I started visiting flea-markets when I was a kid following my father who was always looking for second-hand tools for his job. At first markets were just tiring and boring, I couldn't find anything interesting for a little girl, until I started looking at shiny coins, pen nibs (sadly many lost now) or old books... and I was hooked!
This is the small flea-market in my town, well part of it. Every time I visit a market it's a different adventure, no matter how many times I've been there before. Sometimes I'm lucky and find many great treasures, some other times I go back home empty handed, but it's a great experience either way because I get to see many different things I never thought I'd see for real or even imagined they existed.
Last weekend I made a nice loot if I can say so myself, especially since I picked everything up for a few bucks: a flock of Pelikan pens and three brand new, yet unreleased, Moleskine Star Wars LE notebooks.
The pens were all in the same box and the first to catch my eye was the barely used (see sticker) Pelikan P470-ST or Pelikan Steno for friends. It's a pretty sturdy pen from the '80s, made to last and take much abuse, with a special flexible nib made for shorthand writing. I hated shorthand in school so I nearly didn't pick this pen!
Then in red and attractive purple a couple of simple school pens from the late '80s I think, but they sport a nice M steel nib I can always grind down and play with.
And last one of these elusive
mystery pens I already found last September. Some people over at FPN said it could be a M150 version for the Japanese market that somewhat was distributed in Italy, who knows if it's true. Anyway it's in a nice shape, smoothly-working piston filler, gold plated F nib, really an amazing find for the price I paid.
The Moleskine notebooks appear from time to time in a stall at this market, usually well in advance before sold in stores. This time they had some great Star Wars LE edition :) I think these might be some kind of sales representatives sample or better test copies from the firm that makes them (remember: printed in China, assembled in Italy).
I'm glad anyway, the price was great, and even managed to haggle a little as a long-time customer.
Sadly many markets around here are closed in Summer, I shall rest and save for the next time!
