Parker Vacumatics
Pen Profiles: Vacumatics, Vacuum Fillers; also Vacumatic nomenclature, instructions
7322: Parker Vacuum Filler set: rare uncatalogued full-size model in red pearl laminate with extra-wide stripes in translucent blue; pen is 12.8 cm long, matching cone-actuated pencil (even harder to find), 12.55 cm; both bear good strong imprints, along with pantographed names -- commonly found on these pens, for some reason, along with flaking plating on the clips. The two-way turnup nib is two-tone and bears the early arrow with a single-line central rib; the pen barrel is transparent (this model is also found with the barrel opaque). Pencil slightly bent, material on both pieces sound, with no sign of the deterioration typically found on the pen cap. Too rare to have been a production item, this model -- sometimes dubbed the "Ripley" Vacumatic, after the only known contemporary illustration in print in a "Ripley's Believe It or Not" cartoon -- appears to have been made as a market test, and is also known with Vacumatic imprints..
DATE: c. 1932 • CONDITION: VG • NIB: fine/extra-fine •
$1650 
8612: Parker Vacuum Filler: rare proto-Vacumatic, silver pearl laminate with one-piece section and barrel; 12 cm long, white gold filled trim, striped jewels, metal lockdown filler, barrel imprint mostly polished away, plating on two-tone nib also worn, condition otherwise excellent, undamaged section unusual in this model; two-way nib writes extra-fine upside-down.
DATE: c. 1932 • CONDITION: VG-fine • NIB: fine
• $500
5960: Parker Vacuum Filler: black with fully transparent barrel, 12 cm long, gold filled trim, no brassing, good imprint (usually weak), typical even barrel darkening, "VACUUM FILLER" imprinted nib.
DATE: c. 1933 •
CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: medium fine semiflex • $500
7717: Parker Vacumatic: golden pearl laminate double-jewel, 12.8 cm long, gold filled trim, striped pointy jewels and section, lockdown filler, good barrel imprint with 2nd quarter date code, good barrel transparency, nib is a later replacement, with date code for 1946; the color is common on later Vacs, but is hard to find on earlier models, having been introduced only at the tail end of the lockdown filler era.
DATE:
1936 • CONDITION: VG-fine* • NIB: fine semiflex • $265
9250: Parker Vacumatic Maxima: oversize green pearl laminate, 13.35 cm long, gold filled trim, scarce star clip; striped section and jewels, aluminum Speedline filler unit, strong barrel imprint with 3rd quarter date code, plating worn on two-tone Arrow nib, tip is semistub in form, rigid yet smooth. Fine barrel transparency, but barrel is slightly bent with irregular shrinkage next to the threads due to past overheating during repair -- overall condition otherwise fine to excellent.
DATE: 1937 • CONDITION: VG* • NIB:
medium fine rigid • $325
5580: Parker Vacumatic Junior: small grey pearl marbled, 12 cm long, chrome plated trim, outstanding barrel transparency, roughness to cap band plating, bold imprint with 4th quarter date code, lockdown filler, 1946 date code on Arrow nib.
DATE: 1937 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: extra-fine semiflex •
$245
7290: Parker Vacumatic Junior: brown Shadow Wave, 12.8 cm long, gold filled trim, aluminum Speedline filler, good barrel transparency, clear imprint with 4th quarter date code, matching year code on nib; wear to feathers of arrow clip, cap mark on barrel, but fine overall appearance.
DATE: 1939 • CONDITION: VG •
NIB: extra-fine semiflex • $200
5242: Parker Vacumatic Junior: large size grey Shadow Wave, 12.7 cm long, chrome plated trim, aluminum Speedline filler; good barrel transparency, imprint clear but last few words and date code mostly polished away; name on barrel, nib has 1940 date code.
DATE: 1940 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: fine semiflex •
$205
9150: Parker Vacumatic Junior: green pearl laminate double-jewel, 12.8 cm long, gold filled trim, metal Speedline filler, excellent barrel transparency, strong barrel imprint with 4th quarter date code.
