We started the year off buying -- now we're beginning to list our purchases.  Recent featured updates have included European pens and Duofolds; coming up shortly will be Parker 75s, 180s, and Classics.  We've also added a number of new old stock Parker items from a recently-unearthed hoard dating to the mid-1970s.  Some are listed on the Specials page, others under Parker: 1945 to the Present .  [6 Mar 2008]

We have upgraded our catalog update notification list.  If you wish to receive email notices of featured catalog updates, the signup page is now here .  If you are already on our list, you don't need to do anything.  The new system will, however, now allow you to change your settings online, including changing name and address, temporarily suspending mailings, and unsubscribing.  [5 Feb 2008]

The last month and a half has been more than usually stressful, with our move dragging on through the holiday rush.  We are now in our new quarters, though the workshop still has to be relocated, and we have a lot to catch up on.  Please bear with us as we settle in, and keep checking our New Items page as we finally post some of the many new pens and pencils acquired over the past several months!  [17 Jan 2008]

If you are going to be in the Providence area this Saturday, December 15th, please come to our Penfest at our favorite stationery and gift store, figments , between 1 and 4 pm (directions here ).  We will have a good selection of vintage pens and pencils available to try and buy, and of course, figments will take care of your paper needs!  [10 Dec 2007]

You'll probably have noticed some significant changes to our catalog pages -- in particular, the New Items pages.  For the past several years, we have been adding items to the catalog on an ongoing basis, with new listings almost every day.  But this has made it difficult for collectors who don't check back daily, and difficult for us to notify collectors when something they might like has been listed.  So while we will continue to list most new items in this manner, we will henceforth be adding better items in groups, at intervals varying from a week to a month.  We have so far posted two groups, the first comprising Moore safeties and Waterman rarities, the second, stylographic pens and a few special Montblancs.  If you have not received email notification of these postings, just drop us a line and ask to be added to the notification list.  We hope to have a more sophisticated list management page up before long.

Our move to new and much larger quarters will commence in stages at the beginning of November.  Apologies if communication has been less than optimal over the past weeks, as this is a big change for us.  We do hope that everything will soon be running more efficiently than ever, with more offerings, more information, and a place where we can receive visitors.  [24 Oct 2007]

We are now back from London.  No more pen shows on our schedule for the rest of 2007, so we will be settling in and catching up for the next few months.  High on our list is finding new and larger quarters, and expanding our staff.  We will also shortly be modifying the way we add new items to our catalog.  Common items we will continue to add on an ongoing basis, but rarer and more desirable examples we will list in groups, with customers given the option of notification via email.  [10 Oct 2007]

Almost time for the New Jersey Pen Show!  We will have two tables there full of goodies, including quite a bit not listed online.  Do come by to see us there, or in London the weekend following.  [25 Sep 2007]

For those of you waiting for our standard-thickness urethane sheet , it is now in.  It's a special-order item, held to higher tolerances than anything available off the shelf, so it sometimes takes some time to restock.  [14 Sep 2007]

We've been in and out a lot this month. Some vacation, but also some very successful buying trips -- including the Washington pen show.  Now we are back and gearing up for autumn.  We will be busy listing new items in the weeks ahead, as well as preparing for the newly-revived New Jersey Pen Show at the end of September.  Since Newark is in driving distance, we will be exhibiting with two full tables of vintage pens and writing equipment -- including many items not listed in our online catalog.  We are also planning to attend this year's London Pen Show on October 7, though we will necessarily be exhibiting only a select number of items there.  [26 Aug 2007]

Our loss rate in shipment is very low, but when it comes to special items, one wants to minimize risk as much as possible.  With this in mind, we have recently streamlined our ability to ship by Registered Mail -- generally acknowledged as the most secure means of shipment available, and the preferred service of the jewelry trade.  We have accordingly lowered our charges for international shipment by Registered Airmail, and will shortly be adding a Registered Mail option for domestic shipments (though the latter is less of an issue, since Express Mail is a more secure option within the United States than abroad, where final delivery is subcontracted to local parcel delivery services of variable reliability).  Please note that Registered Mail is often slower than regular mail (let alone Priority or Express Mail).  [25 Aug 2007]

The Washington, DC pen show is this weekend.  We will be closing up shop on the 8th, and should be back on Monday the 13th.  Although we do not plan on exhibiting there, we will be bringing a selection of items for sale.  If there is anything you wish to inspect, please let us know beforehand. [6 Aug 2007]

At long last we can offer material for cutting piston seals for plunger-fillers.  After much experimentation, we have settled upon a special grade of thin transparent urethane sheet.  It is very tough and durable, and most importantly is low-friction -- in sharp contrast to the various synthetic rubbers generally used up until now.  It is listed under Nibs & Parts, and we will shortly be adding more details on working with it in our Basic Plunger-Filler Repair page. [2007] 

It took a while, but we have finally managed to find a source for breather tube material -- both for standard sizes such as used in Vacumatics and Skylines, and the very thin stuff required for Parker 51 Aerometrics.  It is listed under Nibs & Parts, and we've also added a page on Aerometric repair for further information on breather tube replacement.  [2007]

We recently upgraded our photography setup, and have steadily been adding more and better images of catalog items shot with our old setup.  Depending on your browser settings, however, you may not see all of the new images unless you click the refresh button on your browser.  Give it a try!  [2007]

Earl Shigemoto , Hawaiian pen guru, died far too young on February 2.  He was as good as they come.  Farewell. [3 Feb 2007]

We have been having occasional problems with Global Express Mail deliveries to the UK and France recently.  The fault appears to lie with the US Postal Service's overseas partners: in the UK, Parcelforce, and in France, with the German-based parcel delivery service GLS that now handles Express Mail for most of northern Europe and now Spain as well.  We are now recommending Global Priority Mail for lower-value orders to our British and northern European customers; though packages cannot be tracked online, they are delivered by the recipient's Post Office, not a parcel delivery service.  For more information, please look at our Terms of Sale page under Shipping Rates.   [11 Aug 2006; updated 26 Nov 2006]

Have you done business with Derek J. O'Connor, a UK-based pen dealer?  Caution is advised -- more details here .  [2006]

After a long hiatus, we are starting to sell items on eBay once again, after noticing that certain pens were selling for significantly more than our catalog prices.  We are also listing low-value items such as repair parts and supplies, for which we can offer lower shipping rates in exchange for not having to deal directly with credit card payment processing.  Our username: vintagepens.  [2006]