Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 427

I didn't photograph this unusual vintage Sheaffer desk set base at our September pen club meeting because Stuart had already sent in this review (but asked me to hold off posting it until he showed it at our meeting). Without further ado, here's the desk base in question...

Stuart wrote: "I’m attaching some pics of the new arrival I told you about - it’s a Sheaffer pen stand sold by itself, without a pen."

(all photos courtesy of Stuart ~ please click on images to enlarge)

"It’s black plastic, with a metal base covered by black felt. It has subtle geometric detailing that give it an Art Deco air."



"Going by the Sheaffer’s logo on the label (photo below), I would put it as having been produced between 1927 and 1932, though it could be a little later than that."

 
"It incorporates a pen rest, as shown in my photos."

"I’ve not seen another one like it, so I assume they’re uncommon. It came from Brockville, Ontario, though it’s US Sheaffer production. One interesting note - you can see metal at the bottom of the pen socket, when you look down into it. Maybe that fitting helps hold the base in the plastic body of the set. It’s a simple but striking base, and I’m happy to have found it!"

A few weeks after he sent in the above review, I got this from Stuart:

Stuart:"Searching eBay for Sheaffer desk sets, look what I found!

"A 1933 ad for a set including the pyramid base I have, so I was in the ball-park with my guess of a date range of 1927-1935. And look what you could get with it!!! It doesn’t give a price for the entire ensemble, but I’d guess $12 to $18 if the pen and pencils were Lifetime models.

The base is heavy plastic with a felt-covered metal base, so weightier than it looks - it’s very stable. The base on its own was $1.50, without a pen, so it would have been an economy-level base."

Our thanks to Stuart for sharing all of his great vintage and modern finds with us on our pen club's website :) We'll be featuring a very old (a true antique, actually) fountain pen belonging to Christopher here on Wednesday, so stay tuned!