Pope Julius Ii 2005 - Valuation Needed.

[horationelson]

Also, in respect of boxes, this listing on eBay for the Prince Regent award pen (1995) suggests that the pen came with a standard box for the 4810 edition: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MONTBLANC-PATRON-of-ART-PRINCE-REGENT-8-DE-LA-CULTURE-ARTS-PATRONAGE-AWARD-1995-/201981945030?hash=item2f070fe4c6:g:VMoAAOSwTY9ZYkhp

 

I don't think that selling it without a box would make much difference to the valuation. From the pics, the pen could probably do with a service by MB and a certificate of authenticity from them.

[Cordovian]

Thanks very much for all your help and advice everyone. I very much appreciate it. We will send the pen off to Hamburg and I'll let you all know the outcome.

 

A question. As we do not have the original packaging or box, is it worth purchasing something from Montblanc? If the pen does turn out to be an original and there was a decision to sell it in the future, would this make any difference to the resale value considering it would not be the original packaging?

I'm no expert by any means, but I was glad to hear that your pen is a true piston filler. That, along with the level of detail, makes me think that (as others have also stated) what you have is something very special.

 

A quick comparison of the sale price of standard MB pens with boxes vs those without boxes will show that MB packaging and documentation does seem to increase the perception of value with buyers. That seems to be the case even when the packaging is obviously not the original.

 

I doubt you'll be able to find award ceremony packaging anywhere but Montblanc (if they even possess anything like the original from 12 years ago). If you can obtain a good facsimile at a reasonable cost, I would. I would also consider paying the fee for a letter of authenticity from MB so that you have documentation as well. You just have to make sure that the total cost of these items does not exceed the value added (that might be a tough call).

Edited August 17, 2017 by Cordovian

[Pravda]

A jeweler can easily tell you if these are diamond solitaires on the cap crown. This would be the most immediate test in my opinion.

 

If real diamonds- because from the size they appear to be big pieces- I would say this alone makes the ultimate hint for it to warrant all your attention.

 

So much that I wouldn't worry about packaging at all.

[Erik Dalton]

I bow to the experts. Get the thing to Hamburg so we can stop guessing, please.

[thygreyt]

The diamond/precious stone test seems it would easily and sufficiently clear up any confusion.

 

A fake wouldnt have real stones, a Montblanc would not have fake ones.

[CS388]

I wouldn't worry about packaging.

 

If it turns out to be the real thing, you could sell it wrapped in a sock and still get the value.

 

Good luck.

[BellaMama]

Hi everyone, just an update that you requested re the Pope Julius pen. We initially took it into the Mount Blanc boutique but they were unable to identify it. They then sent it away to Hamburg and it is indeed a genuine Mount Blanc Pen.

 

I'm curious to hear what you think the valuation might be and, if we do decide to sell it as part of the estate, what you think the best way of going about this would be? Do you think EBay or maybe one of the auction houses such as Sotheby's?

 

Thanks very much for your help and advice. I'm glad to be able to let you know the outcome.

Edited September 25, 2017 by BellaMama

[Tom Kellie]

Hi everyone, just an update that you requested re the Pope Julius pen. We initially took it into the Mount Blanc boutique but they were unable to identify it. They then sent it away to Hamburg and it is indeed a genuine Mount Blanc Pen.

 

Thanks very much for your help and advice. I'm glad to be able to let you know the outcome.

 

 

~ BellaMama:

 

Thank you for following up with this positive information.

Congratulations on the authenticity confirmation from Hamburg.

Tom K.

[zaddick]

Bonhams has auctions just for pens. I would go there vs eBay.

[CS388]

Wonderful news. Congratulations.

 

For a valuable pen, I would try one of the big auction houses, rather than ebay.

They will often give you a free appraisal - but the commission can be a bit of a sting.

 

Good luck. And thanks for the update.

[horationelson]

Congratulations. Bonhams have an auction in LA in December 2017.

 

Consignments close 4 October, so hurry if you want to catch that boat! http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24188/

 

As for value, I'd leave it to the experts rather than us forum users, but I'd guess easily five figures.

