I'm glad to say that the Parker 21 I received is back in the saddle again. I cleaned it, let it dry thoroughly, and then filled it with Quink (I figured Parker ink in a Parker pen is the best course of action).
It still didn't want to write, so I stored it nib-down for a few days, and it now works very well. I know nothing about pen repair - other than putting a pen in a box and handing it over to someone who does - so I was glad that this simple course of action got everything moving again. It's a nice pen, but not really worth the cost of repair.
Although most of my pens are new, there is something delightful about writing with an old pen. How many miles of ink did it lay down in its day? What words did it write?
I use a couple of old pens quite a bit. I had a Sheaffer Snorkel desk pen that I used for a few years, but now it doesn't seem to draw ink (that one's worth repair, so I'll have to send it in). I have an old Merlin that was new-old-stock and it writes beautifully. And I do all my banking in a ledger, rather than on the computer, with a 1923 lever-action Waterman. I'm not rich, but writing with such a lovely gold-nibbed pen sure makes me feel like I am.