Collecting Montblancs

[Trom]

Is collecting Monblancs a good/sensible idea?

 

I have been trying to sell my Montblanc PoA Copernicus 4810 Fountain Pen for more than a month now.

At about 40% less the original price. A good deal you would say, but nobody seems to want it.

 

Probably it was a bad decision to start buying Montblancs for starting a collection. I could have used the pen for writing, but I have already enough excellent fountain pens to write with.

 

Was/is it a bad decision to collect Montblancs?

[Pravda]

It depends which pens.. not all limited editions are coveted by collectors. Even with regular editions, some are more desirable than others. Once you know enough, possibly a good idea to collect for personal enjoyment, but not for profit or necessarily investment purposes. That is to say, I buy ones that I (1) like then (2) know to hold value (3) not looking to invest.

[Chrissy]

I would agree with Pravda up to a point.

 

IMHO collecting Montblanc pens is a good idea if you can afford to buy them and you wish to use them.

 

It is not a good idea to collect them as a potential investment, because only a certain few increase in value enough to be worthy of an investment.

[Calamus plasticus]

The true is that most luxury/LE pens are absurdly overpriced: if you buy them at retailing price and them you want/have to sell them, you are going to loose a lot of money. Not a good investment: they devaluate as soon as you take out from the store.

[Trom]

It depends which pens.. not all limited editions are coveted by collectors. Even with regular editions, some are more desirable than others. Once you know enough, possibly a good idea to collect for personal enjoyment, but not for profit or necessarily investment purposes. That is to say, I buy ones that I (1) like then (2) know to hold value (3) not looking to invest.

 

I like(d) the Copernicus, but did not expect that it is so hard to sell it, even less than the original price. Losing money is not nice.

Which pens of the PoA series hold their value? Not many is my guess.

 

So what's the point of collecting if you can only buy one or two pens that hold their value? Only for looking at the pens once a week?

[Trom]

The true is that most luxury/LE pens are absurdly overpriced: if you buy them at retailing price and them you want/have to sell them, you are going to loose a lot of money. Not a good investment: they devaluate as soon as you take out from the store.

 

So, it is like cars. It does not make a lot of sense to buy more cars than you drive with. It would not be wise unless you have so much money that you can afford not to care about money

[Sblakers]

Imho collecting for investment purposes is not a good investment. Even the most desireable pens have their ups and downs. I cant imagine the FP community to be all that large so the demand for any pen will not be stable. Ive seen decent priced 139's sit stagnant. It all depends on who has what, who needs what, and who wants what. As far as your copernicus---- youl could keep it at the price you have it and eventually it might sell(if a collector decides he needs it) or you could drop the price until someone bites-- it all depends on how badly you want to sell the pen. I have had great success selling my pens-- but my rule of thumb is to sell $100 dollars lower than the lowest reasonable and comparable ebay sold listing.

 

One thing i do know-- if you price a pen and it just wont sell that probably means you have it too high for the market and no matter how many times you bump it up the list or repost it, it probably wont sell. You could always list on ebay-- there is a good chance you could get more for the pen than say on Fpn classifieds. BUT-- therr is even a better chance that you could get a far lower price. (If you allow the pen to actually be bid for)--- but the dynamics of ebay is a whole other topic

[chunya]

 

I like(d) the Copernicus, but did not expect that it is so hard to sell it, even less than the original price. Losing money is not nice.

Which pens of the PoA series hold their value? Not many is my guess.

 

So what's the point of collecting if you can only buy one or two pens that hold their value? Only for looking at the pens once a week?

This is a question that crops up every now and again. If I were going to buy a LE or any high end MB, then I would weigh up the pros and cons of buying from a retailer,or buying second hand, and a discount might not always tempt me to buy second hand. Some people (and I am not one of those, I almost always buy second hand) would only ever considering buying new....

However, a month is no time at all ..... I have had items on offer on the Bay for several months, declined silly offers, and in the end realised a price pretty close to the one advertised, and the value of the pen. If you're not in a hurry just play the waiting game.

Good luck!

[Trom]

This is a question that crops up every now and again. If I were going to buy a LE or any high end MB, then I would weigh up the pros and cons of buying from a retailer,or buying second hand, and a discount might not always tempt me to buy second hand. Some people (and I am not one of those, I almost always buy second hand) would only ever considering buying new....

However, a month is no time at all ..... I have had items on offer on the Bay for several months, declined silly offers, and in the end realised a price pretty close to the one advertised, and the value of the pen. If you're not in a hurry just play the waiting game.

Good luck!

 

Thank you. You are right. It's best to buy a mint or near mint pen from a private person at a lower price. That's what I keep in mind when seeing another beautiful Montblanc.

 

And to have patience. That's good advice too.

[WaskiSquirrel]

I'm not really a collector, and don't care for the aesthetics of this brand.

 

But, I will say that a collection should please the collector. I wouldn't worry about the pens keeping their value. If they please you, you would enjoy seeing the collection, and you have the free cash, I say go ahead and collect them.

