ordicio

Collecting guide

How to Collect Fountain Pens and Writing Instruments

Fountain pens, pencils, ballpoints and desk accessories.

Fountain pens combine craftsmanship, design and daily use. Vintage pens from the golden age of the 1920s to the 1950s and modern limited editions are both widely collected, and many collectors write with the pens they own. A good record tells you what a pen is, how it fills and whether it works.

Getting Started

Collectors choose a maker (Montblanc, Parker, Pelikan, Waterman, Sheaffer, Japanese makers and many more), a period, a filling system or a material. Pens from one model line in all their colours make a beautiful and well-defined collection.

What to Record

Condition

Note discolouration of celluloid and hard rubber, cracks, brassing on plated parts, nib damage and replaced parts such as ink sacs. Original parts and box add value.

Care and Storage

Empty and clean pens before storing them, and store them horizontally or nib up, away from heat and sunlight that discolour old materials. Use inks made for fountain pens, and have vintage pens serviced by a pen restorer.

Mistakes to Avoid

The Data Sheet for Writing Instruments

The 28 fields worth recording for writing instruments, grouped as in the ordicio app.

Identification

Instrument type Choice, or your own
Kind of writing instrument.
  • Fountain pen
  • Dip pen
  • Ballpoint pen
  • Rollerball
  • Mechanical pencil
  • Set
  • Inkwell / desk set
Brand Text
Brand or manufacturer under which the object was sold.
Model Text
Model or product name given by the manufacturer.
Date / period Text
When the object was made, as precise as known, e.g. 1876, c. 1890, 1920s, 2nd century AD.
Limited edition Text
Edition name and number, e.g. Writers Edition Agatha Christie, 1234/30000.
Serial number Text
Individual serial number of this object, as marked on it.

Construction

Filling system Choice
How the pen is filled.
  • Piston
  • Cartridge / converter
  • Lever
  • Button
  • Vacuum / plunger
  • Eyedropper
  • Crescent
  • Matchstick / other sac filler
  • Not applicable
Body material Choice, or your own
Material of barrel and cap.
  • Celluloid
  • Hard rubber / ebonite
  • Resin / acrylic
  • Precious metal
  • Base metal / steel
  • Wood
  • Urushi / maki-e lacquer
Colour Text
Colour or colours as seen in daylight, main colour first.
Nib material Choice, or your own
Material of the nib.
  • Gold 14 ct
  • Gold 18 ct
  • Gold 21 ct or more
  • Steel
  • Titanium
  • Palladium
Nib size / grind Choice, or your own
Nib width and grind.
  • EF
  • F
  • M
  • B
  • BB
  • Stub
  • Italic
  • Oblique
  • Flexible
Length (cm) Number
Greatest length.

Condition

Condition Choice
Overall condition in plain terms; domains with an established grading scale use that scale instead.
  • Mint / as new
  • Excellent
  • Very good
  • Good
  • Fair
  • Poor
Condition notes Text
Faults, wear and damage in detail.
Restoration & repairs Text
Restorations, repairs, replaced parts and cleaning, with who did them and when if known.
Working order Choice
Whether the mechanism or device works.
  • Working
  • Working with faults
  • Not tested
  • Not working
  • Restored to working order

Completeness

Original packaging Choice
Original box, case, manual, certificate or warranty card that came with the object.
  • Original box and documents
  • Original box only
  • Documents only
  • None

Acquisition

How and when the object came into the collection.

Acquisition date Date
Date the object came into the collection.
Acquisition method Choice, or your own
How the object came into the collection.
  • Purchase
  • Auction
  • Gift
  • Inheritance
  • Exchange / trade
  • Self-collected / found
  • Commission
Acquired from Text
Seller, auction house (with sale and lot number), donor or place where it was found.
Purchase price Amount
Price paid including fees and premiums.
Provenance Text
Earlier owners and the object's history, oldest first, with sources (labels, invoices, sale catalogues).

Value

Estimated and insured value.

Estimated value Amount
Current market value as estimated.
Valuation date Date
Date of the current value estimate.
Valuation basis Choice
What the estimated value is based on.
  • Own estimate
  • Recent sales / auction results
  • Dealer offer
  • Catalogue value
  • Professional appraisal
  • Insurance valuation
Insured value Amount
Sum the object is insured for.

Collection record

Your own inventory data.

Inventory number Text
Your own number or label for the object, e.g. C-0042, as written on its label or album page.
Storage location Text
Where the object is kept, e.g. room, cabinet, drawer, album and page, box.

Standards and References

The data sheets follow the standards collectors, dealers and museums use:

Updated October 24, 2026