Chartpak And Nib Swaps On Pens Bought Outside Us

[Matlock]

for Pelikan to decide that they want to compete with Montblanc instead of Lamy for market share is kinda shooting themselves in the foot -- economies of scale being what they are).

Just my two cents' worth.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

That may be the case in the US but in the UK, for instance, the Montblanc 149 sells for £620 whilst the M1000 sells for £380. Likewise the 146 sells for £470 and the M800 for £290. Still quite a long way from competing with MB. Of course YMMV.

[Chuck400b]

This has been a very enlightening thread.

I bought my first Café Creme from Rolf Thiel off of his eBay store, simply because it was less expensive -- even with shipping -- than any of the US sellers. When I lost it, I was able to track down a replacement (eBay auction a couple of weeks ago). But the nib on the pen isn't the B nib as advertised -- it's an Italic. I may and up liking it better, but I may not; and in that case, I was going on the general assumption that as a used pen I'd just have to suck it up and save up for a replacement B nib (and then likely have to pay a nibmeister to adjust it like I had to on the first one since it skipped so badly no matter what ink I put in it). Once that was done for the first Café Crème was, though, the pen was great -- and made losing it just that much more irritating.

But I didn't quibble in the least about buying it from a non-US retailer, because of the markup. I do understand that they're probably in a bind, but they (and Pelikan) have to understand that some of us have only a limited discretionary budget for something that is, in effect, a niche market item -- and a luxury one to boot (we're not all Russian oil oligarchs here -- we've got mortgages and car payments and property taxes and vet bills; and frankly, for Pelikan to decide that they want to compete with Montblanc instead of Lamy for market share is kinda shooting themselves in the foot -- economies of scale being what they are).

Just my two cents' worth.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

 

"Limited discretionary budget" is not an excuse for an unnecessary extravagance of a fountain pen. There are plenty of completely serviceable pen brands out there that if you needed a fountain pen would work for you and not even be remotely close to what we pay for any Pelikan.

 

The US market is the US market, and Pelikan has established MAP pricing- and even further, the products simply may have a wholesale cost in the US greater then in other countries.

 

The same thought about your mortgage and your bills also extends to the American Fountain Pen Sellers and their bills, costs, and business market.

Before I go any farther: I am not on either side of this, other then understanding it. I know you will be able to afford a pen you might not otherwise be able to, but you as the buyer must factor in the savings vs the exclusion of warranty. (Honestly what really requires warranty repair on a new Pelikan that could not be covered by having nib work done? If there was a real issue you would engage with the original seller or have to ship it to Germany for repair, which will at that point bring the total cost to maybe you should have bought it in the US, but that is a gamble with low probability of happening.)

 

Brian Goulet in interviews has said that they do not carry certain pens, as to be an Authorized Seller in the US the minimum prices they are contractually allowed to sell at would be $100 more per pen then abundantly advertised and readily available and no one is gonna pay double from what they can get from Japan on Ebay.

 

They tried to carry Sailor pens, and then realized the items did not sell well enough to tie up the capital and then they went to just selling the ink. Then Sailor wanted them to carry the pens and the ink which Goulet declined to do and so Sailor dropped them.

 

http://blog.gouletpens.com/2013/07/goulet-pens-being-dropped-by-sailor.html

 

Certain States, in the US have reciprocity agreements for Tax collection on Auto sales so that people do not try to go to a neighboring state and not pay/get around sales tax for the vehicle. It stops any dealerships along the border from losing out on competitiveness.

 

I bought my New M805 Stressman from Italy for $479 with free shipping. Shipped via DHL I had to pay a $50 customs clearance fee. Then went to the Columbus Pen Show and paid Linda $25 to Binderize it. $554 for a pen you are not getting for less then $650 domestically. I still saved money, but that is now a sale that is not going to go into the hands of the US retailers. (and lets be honest buyers buying from Domestic Sellers would not stand for the American Seller buying wholesale on demand and filling orders for them. Buyers want their items now so US sellers have to have stock on hand.)

 

If Pelikan warranty policy keeps buyers buying domestic, it is no different then most brands in our "Global Marketplace."