DATE: 1941 •
CONDITION: exc • NIB: extra-fine • $220
9242: Parker Vacumatic Maxima: oversize golden pearl laminate, 13.6 cm long, gold filled trim, Blue Diamond clip, good barrel imprint but with 3rd quarter date code barely legible; excellent barrel transparency, black end jewels, replacement filler unit with plastic plunger, smooth-writing single-tone Arrow nib.
DATE: 1941
• CONDITION: fine • NIB: fine • $425
6106: Parker Vacumatic Debutante: silver pearl laminate double-jewel, 11.8 cm long, chrome plated trim, unusual smooth wide cap band; good imprint with 3rd quarter date code, fine barrel transparency, overall condition excellent but for typical plating roughness.
DATE: 1941 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: fine semiflex
• $275
9146: Parker Vacumatic Junior: green pearl laminate, 12.8 cm long, gold filled over silver wartime trim, imprint with 4th quarter date code, fine barrel transparency.
DATE: 1942 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: fine
• $165
8692: Parker Vacumatic Junior: silver pearl laminate, 12.8 cm long, wartime unmarked sterling silver trim, typical opaque black plastic filler plunger; good barrel transparency, good barrel imprint with 2nd quarter date code; Parker production was drastically reduced in 1942 with US mobilization.
DATE: 1942 • CONDITION:
fine • NIB: fine • $165
9151: Parker Vacumatic Major: green pearl laminate, 12.8 cm long, gold filled over silver trim, Blue Diamond clip; wartime pen, imprint with 3rd quarter date code, good barrel transparency, deeper green than usual (sometimes seen in wartime production).
DATE: 1943 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: medium fine semiflex
• $165
8569: Parker Vacumatic Debutante: small golden pearl laminate, 11.8 cm long, gold filled trim, Blue Diamond clip, geometric pattern cap band, imprint has been polished, but clearly legible 4th quarter date code; typical wartime filler unit with diamond imprint on plunger end, blind cap fit slightly off.
DATE: 1943 •
CONDITION: VG • NIB: medium fine semiflex • $105
7872: Parker Imperial Ensign Vacumatic: extremely rare, only a handful known, black with solid 14K trim and two-tone "Empire" 14K cap; 13.3 cm long, fine barrel transparency, cap like new, Canadian production (cap marked "MADE IN U.S.A.", as it appears Empire caps were only made in Parker's US factory), initials "G.W.C." professionally and discreetly engraved at top back of cap.
DATE: 1943 • CONDITION: exc-near mint
• NIB: extra-fine • $8000
9478: Parker Vacumatic Major: silver pearl laminate, 12.75 cm long, chrome plated trim, Blue Diamond clip, uncommon cap band with fine parallel lines pattern, good imprint with 2nd quarter date code, nib is smaller Junior size, has 4th quarter code from same year; fine barrel transparency, plastic filler plunger with diamond imprint on end.
DATE: 1944 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: fine • $160
9159: Parker Vacumatic Major: silver pearl laminate, 12.75 cm long, chrome plated trim, Blue Diamond clip, barrel imprint with 1st quarter date code, fine barrel transparency, some roughness to trim plating, typical wartime diamond imprint on filler plunger.
DATE: 1944 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: extra-fine
• $145
7881: Parker Imperial Vacumatic: black with unusual Canadian-made gold filled cap, 13.7 cm long, Blue Diamond clip, black jewel, fine barrel transparency, two-tone nib, wartime plastic filler unit, good barrel imprint with weak but legible date code; cap has tiny engraved initials "A.S." on rim, unusual fine parallel lines pattern, spacing of lines finer and less regular than normal USA production, some shrinkage/swelling around filler unit (see details).
