. If they usually sell dolls and just have one pen listed, maybe that’s why they don’t seem to know much about pens. Take this into consideration when bidding. Sometimes this is when you can get a good deal, a clueless seller can be a good thing. But asks a lot of questions.
Return policy. With few exceptions, do not buy from a seller who doesn’t allow returns. Sometimes a seller will sell a pen that requires repair or is for parts, selling it AS-IS with no return. That’s fine, but it should clearly be stated and eBay requires all listing to have a stated return policy. If they will not take a return or exchange, stay within your comfort level as to what you’re willing to risk if the pen turns out to not work out for you. If you do buy something listed AS-IS and you are not happy with it, don’t try to return it. You knew the risk and accepted it so take your lumps and move on. That said, in reality an eBay seller must take back any items and give you a refund if you put in an “item not as described” dispute with the eBay Resolution Center. In reality every item sold on eBay is returnable whether the seller likes it or not.
The more information the better. Look for a detailed description and excellent photos. Does it state the nib size and material? Does the photo match the description? Is it damaged? Do they say it works? Is a converter included if it’s a cartridge/converter pen? Does it come with a box? Watch out for tricks like a listing what looks like a brand name but the description doesn’t say the brand name. By showing a photo of a pen that looks like a Montblanc, for example, but not ever saying it’s a Montblanc, they sell you a fake. Read the fine print, if there is any. Pay attention to the shipping fees. Are they reasonable? Will they combine shipping if you buy more than one item? If not, why not? Now days free shipping is the norm in the USA but there are still many sellers who charge shipping.
Be smart when paying. This is simple. Pay with PayPal…period. PayPal is by far the most popular and convenient way to pay for your eBay purchases. PayPal is free to the buyer and absolutely secure. Opening an account is very easy and only requires basic financial information so they can be sure you’re a legitimate buyer. If there is a problem with a transaction, you can dispute it via eBay who works very close with PayPal. Unless the seller can prove the buyer is at fault, they nearly always settle in favor of the buyer. In the case of a scam where the seller has emptied the account and disappeared, Paypal offers up to $2,000 in buyer protection. You should also tie your credit card to your Paypal account and use it for payment. That way if there is a problem, you can dispute the transaction with the credit card company as well. If you follow the rules, it’s nearly impossible to get lose money via PayPal now.
Overseas buying. Pens are everywhere, not just in the U.S. You can get some great deals when buying from other countries. I lived in Thailand for three years, and the pens I found there on a weekly basis were amazing. The world is full of great pens, and eBay gives us more access to them than ever before. Just use PayPal so you are protected in the event there is a problem. Remember the seller may not speak English well or at all so read description carefully and ask questions. Shop internationally, the world is your oyster.
Watch out for all the usual eBay scams. This is the same for all ecommerce sites. Educate yourself about scams associated with the site. Double check anything that seems even remotely suspicious. There is lots of information in the site’s security area. Read it and be familiar with the latest scams. Use eBay’s messaging system for all communications with the seller so there is a record. Watch out for fake and “phishing” emails supposedly from eBay or PayPal. Use the My eBay, My Messages feature to be sure any emails from eBay are really from eBay or PayPal. Unless you’re certain an email came from eBay or PayPal, NEVER CLICK ON A LINK IN AN EMAIL AND NEVER PUT IN YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD FROM THE LINK. Browse to eBay or PayPal and log in there. Go to your My Messages, it should be in there. If you follow eBay’s rules and do not take undue risks, it’s very unlikely you’ll ever have a problem.
Be reasonable and patient. Like with any transaction, sometimes things do go wrong. I doubt there is a single pen collector that hasn’t at least once bought a pen at the show and got home to find a crack or other problem that they and the seller missed. Who hasn’t bought a new pen that they just couldn’t get to feed well or had a disappointing nib? Things do go wrong, and most likely the seller had no intention of selling you a defective product or misleading you. Contact the seller and discuss the issue. If you followed my advice and bought from a seller who will take a return, they will take the pen back, replace it, fix it, etc with no problem. Be sure to pack it well when you return it. It wouldn’t be fair to the seller if it was returned in even worse condition than when it was shipped to the buyer. Give the seller plenty of time to fix the issue and do not put in a complaint with eBay or Paypal unless you just cannot work out the problem with the seller. Once the problem is resolved, be sure to give positive feedback. Never leave negative feedback without discussing the problem or reason with the seller first. Most sellers will go to extraordinary length not to get a negative feedback.
Twenty years ago it would take a collector one year, if not a lifetime, of pen shows, flea markets and estate sales to build a significant pen collection. Now it can be accomplished in a matter of weeks or months online. No online experience will ever beat that feeling you get when you find a mustard yellow Parker 51 at a yard sale for $5, but in reality, chances are that won’t happen very often, and there are four of them on eBay today. (Not for $5, however!) Happy Collecting!