Every day I am learning something new in this fountain pen world. I have been collecting fountains pens for roughly eight years now. Only in the last 14 months have I become absolutely emersed in the hobby and trying to make a healthy living at it. I have learned more in the last 14 months than I did in the previous 8 years for collecting.
There are times when I am searching for a fountain pen it "stands out" for whatever reason. You know - it is when you see something and you just know it is something and you will kick yourself in the ass if you do not pull the trigger to secure it.
Well, this happened about 3 months ago when I was in Orlando for a mini-weekend vaca. I was chillin' in the hotel room waiting for my very beautiful lady to get ready for dinner when I caught myself surfing eBay and looking for pens to buy so I can secure more inventory. This Conklin came up on my radar and the seller had it up for auction. I messaged him and we agreed on a price and I was able to purchase the pen.
I had a feeling it was good but, I am not at all active in Conklin pens - my knowledge is limited. I sent a couple snapshots to my good friend, Paul Erano, over at Fountain Pen Journal. He couldn't believe that I was able to secure such a pen. He has seen my collection before and he is always so surprised when I show him things I have found - a good surprise. He told me that I had a rare pen.
So, with help and direction from Paul, my research shows that the Conklin Endura Senior Fountain Pens are quite, dare I say, "rare" when has a Crescent Filling System. Let us just say that very limited quantities were produced back in circa 1924. Fast forward to the 21st century - are there that many left in existence any more? I have seen two and they fetch a price of over $2000.
Every time I see a fountain pen that makes me scratch my head and I pull the trigger to purchase the pen, I always learn more of the story and collectibility of the piece. Daymond John, from Shark Tank, said that "Knowledge is Money" and I am certainly finding this out in the fountain pen hobby. The more I know, the better buyer I can be. Fountain Pen knowledge is power and that equates to, at least for me, an opportunity to create a better situation for me and my family.
I put this out here for what few readers I may have to empower and free themselves from the shackles of the 9-5 rind and grind. I want to give back a bit of what I have learned to anyone that follows me or reads this cold turkey, you have an opportunity to create a better situation for yourself. When something doesn't feel right or looks off, go with your gut and pull the trigger to make it happen.
For me, this is where the "Red Hard Rubber" got interesting. Forevermore, by going with my gut and spending many dollar bills on this Conklin, I added a ton more knowledge for the next fountain pen buying opportunity.