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Justification For M800


hankas

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Hi,

 

The other day I went to a small local bookstore, and discovered that they have a Pelikan Souveran M800 with "Made in W. Germany" engraving on its band and a 14c EF nib. They didn't put any price tag on it. They had price tags for other everyday items, but they didn't put any on the M800. It's one of those shops where you can haggle to get a bit of discount. The pen is brand new. It's green striated. It's probably the most expensive item they have in the shop. The store clerk said it is an old item that has been around since before he works there, and it's the only one the shop has.

 

I may be wrong about this, but to the best of my knowledge the pen should be manufactured some time between 1987-1989 before the reunification and it is one of the sought after pens. What I would like to know are:

  1. Is there any justification to buying this pen? I am well aware that M800 isn't an entry level fountain pen. Compared to other competing brands in its price range, the materials used on the M800 seem cheap. With other brands, you may get pens with metallic shaft with lots of bling bling. On the other hand, the Pelikan Souveran M800 is made of plastic resin. The piston barrel may be made of brass, but the piston mechanism inside is made of plastic. So what makes this pen worth the price? Or should I spend my money elsewhere?
  2. What would be a fair price for this early edition of M800?
  3. Is there anything else that I need to be aware of about this pen?

 

Thanks.

 

Henry

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Well, you should dip test it and see if you like it. Pelikans have great nibs. I think US $250 would be a good open for an 800, but others can chime in.

<i>"Most people go through life using up half their energy trying to protect a dignity they never had."</i><br>-Marlowe, in <i>The Long Goodbye</i>

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I just purchased a mint condition 1st edition m800 in black from Mr. Propas. IMHO, these first editions are the most desirable ones. They came with semi-flexible 14C nibs that are highly sought after. I tried to buy one on ebay and they all went for nearly $500. If you can get it for anything below $400, it would be a great deal. FPN member sold one on this board couple of weeks ago for $450 and someone bought it in less than an hour, NOW GO GET THAT PEN!

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There is always a justification for buying a pen you want- but not for a pen you don`t.

 

i don`t like pelikan myself, but i wouldn`t rush to say that the M800 is flimsy- pelikan might have lost some of the quality in the last decades, but higher end models should serve the owner a lifetime. The nibs are the ones that disappoint me a bit, although some people love them.

 

So, it`s a matter of taste and perception.

 

As for the price, i wouldn`t pay more than 200 usd for one, although it could be worth 300, maybe.

Check the pen visually for damage and see if it is really uninked, and see if the piston still works properly! This is important.

If it doesn`t turn smoothly, it`s not a big deal, but you can tell the clerk that it needs to be serviced and get an even better price this way :)

Edited by rochester21
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Definitely a first-year (1987 Pelikan) M800. Rare nib :)

would say try $300? $400 would be fair, on the high side but not outrageous.

 

reg rochester21's post, yeah, that would be a good price for the later pens.. but not for a 1st-year model..

Edited by dduran
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It seems to be store with ages, I appreciate that, is it possible to inform me the address and name? What else dose the store have?

 

As to the pen, you can try S$300, for these stores owners do not appreciate the beauty of old stuffs. They may be happy that finally there is someone standing out to claim it.

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reg rochester21's post, yeah, that would be a good price for the later pens.. but not for a 1st-year model..

 

How do you know if it`s a first year pen? It may be a first edition, but that`s a different thing. I did have a W Germany made pelikan 250, can`t say that i was impressed with it, and it didn`t look like an "early" version. These are modern pens, after all.

 

Anyway, generally speaking, i price pens which i buy for myself not according to the catalog price, but depending on how much i like them :)

Edited by rochester21
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I assumed it's a first year because of the W-Germany + 14c nib

Yes, it's possible to have a W-Germany cap on a non-first year M800 (1988-1989) if the captop is stamped and not engraved.

 

But, assuming the nib is original to the pen, the 14c nib would be a very good indicator of it's vintage..

 

Don't get me wrong, I think your pricing is good specially for the 2nd hand market but like MB's Hemingway, 1st-years do get a lot of premium.. fortunately in the case of M800s, there's actually a redeeming value (the 14c nibs)

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Buy. buy, buy...it has a beautiful springy semi vintage nib.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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What John said. If you don't want it, buy it and sell it or trade it to me! In my not so humble opinion, these are the best of the best in modern pens, even if there is not enough bling to them.

I just purchased a mint condition 1st edition m800 in black from Mr. Propas. IMHO, these first editions are the most desirable ones. They came with semi-flexible 14C nibs that are highly sought after. I tried to buy one on ebay and they all went for nearly $500. If you can get it for anything below $400, it would be a great deal. FPN member sold one on this board couple of weeks ago for $450 and someone bought it in less than an hour, NOW GO GET THAT PEN!

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Four or five hundred dollars is my estimate for an M800. Are we all agreed that W. Germany is a country

that no longer exists ? This fact has collector value. How much ? Collectors are crazy, so it's an open

guess. I wouldn't pay $1000 for it, but wouldn't be surprised if someone did.

Auf freiem Grund mit freiem Volke stehn.
Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

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in our local pen club, in an informal survey of what a newbie's first premium pen should be, the M800 won hands down. i've had several of them myself over the past 20 years--and i'm picking up a tortoise this morning--and i'd enthusiastically second that motion. no way would i consider the M800 flimsy or cheap; it's very strongly constructed; the fact that it isn't too blingy is an absolute plus for me; and it's a reliable performer with pelikan's nibs.

