Epic Lamy Sale On Massdrop (2000, 2000 Steel, Dialog 3)

[learningsquare]

Massdrop frequently puts at least one Lamy product on sale, but it's not common to see several Lamy buys running at the same time. It must be an end-of-year thing.

 

All pens are new-in-box and carry the usual Lamy USA lifetime warranty.

 

Lamy 2000 for $104: http://dro.ps/b/AqwNTJJ

Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel for $205 (could reach $195): http://dro.ps/b/T0aNTJJ

Lamy Dialog 3 for $210 (could reach $200): http://dro.ps/b/xhUNTJJ

 

They're the lowest white-market prices I've seen from a vendor not going out of business.

 

Disclaimer: I have no professional relationship with Massdrop. I'm just a happy customer.

[Cryptos]

Sadly only shipping in the US.

[Mulrich]

Which would you recommend for a first time Lamy buyer?

[learningsquare]

Which would you recommend for a first time Lamy buyer?

I would almost certainly suggest the Lamy 2000 (around 25 grams uninked), which feels well balanced in most hands and is beautiful yet unassuming enough to be used in a variety of environments. It's the only pen I've kept in my daily carry continuously for the last year. The macrolon has quite a nice feel, too. Note that the nib size tends to run "large," as most Lamy nibs do.

 

The 2000 Stainless Steel (54 grams) and Dialog 3 (48 grams) are nice pens, to be sure, but they can be on the heavy side for some. There are also some complaints of the retractable nib drying out in the Dialog 3 if not used at least once every one or two days.

 

You can find plenty of reviews for all three pens on this site and throughout the web.

[learningsquare]

Sadly only shipping in the US.

Yeah, unfortunately many products are restricted to certain regions due to distribution agreements (I assume, in this case, that the pens are coming from Lamy USA).

 

In the past, for other products Massdrop has (openly) suggested the use of a package forwarding service to circumvent restrictions on distribution. Usually the charge for such a service is around $20 per shipment (plus first-time registration fees, if any).

 

It might seem a bit sketchy, but as far as I know, it's a common and legal practice, and manufacturers usually don't care (as there's not much they can do about it anyway). You might lose the Lamy warranty, though.

[ian1964]

Massdrop have become much more a North American operation in recent months and their prices are not always better anyway. I have seen these Lamys and Pelikans at far better value on certain European sites. Plus, once you add the ridiculously long postage times.....it just is not worth it anymore!

[Cryptos]

Which European sites would they be, Ian? If you would be so kind.

[mcgeechan]

I would have picked up a 2000 but for the US only. Good price, it is actually what I paid for my current 2000 this year and that was a 2nd hand (but unused) one.

[ian1964]

Which European sites would they be, Ian? If you would be so kind.

Well, just this week on Martini Auctions the Lamy 2000 went for about 80 Euros and the 2000 Stainless Steel went for I believe went for about 140 Euros. I bought an Apple Green Lamy for 14 Euros. P%P is 10 Euros world wide. And of course there is the Martini de site on Ebay with similar prices from time to time.

Edited December 30, 2015 by ian1964

[Cryptos]

Thanks Ian, didn't know about that site. Price for the 2000 is the same as on massdrop and the shipping is cheaper! Will have to bookmark this one!

[ian1964]

Thanks Ian, didn't know about that site. Price for the 2000 is the same as on massdrop and the shipping is cheaper! Will have to bookmark this one!

My pleasure

[learningsquare]

Massdrop have become much more a North American operation in recent months and their prices are not always better anyway. I have seen these Lamys and Pelikans at far better value on certain European sites. Plus, once you add the ridiculously long postage times.....it just is not worth it anymore!

Tradeoffs are inevitable. It's true that Massdrop doesn't always offer the best prices: if I'm willing to take the time to bid on eBay or wait for a good offer to come up on FPN, Martini Auctions, or elsewhere, it's going to take time (and possibly some level of risk), and that's reflected in the price. Yes, I can go to my favorite gray-market supplier of German or Japanese pens, but I'll forget about the warranty or any hope of a quick and easy exchange process if I get a lemon.

 

What Massdrop does offer are white-market products at prices generally much lower than that of any large retailer, such as Amazon.com. Usually it's a reasonably good deal, sometimes it's a mediocre deal, and often it's a pretty darn good deal. In the case of the current Lamy buys, I don't currently know of any white-market supplier from which I could immediately order five Lamy 2000s shipped to the U.S. for under $100 each. I sympathize with those located outside of the U.S., but I consider the (soon-to-expire) Massdrop deal a pretty good, if not excellent, value for many customers.

