Do You Ever Wish You Only Had One Or Two Fp's Instead Of The 10's Possibly 100's?

[The Blue Knight]

I often think it would be nice to have small group of pens that I would use of often then many individual pens I use infrequently. The only thing that has stopped from doing this is the knowledge that I would be making a considerable loss in selling most of the pens off and in many cases for 40-50% of the RRP in return wouldn't be worth the bother and I am better off hang on to them.

 

Does anyone else feel the same way?

[readonly]

The only thing that has stopped from doing this is the knowledge that I would be making a considerable loss in selling most of the pens off and in many cases for 40-50% of the RRP in return wouldn't be worth the bother and I am better off hang on to them.

Maybe it helps to realize that the "considerable loss" already occurred. If you sell or not does not affect the loss (except that it may increase or, in very rare cases, decrease). The real question is, what is the utility of the pens to you? Especially if you use them infrequently? Note that just storing them also creates storage cost.

 

Personally, I used to have his wish and turned it into reality. My downsized pen pool is at four pens now.

[bbs]

Yes, actually. I used to think I wouldn't sell any of my pens then the number rose and rose and there was an expensive pen I wanted, so I did end up selling about 15, recouping about 80 per cent of my outlay (though I didn't expect to get that much, and that doesn't take into account the pleasure I had got from owning and using those pens, I'm not in this for the money).

 

I have some pens I love using, some that surprise me by being nicer than I remembered and others that I don't think I'd miss. And there are still pens I'm chasing ....

 

I haven't got round to selling any more, although I must - in particular I really don't get on with my Waterman Edson, my Sheaffer Targa in green moire laque probably deserves a more appreciative home and I just mistimed a couple of bids on shingle Conway Stewart Bellivers and am about to receive two pens that are exactly the same. That is a step too far ......

[mirosc]

Yes, I've already got rid of some of my family members and I'm currently sorting the remaining pens. One into the pot and one into the crop.

[ink-syringe]

I don't have that much but now a bit more than usual.

 

I am figuring a few things out and doing some buying and selling and when the dust clears I'll sell a few and get down to 7 or 8 pens. A few inked up at work and a few at home. A few vintage a few new.

 

I don't like to hoard and i don't like things to get chaotic. I'd rather sell at a loss than have pens and pen boxes everywhere.

 

I have never had more than 10-15 pens tops anyway. Currently have about 12.

 

Once it gets up over double digits I start instituting the "if I take on a new pen I have to sell or give one away" rule.

 

But all my pens are new so I am getting a couple user grade vintage and stopping.

[Cryptos]

I would. If I could turn back the clock I would try to achieve a balance between 1-3 pens that see a lot of use (for me this would likely be a Pilot or a Nakaya -depending on funds - something with a character nib - probably a Franklin Christoph, and perhaps something with a bit of genuine flex), and a small handful of what I consider to iconic designs (that is in my opinion only though, so I won't give examples).

 

In terms of spending money I probably have close to the cost of the above already in the pens I have, and that is quite frankly a bit embarrassing.

[Zanshin]

Yes, and I have sold a considerable number over the last year. There's only one I regret selling which was a gorgeous Conway Stewart 84 in red with gold veins and a superb nib that just made me smile whenever I used it.

 

I'm now at the stage where I'm having difficulty deciding what is the next to go. I'm trying to make a point of using one pen for a good few weeks to really get used to it before changing to the next pen in my rotation. It brings out some interesting comparisons and I've been surprised once or twice by pens that I've really enjoyed using in the past which now seem disappointing in some way compared to the previous one in rotation.

 

There are some pens I like a great deal but for one reason or another don't get used that often. I find my tastes vary as well, which makes me reluctant to sell something I think I might return to later.

 

Could I ever get the collection down to four or five? Probably, but it would be tough.

[yogalarva]

I prefer to keep my herd pretty small. I have one coming in the mail and that will bring my total up to 6, not counting the pen I use only for ink reviewing. Of that six, one is a VP with a busted nib, so it doesn't get used, and I frequently give pens that don't see much use (and aren't worth the time and effort of selling, IMO) to family members and friends, so that keeps things controlled. I very much prefer having fewer pens but them all being ones that I really enjoy using - I can't figure out how I would find time to use another 6 pens, so best to keep the numbers small. :-)

[SnorriRafn]

I have a few pens that I use the most, my Lamy 2000, Parker 51, TWSBI Vac700 and I just added a Pelikan M200. Then I have pens that I consider very good but they get less use, TWSBI 580, and two Lamy Safaris. These I will never get rid of. Some of my other pens are cheaper, not really worth selling but I have given away pens in that class. For example, I am about to give my sister my Kaweco Sport, Pilot 78G and a couple of Hero 612s. If the number of pens in the first two categories gets too high, then I would consider selling those that see the least use. Until then I am fine with system as it is.