Check out my blog and my pens

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Your questions were:

 

  1. Is there any justification to buying this pen? I am well aware that M800 isn't an entry level fountain pen. Compared to other competing brands in its price range, the materials used on the M800 seem cheap. With other brands, you may get pens with metallic shaft with lots of bling bling. On the other hand, the Pelikan Souveran M800 is made of plastic resin. The piston barrel may be made of brass, but the piston mechanism inside is made of plastic. So what makes this pen worth the price? Or should I spend my money elsewhere?
  2. What would be a fair price for this early edition of M800?
  3. Is there anything else that I need to be aware of about this pen?

 

1. There is a justification, ... or no justification for buying this pen. If you want it, that's the justification. I'm surprised you think the pen seems cheap, and I cannot help but wonder if you equate or confuse 'bling bling' with value. Consider that Pelikans tend to hold up (physically) over time, and if you look at used pen prices, the m800's tend to hold value pretty well, then it puzzles me to think that you might consider the pen as cheap, either in quality, or value.

 

2. A fair price?, back to Q 1, how badly do you want it?, but I think you've gotten the range here.

 

3. Anything else to know? You really should take the pen in hand and if the retailer will allow, you ought to dip test it to see if you like the way it writes and handles. Whether you get a great price, or a fair price, this pen is going to cost a LOT of money. It would be a shame if you laid out a wad and were dissatisfied.

 

Frankly, coming to the Pelikan forum and asking these questions seems a little silly, like asking the Kentucky Boosters Club if the BB team is any good.

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It's an '87-89....with an even better nib than the '90-97.

I trans-mailed one...then not liking big fat Large heavy brass back ended pens.....knew I'd get well use to it with in three days. That had because it was an '87-89 a nib better than my '90-96(tortoise) M400.

 

It is a grail pen....for very many. It's the real thing, the original....not this cheap modern 800 nail.

You can get a nail anywhere, a Lamy Persona any nice Cross Townsend.....nails are common.

That was the last great Pelikan nib.

 

Well nib wise the '50's beat it. :P

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Thanks for all of your replies.

 

Given the answers I get here, I was encouraged to go back to the store and to buy the pen. The store is a bit far from my place, but I happened to have some time off this afternoon. So I visited the store, and I was disappointed over several things.

 

First, the item isn't exactly like what I thought it should be. I may have remembered it wrongly. It is Pelikan Souveran M800, with black body and green ink window (not striated like I stated before). There is a "Made in W. Germany" writing on its band and a golden disc on the piston head. Here is the most disappointing part, the nib is 18c (not 14c ... sorry guys) in extra fine size. However, the pen is brand new, in mint condition, with the piston working alright.

 

The owner asked for somewhere around an equivalence of USD 375. I thought that was a little too high, especially since this is a completely different item from what I had in mind earlier. I was not prepared for this and I had no idea what the fair price of this pen should be, so I withdrew from the shop without making a counter offer.

 

Upon leaving the store, whether it was part of their marketing gimmicks or coincidence, I saw in the corner of my eyes the owner tossed the pen back to the clerk for storage. The clerk was several meter away from him! I almost turned back, wanting to smack them both in their heads and yell "This isn't bic, morons!". But I kept my composure. On my way back, in the car, I keep telling myself that I better go back and rescue the pen from those brutes. I'll shall do that when I am ready.

 

So, what is the fair price of this pen?

 

Thanks.

Edited by hankas
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$375 USD is about what you'd pay for a new M800, never used, with warranty intact, and your choice of color and nib. You can get a discontinued Demonstrator or a Tortoise finish model for only a few dollars more.

 

I think a fair price on a working condition used M800 would be closer to $300, since you can get one for around that price on eBay whenever you see one listed. If you can find one at $200, you're getting a great deal.

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Thanks for all of your replies.

 

Given the answers I get here, I was encouraged to go back to the store and to buy the pen. The store is a bit far from my place, but I happened to have some time off this afternoon. So I visited the store, and I was disappointed over several things.

 

First, the item isn't exactly like what I thought it should be. I may have remembered it wrongly. It is Pelikan Souveran M800, with black body and green ink window (not striated like I stated before). There is a "Made in W. Germany" writing on its band and a golden disc on the piston head. Here is the most disappointing part, the nib is 18c (not 14c ... sorry guys) in extra fine size. However, the pen is brand new, in mint condition, with the piston working alright.

 

The owner asked for somewhere around an equivalence of USD 375. I thought that was a little too high, especially since this is a completely different item from what I had in mind earlier. I was not prepared for this and I had no idea what the fair price of this pen should be, so I withdrew from the shop without making a counter offer.

 

Upon leaving the store, whether it was part of their marketing gimmicks or coincidence, I saw in the corner of my eyes the owner tossed the pen back to the clerk for storage. The clerk was several meter away from him! I almost turned back, wanting to smack them both in their heads and yell "This isn't bic, morons!". But I kept my composure. On my way back, in the car, I keep telling myself that I better go back and rescue the pen from those brutes. I'll shall do that when I am ready.

 

So, what is the fair price of this pen?

 

Thanks.

 

FYI, the lowest price of my West Germany M800s with 14c nibs is $434. Normally I pay ~$500 for them.

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