 

Now, if your goal is financial gain, you might be disappointed. Collections of that nature can be a gamble. Montblanc may go up in value because it is that sort of brand, but it also may not.

[Trom]

Imho collecting for investment purposes is not a good investment. Even the most desireable pens have their ups and downs. I cant imagine the FP community to be all that large so the demand for any pen will not be stable. Ive seen decent priced 139's sit stagnant. It all depends on who has what, who needs what, and who wants what. As far as your copernicus---- youl could keep it at the price you have it and eventually it might sell(if a collector decides he needs it) or you could drop the price until someone bites-- it all depends on how badly you want to sell the pen. I have had great success selling my pens-- but my rule of thumb is to sell $100 dollars lower than the lowest reasonable and comparable ebay sold listing.

 

One thing i do know-- if you price a pen and it just wont sell that probably means you have it too high for the market and no matter how many times you bump it up the list or repost it, it probably wont sell. You could always list on ebay-- there is a good chance you could get more for the pen than say on Fpn classifieds. BUT-- therr is even a better chance that you could get a far lower price. (If you allow the pen to actually be bid for)--- but the dynamics of ebay is a whole other topic

 

That's true. I found out that I'm more a user than a collector, that's why I'm selling a few pens that I'm not using.

Financial gain is not my goal nor losing money.

 

Nevertheless, strange that it takes time (for most human beings) to know what you want.

Edited October 25, 2014 by Trom

[Chu0009]

I have seen your Copernicus on the classified section getting re posted again. It's a nice pen, I am sure the right buyer will come up.

 

I collect pens but only the one I like and will ink and write with.

I don't buy as an investment.

A beautifully pen has a purpose.. to be used and enjoyed by the writer. Keeping it and stored would be illogical in my mind.

 

I recently purchased an MB 149 and MB 147 from FPN members. They are in my rotation of pens for daily use now.

 

If you want to fulfill the collecting disease that we all have, might consider collecting gold coins ! they will keep their base gold value.

[Wolverine1]

Trom- you have experienced what a lot of people seem to have. That MB or any other brand, well, there is no intrinsic value to them. That is, it is not like buying a bar of gold bullion for investment purposes. MB makes wonderful pens, but, I would recommend that you buy pens from the secondary market, and not buy them at full retail prices. And since you are more a user, buy the pens you like used. I used that strategy to get 4 MB 149 pens, all in mint condition, that I use every day.

Best of luck selling your pen.

[Trom]

I have seen your Copernicus on the classified section getting re posted again. It's a nice pen, I am sure the right buyer will come up.

 

I collect pens but only the one I like and will ink and write with.

I don't buy as an investment.

A beautifully pen has a purpose.. to be used and enjoyed by the writer. Keeping it and stored would be illogical in my mind.

 

I recently purchased an MB 149 and MB 147 from FPN members. They are in my rotation of pens for daily use now.

 

If you want to fulfill the collecting disease that we all have, might consider collecting gold coins ! they will keep their base gold value.

 

Yes, and there is a buyer now.

 

Using suits me better than 'hoarding'. (I'm not against it).

Even gold has its ups and downs. The price is probably manipulated, but that's a different discussion

[Trom]

Trom- you have experienced what a lot of people seem to have. That MB or any other brand, well, there is no intrinsic value to them. That is, it is not like buying a bar of gold bullion for investment purposes. MB makes wonderful pens, but, I would recommend that you buy pens from the secondary market, and not buy them at full retail prices. And since you are more a user, buy the pens you like used. I used that strategy to get 4 MB 149 pens, all in mint condition, that I use every day.

Best of luck selling your pen.

 

Thanks!

The bottom line is that value is a fiction. Using what I 'need' suits me better these days, but that's for everyone to decide or not.

[Sblakers]

Personally i think your listing price is more than fair. I would by the pen for that price, even though im not looking for a copernicus. Alas my pen funds are in the negative or i honestly would have bought your pen.

Edited October 25, 2014 by Sblakers

[Trom]

Personally i think your listing price is more than fair. I would by the pen for that price, even though im not looking for a copernicus. Alas my pen funds are in the negative or i honestly would have bought your pen.

 

Thank you for your kind words

I wish you more money!

[jar]

My general expectation is that a used pen (any pen that has been sold even if it's still in original unopened packaging) will be worth about 50% of original MSRP. There are happy exceptions but I would not count on such exceptions.

[Trom]

My general expectation is that a used pen (any pen that has been sold even if it's still in original unopened packaging) will be worth about 50% of original MSRP. There are happy exceptions but I would not count on such exceptions.

 

It's different with limited editions. They often are around or a bit less, but more than 50%

[jar]

 

It's different with limited editions. They often are around or a bit less, but more than 50%

 

 

Again, that really depends on the pen and is an example of the exceptions to the rule. I find that particularly ture when it comes to most Montblanc so called Limited Editions. Look that the Writers Editions and the Hemingway has done will as has Agatha but that is about it.