Buying Le Petit Prince Fountain Pen Or Not

[dubhe]

Buy second hand Montblancs which hold their value better, try different sizes and nibs until you find what you like (this can take several pens/years) and sell the ones you dont like for a much smaller loss. When you find the right pen, size, weight, nib then you can sell the other pens (this part is hard) and buy new and enjoy the pen knowing it is the result of lots of experience and fun and only a small loss of outlay.

[penmaxwell919]

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!

 

As a new pen user, and only using it since August 2017, I would advise that you definitely not buy the Petite Prince as your first fountain pen if you haven't even used one before. I can only give advice according to my own experience. I started writing with fountain pens because I liked "the idea" of writing with one. Initially I was confused about what that meant. I thought that if I used a fountain pen my handwriting would have that vintage look.

 

Well, I went through around 10, less than $30, fountain pens before I realized that I was holding the pen wrong and I was bending the tines. After I realized this and corrected my grip and learned how a proper fountain pen is suppose to feel like, I went through another 4-6, $100-$300, fountain pens and slowly tried out different brands and different size pens to see what drew me.

 

I realized that I liked large, Montblanc 146 and similar size pens, to oversized pens, even though I don't have large hands. I like the larger diameter of the barrel and if I just write unposted the length of oversize pen is just the right length. The other reason is that I like decorated nibs and they tend to be much better looking on the larger size pens. I guess the more room you have the more you can do to it. So now I tend to gravitate towards oversize Viscontis, Pilots, Pelikans, and very recently Montblancs. I realized that I didn't really like the Montblanc 146 or 149 models because there just wasn't enough there, as far as aesthetics or writing experience to justify the price premium , but then I discovered the Writer's Edition and I was hooked.

 

So, this brings me to the present. I'm about to pull the trigger on the Petite Prince LeGrand model because the size is ok, good as a everyday user. The reasons that I'm buying it is because the color is awesome, the cap has very interesting texture, the nib is specific to the pen and the whole package is good value to me and will bring me joy.

 

Now getting to the depreciation. Fountain pens are a money pit! Period. It is rare that you will buy a pen, case in point would be a Montblanc Hemingway, and have that pen be worth many times more than you paid for it. And even if that was the case you would have to not use it at all to appreciate that much. To me thats just not worth it. But there is one thing that I noticed through my fountain pen journey. You can sell your fountain pen on forums like this one and others recover some money to put into your next pen. And the more popular the pen you are selling the faster you can get the new pen, so I tend to try out popular pens. And mid range pens between $100 to $500 tend to move fairly fast if you price them correctly.

 

I hope this helps you in making your decision on what to get as your first fountain pen and hope you enjoy your new hobby.

[penmaxwell919]

Buy second hand Montblancs which hold their value better, try different sizes and nibs until you find what you like (this can take several pens/years) and sell the ones you dont like for a much smaller loss. When you find the right pen, size, weight, nib then you can sell the other pens (this part is hard) and buy new and enjoy the pen knowing it is the result of lots of experience and fun and only a small loss of outlay.

 

Dubhe, that's one of my favorite pen cap too.

[Mulrich]

I finally got around to finishing the little prince book and I must not be the target audience because I didnt see why the book is so beloved. Obviously millions of people are fans so Im in the minority.

I will say, it looks like MB did a good job designing their pens to pair with the book. But so far, none of the writers editions have featured an author I care much about, probably because Im more interested in modern fiction than historical.

Edited July 29, 2018 by Mulrich

[Ghost Plane]

I finally got around to finishing the little prince book and I must not be the target audience because I didnt see why the book is so beloved. Obviously millions of people are fans so Im in the minority.

I will say, it looks like MB did a good job designing their pens to pair with the book. But so far, none of the writers editions have featured an author I care much about, probably because Im more interested in modern fiction than historical.

So comforting to find another member of the clan. I’m not a fan, either.

[1nkulus]

So comforting to find another member of the clan. I’m not a fan, either.

+1

 

I just tend to go for the pen design irrespective of the associated author.

[Steshi220]

Yeah the Le Petit Prince is a nice pen but for your first fountain pen it may be too much.