 

On the other hand, I might find greater value from a slightly more expensive Amazon.com product that comes with one- or two-day (sometimes same-day) shipping. Or, I might pay even on nibs.com or gouletpens.com more to get quality service and a pen that's guaranteed to write well out of the box. But if the discount is steep enough, and I'm willing to wait, I will participate in a group buy.

 

Different buyers have different circumstances and thus different needs: fast shipping to their locations, access to good post-sales service, pleasant shopping experience, and good prices. Many FPN members have scored great deals on Martini Auctions and have had good interactions with Regina Martini. (And, for sake of full disclosure, I've gotten a majority of my modern pens either second-hand or gray-market.) But Massdrop has its own strengths, too, and often provides good deals for many members of this board. As a blanket statement, the comment, "it just is not worth it anymore!" is misleading.

 

As a tangential point, I would add that many of the disadvantages of Massdrop have to do more with the nature of group buys as a business model than anything else:

 

- Distribution of many global brands is portioned on a country-to-country basis by regional distributors. As a U.S. company, Massdrop generally negotiates with the North American or U.S. distributor, which often places many stipulations on the group purchase. I've heard allegations of slow shipping to international customers, which is a fair complaint, but as far as distribution is concerned, it's not really with Massdrop's control to change the rules set by the distributor. I suspect U.S. customers would experience the same issues with a hypothetical European equivalent of Massdrop.

 

- Bulk purchasing is not intended to give quick turnaround from order to shipment, and that's part of the reason (Massdrop's typical order volume is actually not that large when you think about it) distributors give the discount on the group buy. All of the product has to reach Massdrop headquarters, where it has to be individually re-packaged—it's quite different from the much more streamlined process you encounter at a mass retailer. But the shipping itself (after the end of the drop) has always been quite quick for me. Even before I moved to California, I always received my drops within a few business days.

 

Thanks Ian, didn't know about that site. Price for the 2000 is the same as on massdrop and the shipping is cheaper! Will have to bookmark this one!

Once in a while, I see the 2000 go for under $100 and the 2000 Stainless Steel for around $20 via auction, but at the moment, I don't see the Lamy 2000 available for less than €105 (including shipping) available for immediate purchase (or maybe you purchased the last unit at the cheaper price).

[Cryptos]

No, the current price is 110 euros to buy and ship to New Zealand. Massdrop is $104 to buy only. 100 euros is about $109, so not much difference there. Massdrop is usually more expensive on shipping overseas (when it is offered).

 

At the moment the Martini prices are close enough to call comparable with Massdrop, with the added advantage of being able to ship worldwide. That's what EoC was saying, nothing more.

 

Both sites are under observation now.

[learningsquare]

No, the current price is 110 euros to buy and ship to New Zealand. Massdrop is $104 to buy only. 100 euros is about $109, so not much difference there. Massdrop is usually more expensive on shipping overseas (when it is offered).

 

At the moment the Martini prices are close enough to call comparable with Massdrop, with the added advantage of being able to ship worldwide. That's what EoC was saying, nothing more.

 

Both sites are under observation now.

You are correct; €105 is the current auction price (not the immediate purchase price) for the listing that has a "buy it now" option at €110. (There is also a separate auction opening at €9.99.)

 

I never disputed that the Massdrop deal, even if it were hypothetically available outside of the U.S., wouldn't necessarily be good for international customers. If price is the main concern, the recommendation of Martini Auctions is a fine one for those outside of the U.S. I just think that certain statements could and should have been clarified.

 

It's clear that Massdrop is a good deal for U.S. customers who are willing to wait:

- Massdrop is $104 each for up to five units, shipped free to the U.S.

- If time is a concern, I don't see a U.S. customer paying €110 ~ $120 on Martini Auctions when a pen under lifetime warranty from Lamy USA can be had on Amazon.com for $125, which comes with free shipping that generally takes three to five days (one or two days for those with Prime).

 

It depends on what one wants and where one lives. Before Amazon.com sellers started carrying the Lamy 2000 cheaply, I got a reasonably good deal on my first Lamy 2000 from isellpens.com as it was clearing out its Lamy inventory.

