Buying Le Petit Prince Fountain Pen Or Not

[thanh2468]

Hello I'm new on this forum. I still not writing with a fountain pen yet but I'm planning to buy a montblanc petit prince doue classique because it looks nice. It's just so expensive . I'm not sure if it's worth it's money. I don't have a lot of knowledge aboute fountain pens. The petit prince is a special edition meisterstück. I have no idea what the difference is between a special edition and a limited edition. Is the production of special editions also limited? Is there any place where I can find how many petit prince penw where produced? I like pens that are more exclusive because it holds it value. When i look on websites like ebay the normal montblancs don't sell very high. What are your thoughts about the petit prince? If it holds 60% of its value over 10 years maybe I buy it. The pen costs around 1000. If it drops within a few years to 400 I don't thinks its worth it.

 

I'm also considering to buy a petit prince roller classique doue. Do rollerd lose their value more quickly?

 

Thanks for your advice!

[da vinci]

 

The Petite Prince pens are nice to look at with model specific colour (blue with star etc). But the writing experience will be no different to any other Classique sized MB (RBS use he same refill, FPs the same nib save the decoration).

 

The Petite Prince pens are a lot of money, and if it is a stretch then I would try and steer you away from this as a first expensive pen, maybe going for the standard Classique or considering some of the other excellent but less costly brands out there before hitting the Grail. An alternative pen might be something like a Pelikan M400 or Parker Sonnet with a gold nib amongst others. I would wholeheartedly recommend attending a pen show to get a good look at what is out there for your budget and try a few pens before buying something from a trusted vendor.

 

As you recognise in your own post, these pens are very unlikely to keep anything like their retail price, let alone increase in value. Buying a pen in the hope that it will retain some retail value is optimistic and should not be considered as part of the purchasing process, unless you are an expert collector with many many years experience, buying specific vintage pens.

 

Whatever you decide I wish you all the best and hope that you find a pen that suits your pocket and your hand.

[Uncial]

Buy what you like and will enjoy owning. That way, if it does significantly devalue (and pens generally do unless the fashion - for flexible vintage as an example - of the day dictates otherwise) you still have something you wanted to own and keep.

[zaddick]

A special edition is limited by time mainly. The pens are often produced for a set time, like a year, but each piece is not individually numbered. A limited edition has a set number of pen's and each has a unique number like 333/888 or 123/888.

 

Resale value depends on condition which you can control and popularity /interest which you cannot. A mint, unpopular pen will not hdo a lot of value vs. A used popular pen. Most all MB lose a fair bit of value vs. retail.

Edited July 22, 2018 by zaddick

[adatse]

I agree that it looks good, especially since Im a huge Little Prince fan. However, that is an extraordinarily expensive first fountain pen purchase. You should really consider the reasons you want it. If you can afford it, will use it and treasure it because youre a fan, sure. If its to preserve in its case, unused, with hopes of a profit in a few years....I dont know about that...Youll get more enjoyment if its the former reason, making it a worthwhile purchase. The latter reason, you might stress yourself out if the value doesnt increase as much as you hoped.

[meiers]

My suggestion: purchase the pen that will bring you joy.

I believe the resale value of most Montblanc pens purchased new is about 30-40% of retail price, if the transaction goes according to plan.

 

The money you spend on a fountain pen is an investment in joy.

 

The same goes for rollerball pens.

Edited July 22, 2018 by meiers

[1nkulus]

Visit a pen show and have a feel of what you like rather than follow brands/hype.

 

Pens are very personal, so make an effort to discover your style. Once that is accomplished, you can make an informed decision of how deep you want to wade in your hobby.

 

My suggestion: purchase the pen that will bring you joy.
I believe the resale value of most Montblanc pens purchased new is about 30-40% of retail price, if the transaction goes according to plan.

+1

[meiers]

Welcome to the Fountain Pen Network!!!!

[CS388]

Welcome to FPN.

 

The classique is (imho) a great everyday user pen. Yes, you'll be paying a premium for the Petit Prince model, but if that's the model that appeals to you, it should be worth it. It's unlikely to be a good financial investment, but could bring you great pleasure over the years - which may be worth more than money?

 

Personally, I would never spend that kind of money on a rollerball. Yes, it will (almost certainly) lose value over the years, if that is a consideration to you. The writing experience will be the same as any other rollerball, as the Petit Prince element of the pen is merely a casing to hold the rollerball refill.

Just my opinion, of course.

 

Let us know how you get on.

 

Enjoy.

[akellens]

Welcome to FPN my fellow Belgian!

 

As the comments above already have mentioned:

- Fountain pens are not really a good investment => they might not really keep their value, so if you are really keen on selling it again in the (near) future, going for any kind of expensive pen is really not a good idea.

- I have seen and handled the Petit Prince models and I must say: they do look gorgeous; the writing experience is the same as with any Montblanc pen -- the limited edition ink they have released (Fox Red) is very nice too;

- The main point for me is: will spending the money be worth it for you?