[scrivelry]

No. What I have does not bother me. Unless you live in a really really tiny space, I can't quite see the storage of pens being a big problem.

 

Wanting to share the hobby by spreading pens around is a different story - some people responding to this thread do this, but it is not part of the original question.

[jar]

No.

[spotted and speckled]

No.

 

Double No.

[Charles Rice]

I only have about 30, and NO desire to get rid of any.

[Paddler]

If you have many pens, you have more freedom: you are free to get rid of them. It doesn't necessarily work the other way around. And when I look at my pen hoard, I never consider the RRP, the BCH, the MSRP, the RCH, the FCITB, or the GUI in the TM.

[Sasha Royale]

Do I ever wish to have four fingers on my left hand, instead of five ? No.

 

There are fountain pens that become too valuable for me to keep and enjoy.

There are fountain pens that I acquired for learning and sharing.

My fountain pens are not a financial investment. Whether I keep and use a fountain pen, or liquidate a fountain by selling

or giving, my fountain pens give me joy. There are even four, colorful pens I keep as targets of my disdain.

 

I once bought a Pelikan M400 for $275. It was a redundancy in my collection, but wrote nicely. After two months, I sold it

for $240. The cost of eight week of enjoyment was $35.

 

I hope your fountain pens bring you joy, (and a little madness)

 

.

[sirgilbert357]

I've literally just begun this hobby and only have a Parker Vector. But I went to a pen show in Dallas yesterday and got my hands on one of the pens I've been thinking about buying - a Pelikan M205. Handling it in the flesh sealed the deal for me; I ordered it as soon as I got home! Pretty good deal for 87 bucks shipped and no tax!

 

After this, I may get a Japanese medium nib of some variety so I can have what equals a fine nib in the collection (the Pelikan is medium). I really liked the Salior 1911 and the Platinum 3776 I handled. I'll have to wait till Christmas for one of those though. As I've learned with my watch collection, I generally end up preferring to focus on quality over quantity. So I'll have blue and black ink in the Pelikan and the second pen I choose and I'll use the Parker Vector to test more "lively" inks...

 

Edit: I think I'll also be reserved in my inks. One or two blues, one or two blacks and a few "fun colors". I don't want to buy a bunch of ink I end up never using, so I plan to get samples from Goulet of each ink before I buy a whole bottle.

Edited September 27, 2014 by sirgilbert357

[Gaslight]

I've learned that happiness is in doing things and not in owning things... Too many pens would be somewhat stressful for me, so I keep my collection down to 8-10 pens...

[Blade Runner]

Nope. I enjoy the option of choosing from a selection of pens which includes different nibs depending on the occasion and type of paper.

If I want to use one pen exclusively for an extended period of time from my collection, that's another option.

[Baric]

I don't feel this way, but then I don't have what I'd consider a large number of pens. Currently about 18-20, even all those fit in a single pen case. If I wanted to downsize, the perceived "loss" would not stop me. Whether a monetary loss is realized or not doesn't make it any less true, so that's a moot point unless I think a pen might possibly increase in value in the future. But the actual sale value of a pen is mostly irrelevant to me, I'm not in this for the money, but purely for the enjoyment and personal satisfaction of seeing my handwriting skill increase. I'm certainly not going to win any prizes, but it's important to me.

 

However, I DO have way too many inked at the same time. I like variety, but I think I've let it get a bit out of hand. I'm going to cut the total number inked at one time to 5 or 6. 3 for my carry case, 1 or 2 as shirt pocket pens to carry on me, and a couple of specialty desk pens for practicing, like a soft nib and a wide stub. I'll rotate in or out as the fancy takes me. I think. I may change my mind in 5 minutes

 

This said, there are still a couple I'd consider parting with, but not for sale. I've been thinking of PIF'ing each with a bottle ink. I like the idea of my pens going to a good home where they will be used and enjoyed. Still letting it gestate in the back of my brain.

[Doug C]

About 7 or 8 years ago, I had about 400-500 pens. I sold off most of them when I realized that I nevered used them. I have about 200 now, but they are for the most part, pens I use. I am getting ready to sell about 10 to 20 of them, but really have a tough time looking at selling the remainder.