 

Best of luck with your purchase.

Edited December 31, 2015 by learningsquare

[ian1964]

My apologies for the confusion I have caused here. I only buy my pens from Martini from the 9.99 start. My prices I quote are from that section and that section only. I recently purchased an Apple Green Lamy Safari (brand new) for only 14 euros, Pelikan M400 (brand new) for only 105 Euros and a MB 146 (dipped only) for 204 Euros. But, they all came from the 9.99 section. Good hunting people because Regina has some amazing prices if you get lucky.

[ian1964]

You are correct; €105 is the current auction price (not the immediate purchase price) for the listing that has a "buy it now" option at €110. (There is also a separate auction opening at €9.99.)

 

I never disputed that the Massdrop deal, even if it were hypothetically available outside of the U.S., wouldn't necessarily be good for international customers. If price is the main concern, the recommendation of Martini Auctions is a fine one for those outside of the U.S. I just think that certain statements could and should have been clarified.

 

It's clear that Massdrop is a good deal for U.S. customers who are willing to wait:

- Massdrop is $104 each for up to five units, shipped free to the U.S.

- If time is a concern, I don't see a U.S. customer paying €110 ~ $120 on Martini Auctions when a pen under lifetime warranty from Lamy USA can be had on Amazon.com for $125, which comes with free shipping that generally takes three to five days (one or two days for those with Prime).

 

It depends on what one wants and where one lives. Before Amazon.com sellers started carrying the Lamy 2000 cheaply, I got a reasonably good deal on my first Lamy 2000 from isellpens.com as it was clearing out its Lamy inventory.

 

Best of luck with your purchase.

Which I believe backs up the premise opening my statement the Massdrod has become an increasingly North American operation. Sadly, I don't think that used to be the case.

[learningsquare]

Which I believe backs up the premise opening my statement the Massdrod has become an increasingly North American operation. Sadly, I don't think that used to be the case.

I never disputed that statement. I did, however, imply that the trend you describe is due to distribution restrictions rather than some scheme on Massdrop's part to exclude international customers.

 

I suspect that as Massdrop has become higher in profile, it has been able to get more and more "big-time" brands on board to do group buys. These same brands are also ones that would tend to stipulate relatively restrictive distribution rules.

 

One thing I cannot explain is why Massdrop charges so much for international shipping (I see complaints about that often). Is the shipping fast and/or are international packages insured? Or, is Massdrop just going along with the common U.S. practice of over-charging for international shipping? (If so, shame on Massdrop.)

[ian1964]

I never disputed that statement. I did, however, imply that the trend you describe is due to distribution restrictions rather than some scheme on Massdrop's part to exclude international customers.

 

I suspect that as Massdrop has become higher in profile, it has been able to get more and more "big-time" brands on board to do group buys. These same brands are also ones that would tend to stipulate relatively restrictive distribution rules.

 

One thing I cannot explain is why Massdrop charges so much for international shipping (I see complaints about that often). Is the shipping fast and/or are international packages insured? Or, is Massdrop just going along with the common U.S. practice of over-charging for international shipping? (If so, shame on Massdrop.)

Fair enough, Please I did not mean to cause offense.

Edited December 31, 2015 by ian1964

[Jamerelbe]

I've jumped on a few Massdrop purchases over the past year or so - as an Aussie I keep an eye out for price, delivery cost etc and factor in exchange rate. Sometimes there's a great deal to be had at for moderate inconvenience in terms of waiting time; I've also gotten a few Massdrop exclusives (Retro 1951 Tornado Fountain Pen, Stipula Passaporto)... Other times the numbers didn't add up.

 

I distinctly remember, though, when it came to Lamy, that Massdrop used to do international shipping, until their supplier told them to stop. It was a Lamy (or distribution) policy, not a Massdrop policy - regrettable as it is (though honestly, I'm grateful to be relieved of the temptation!), it's not indicative of any shift in Massdrop's commitment to overseas customers. In fact, certain products (e.g. EDC knives) have *always* been USA only.

[Cryptos]

They may as well allow Lamy products to be shipped to New Zealand. There are no competing interests here apart from one or two generalist stores that may carry a Safari. With their current policy people here are just going to sidestep Massdrop and get the pen for more or less the same price through a different route. Lamy distributors will have achieved precisely nothing beyond hacking off a few potential customers.