[Z-Tab]

This is a terrifically weird thread. You say Montblanc confirmed authenticity, so it sounds like you have something special. eBay is a terrible option because your pen has so many elements that make it appear fake to the people who would generally be in the market for a POA pen, so I can't imagine getting more than a few hundred for it (and even then, you might have an ordeal getting paid). Having a reputable auction house like Bonhams confirm the authenticity and be the sales agent is going to be worth thousands of dollars more than including a letter from Montblanc in an eBay auction (as a letter could be faked a lot more easily than the pen).

 

The wear on the metal below the nib makes it appear to be lower quality than the retail versions of the pen, so it may not be the bonanza that some people are indicating, even if it does sell for its full value to a serious POA collector. Still, if that's a one-of-a-kind pen, you are in uncharted territory and it could sell for $3k one month and $30k the next, depending on who is out there bidding. Including information about who it was awarded to might have a big impact on the value, particularly if it is a model that was only available as an award from Montblanc. At a minimum, you need all the jewels appraised, so you know if they're gems or glass.

[Erik Dalton]

I’m happy to hear that you got word back affirming that it is a Montblanc. But, which Montblanc?

All of you spouting off auction houses are doing so without benefit of fact.

Doesn’t it seem odd that OP would not include the full description and identification by Montblanc of this pen.

I’m always suspect of people who come on here with thoughts of cashing in, rather than love of fountain pens.

As I see it, our role in such cases is to help to ID the pen in question, and leave the question of value to others.

I don’t discourage an Estate Beneficiary coming to us. It gives us a chance to see lots of uncommon pens, and allows our collectors a first glance at the pen.

In this case I think we’re being played. With all the effort that we put into this, one might think posting a copy of the Montblanc validation letter, or at least something more than to just tell us it’s a Montblanc.

I want to learn from this. What model is it, when was it made, how many copies. That’s what we deserve from this op. We got none of that, because he only thinks about $, not the knowledge we seek.

My brothers and sisters we’ve been played.

[thygreyt]

I’m happy to hear that you got word back affirming that it is a Montblanc. But, which Montblanc?

All of you spouting off auction houses are doing so without benefit of fact.

Doesn’t it seem odd that OP would not include the full description and identification by Montblanc of this pen.

I’m always suspect of people who come on here with thoughts of cashing in, rather than love of fountain pens.

As I see it, our role in such cases is to help to ID the pen in question, and leave the question of value to others.

I don’t discourage an Estate Beneficiary coming to us. It gives us a chance to see lots of uncommon pens, and allows our collectors a first glance at the pen.

In this case I think we’re being played. With all the effort that we put into this, one might think posting a copy of the Montblanc validation letter, or at least something more than to just tell us it’s a Montblanc.

I want to learn from this. What model is it, when was it made, how many copies. That’s what we deserve from this op. We got none of that, because he only thinks about $, not the knowledge we seek.

My brothers and sisters we’ve been played.

 

We deserve nothing, but SOMETHING would be enjoyable.

 

As people who enjoy writing instruments, one would think we are more careful with how and what we write.

[Mulrich]

I never got the impression that the OP was duplicitous. I think there are lots of people out there new to the hobby who just don't know enough to know what to ask, what to look for, etc. It's possible this person is fishing for offers but I think it's more likely the person just doesn't know anything about fountain pens to know where to start. I'm not even sure FPN is the best place to fish for offers; I think most of the highest end collectors who might be interested in the pen probably don't frequent this site.

 

For a pen as rare/unique as this one seems I'm not sure how to properly valuate it or who to even ask. As a previous poster said, the pen's value could dramatically change by the day. Selling something like this generally takes a long time and requires knowledgeable intermediaries. Maybe they should try Pawn Stars.

[Erik Dalton]

I still want to know about the pen, when it was made, the differences with the gold version of the pope Julius, was it a prototype, how many copies were made.

[thygreyt]

I still want to know about the pen, when it was made, the differences with the gold version of the pope Julius, was it a prototype, how many copies were made.

Fully agree.

[BellaMama]

Hi there, some of you requested that I let you know when we'd heard back from Mount Blanc. Please find their correspondence attached.

 

PopeJuliusIi2005-ValuationNeededpageNumber-Montblanc-TheFountainPenNetwork.html

[horationelson]

Excellent!

[thygreyt]

Congrats on finding the unicorn.