DATE: 1944 • CONDITION: fine* • NIB: extra-fine • $895
9153: Parker Vacumatic Sub-Debutante: unusual green pearl laminate, 11.9 cm long, nonstandard chrome plated trim, barrel imprint worn but partially legible, fine barrel transparency. Green Vacs normally came with gold filled trim.
DATE: c. 1945 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: extra-fine • $200
9154: Parker Vacumatic Junior: golden pearl laminate, 12.9 cm long, gold filled over silve wartime trim, uncommon "jeweler's" cap band with fine parallel lines pattern; imprint with 3rd quarter date code, fine barrel transparency.
DATE: 1945 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: extra-fine • $165
9156: Parker Vacumatic Debutante: small green pearl laminate, 12 cm long, gold filled trim, Blue Diamond clip, geometric pattern cap band, strong imprint with 1st quarter date code, excellent barrel transparency, aluminum Speedline filler (not uncommon on early 1942 single-jewel pens).
DATE: c. 1945 • CONDITION: exc
• NIB: extra-fine • $200
9358: Parker Vacumatic Major: silver pearl laminate, 12.8 cm long, chrome plated trim, Blue Diamond clip, fine barrel transparency; end of barrel imprint polished so as to obscure date code, long scratch along barrel just below imprint; date code on nib clearly visible, wartime production pen.
DATE: 1945 • CONDITION:
fine • NIB: fine • $135
9432: Parker Vacumatic Major: green pearl laminate, 12.9 cm long, gold filled trim, Blue Diamond clip, fine barrel transparency with strong wartime 2nd quarter date code; plastic filler plunger with diamond imprint on end.
DATE: 1945 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: medium fine semiflex • $200
9477: Parker Vacumatic Major: black laminate, 12.8 cm long, gold filled trim, gold filled over silver Blue Diamond clip, fine barrel transparency, strong imprint with 4th quarter date code.
DATE: 1945 • CONDITION:
fine-exc • NIB: medium fine • $145
8600: Parker Vacumatic Major: silver pearl laminate, 12.75 cm long, chrome plated trim, Blue Diamond clip, cap band plating mostly worn away revealing wartime silver substrate; excellent barrel transparency, sharp imprint with 2nd quarter date code.
DATE: 1946 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: extra-fine • $140
8584: Parker Vacumatic Major: silver pearl laminate, 12.8 cm long, chrome plated trim, Blue Diamond clip, good barrel transparency, imprint with 3rd quarter date code.
DATE: 1946 • CONDITION: fine • NIB:
extra-fine firm • $135
8691: Parker Vacumatic Major: silver pearl laminate, 12.8 cm long, chrome plated trim, Blue Diamond clip, cap band with silver substrate; near mint barrel transparency, good imprint with 4th quarter date code, blind cap appears to be a replacement, a bit small for the barrel; traces of plating visible, nib originally two-tone.
DATE: 1946 • CONDITION: fine* • NIB: extra-fine • $120
9148: Parker Vacumatic Sub-Debutante: golden pearl laminate, 12 cm long, gold filled trim, barrel imprint with 2nd quarter date code, usual slight swelling at barrel end over filler unit.
DATE: 1946 •
CONDITION: fine* • NIB: medium • $120
9161: Parker Vacumatic Major: black laminate, 12.9 cm long, gold filled trim, Blue Diamond clip, barrel imprint with 3rd quarter date code, fine barrel transparency.
DATE: 1946 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: medium
fine • $125
8594: Parker Vacumatic Junior: silver pearl laminate, 12.9 cm long, chrome plated over silver trim, fine barrel transparency, sharp barrel imprint with 3rd quarter date code, matching date code on nib.
DATE: 1946 •
CONDITION: fine • NIB: extra-fine • $115
8582: Parker Vacumatic Junior: silver pearl laminate, 12.75 cm long, chrome plated trim, fine barrel transparency, good barrel imprint with 2nd quarter date code, matching date code on nib; clip mark on cap but hard to see because of stripes.
DATE: 1948 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: fine semiflex • $125