 

Go for something basic first

 

Lamy Safari Decent beginner

 

Pelikan 200 To be honest I prefer this one than the 400 the steel nib on the 200 is surprisingly good.

 

And also I heard that there will be two more sets of Le Petit Prince pens coming out next year. Idk, but I'm gonna wait a little bit.

 

But anyway, the doue is indeed a nice-looking pen.

[nonozon]

Le Petit Prince pens look great. Personally I prefer Solitaire LeGrand over Doue Classique, and that's the one I picked up.

I probably will never used it, but feel so happy just hold it in hand. The sales at boutique also gave me a Montblanc Le Petit Prince notebook for free.

 

If you really like it, consider it as a little treat to yourself. Fountain pens are not good choices for investment.

 

[meiers]

Thank you for showing us your fountain pen. And WELCOME to the Fountain Pen Network. If I had this treasure in my hands, I would immediately open my ink drawer, reach for a bottle of midnight blue, fill the ink chamber and write in that notebook.

 

Would you buy a motor vehicle and not fill it the tank or charge the battery to take it for a spin?

Edited August 5, 2018 by meiers

[Amit.]

Lovely pen. Congratulations!!

Edited August 5, 2018 by amitoberai

[Amit.]

Thank you for showing us your fountain pen. And WELCOME to the Fountain Pen Network. If I had this treasure in my hands, I would immediately open my ink drawer, reach for a bottle of midnight blue, fill the ink chamber and write in that notebook.

 

Would you buy a motor vehicle and not fill it the tank or charge the battery to take it for a spin?

 

 

+1

[nishantdr83]

Congratulations!!!

 

I would never buy a pen I cant ink. But then, pens from buyers such have certainly helped me pick NOS pieces from years gone by at reasonable prices. Pens dont usually appreciate and that helps.

Edited August 5, 2018 by nishant

[thanh2468]

Thanks for all your advice! I decided to not buy a petit prince because the price is too high for a first pen. Instead I searched for a pre owned montblanc so I could still experience the feeling. I searched for a 149 because of its nice filling system. I also liked the 146 for the easy filling and maybe it's more comfortable to write because of it' size.

 

Today I finally found a nice pen. A 149 90th anniversary, Broad nib, new for only 330. I couldn't resist and bought it. I have never tested a Montblanc before so I have no idea how it will write. My first impression of the pen is that it looks very nice. The size of the pen is big but not too big. Also the the rose gold nib is beautifull. Now I think this is a better purchase than the petit prince, maybe i'll buy that pen later.

 

I didn't buy ink yet. Any suggestions for a fast drying blue ink? (I'm left handed)

 

[AndyLogan]

Thanks for all your advice! I decided to not buy a petit prince because the price is too high for a first pen. Instead I searched for a pre owned montblanc so I could still experience the feeling. I searched for a 149 because of its nice filling system. I also liked the 146 for the easy filling and maybe it's more comfortable to write because of it' size.

 

Today I finally found a nice pen. A 149 90th anniversary, Broad nib, new for only 330. I couldn't resist and bought it. I have never tested a Montblanc before so I have no idea how it will write. My first impression of the pen is that it looks very nice. The size of the pen is big but not too big. Also the the rose gold nib is beautifull. Now I think this is a better purchase than the petit prince, maybe i'll buy that pen later.

 

I didn't buy ink yet. Any suggestions for a fast drying blue ink? (I'm left handed)

 

IMG_20180907_165801915-4118x3089.jpg

 

That is a great price! and in a broad nib to boot! Oh how I wish I could get one at such a fantastic price

[meiers]

Beautiful!!!

[zaddick]

That's a killer deal on a new 149. Enjoy it!

[Mulrich]

I thought I got a good deal on a 149 90th and paid well more than $330; congrats on the great find.

[Hanoi]

gold has been on a steady decline so I don´t think it is a good investment. May take maybe another decade to go back up.

 

 

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.

[jmccarty3]

So comforting to find another member of the clan. I’m not a fan, either.

 

+1. That's one reason why I bought the Blue Hour LeGrand instead of the LPP LeGrand Solitaire. (The other is that I got a good deal on the Blue Hour.)