As I am writing this post, my MB Miles Davis is lying here in front of me in the office, and I must say it puts a smile on my face every time I handle/use it.

I never really let the price of a pen guide my judgement (if I can afford it), but buy based on how I assess it in terms of "will I enjoy using it"/"can I appreciate the craftsmanship"/"does the pen make me happy".

[bbs]

Welcome to the world of fountain pens! All good advice above.

 

However, you say you're not writing with a fountain pen, so I wonder if you might check if you like the experience before spending so much on a pen? They are wonderful instruments but need a little more maintenance than rollerballs - flushing after finishing an ink fill and refilling, for example. Does that appeal/bother you?

 

I really would suggest buying a much cheaper model and test-riding it for at least a couple of weeks at least before plunging in on the Petit Prince. A Pelikan Souveran M200 can look exclusive but won't waste your money if you don't like it.

[invisuu]

Start with a cheap pen. Like a lamy safari or twsbi eco if you like piston fillers. Modern Montblancs are honestly not a much better writing experience than a Lamy Safari, and theyre both made of plastic anyway.

 

Apart from better fit and finish, and balance, I cant tell the difference between a 149 and a jinhao 159. One costs 800EUR and the latter costs 5EUR. Its a very good pen to dip your toes and see if this is something you might like.

Edited July 23, 2018 by invisuu

[meiers]

Two thumbs up for the lamb safari!!!

[cattar]

Two thumbs up for the lamb safari!!!

 

Yes to this ^^^

 

The Lamy --- love the styling, but the sharpness of the triangular grip is not for me.

[invisuu]

Start with a cheap pen. Like a lamy safari or twsbi eco if you like piston fillers. Modern Montblancs are honestly not a much better writing experience than a Lamy Safari, and theyre both made of plastic anyway.

 

Apart from better fit and finish, and balance, I cant tell the difference between a 149 and a jinhao 159. One costs 800EUR and the latter costs 5EUR. Its a very good pen to dip your toes and see if this is something you might like.

Reading back on this, I feel like it could be misunderstood. Montblancs are great pens and obviously not the same as a 5 or 20EUR pen, but those cheap pens are good enough for starters and great to learn on what you appreciate and what you dont about a pen, so you can make an expensive purchase with greater confidence and appreciate the perfected details better.

 

Since youre concerned about value retention, such a Montblanc isnt pocket change to you. If you were a millionaire, who cares, go for it. Since youre likely not, start cheaper to get a good feel for what you like.

Edited July 23, 2018 by invisuu

[meiers]

 

Yes to this ^^^

 

The Lamy --- love the styling, but the sharpness of the triangular grip is not for me.

It is a lamb on safari.

[meiers]

Reading back on this, I feel like it could be misunderstood. Montblancs are great pens and obviously not the same as a 5 or 20EUR pen, but those cheap pens are good enough for starters and great to learn on what you appreciate and what you dont about a pen, so you can make an expensive purchase with greater confidence and appreciate the perfected details better.

 

Since youre concerned about value retention, such a Montblanc isnt pocket change to you. If you were a millionaire, who cares, go for it. Since youre likely not, start cheaper to get a good feel for what you like.

Fountain pens are fun. They are not an investment.

 

You may wish to consider this approach: Visit a Montblanc Boutique and/or a pen show. They will let you test drive their nibs. Then organize a fountain pen acquisition fund. And save for your purchase.

 

While you are saving you will have time to look around and learn about fountain pens. FPN is a great place to start.

Edited July 23, 2018 by meiers

[1nkulus]

 

Personally, I would never spend that kind of money on a rollerball. Yes, it will (almost certainly) lose value over the years, if that is a consideration to you. The writing experience will be the same as any other rollerball, as the Petit Prince element of the pen is merely a casing to hold the rollerball refill.

Just my opinion, of course.

+1

 

The same holds for any pen but with a FP there is effort put into the nib unlike refills for a RB and BP.

[Uncial]

If you're looking to invest, invest in gold or get sound advice on the art market. Pens will always loose you money.

If you want to buy a pen to use and enjoy, then buy what you like. I listened to all the advice that said start small and buy cheap and to be honest, I kind of wish I hadn't now. I have a pile of cheap pens I never really use and don't particularly enjoy. If I'd started out with a Lamy Safari and hadn't used different fountain pens all throughout my childhood I might have avoided them altogether.

[1nkulus]

If you're looking to invest, invest in gold or get sound advice on the art market. Pens will always loose you money.

If you want to buy a pen to use and enjoy, then buy what you like. I listened to all the advice that said start small and buy cheap and to be honest, I kind of wish I hadn't now. I have a pile of cheap pens I never really use and don't particularly enjoy. If I'd started out with a Lamy Safari and hadn't used different fountain pens all throughout my childhood I might have avoided them altogether.

 

Unless you get that 0.1%, pens are a loss maker.

 

I have always used FP's but when I thought I should get a few more, I went to a pen show to try all brands under one roof (had been out of touch for a while).

 

Buying numerous cheap pens, IMO, leads to wastage as you tend to lose interest.