Pelikan Packaging / Determining Genuine Product

[writebyhand]

Note: I considered making this post in the 'Market Watch' section, but since the main point is to figure out if certain pens are authentic, I am posting it here.

Amazon.com was – and still is – offering Pelikan Souveran M600 pens through the 'Amazon Global Store UK' at prices that, by all appearances, are below market. On October 27, 2018, I bought three Pelikan M600s (green marbled barrels, 'M' nibs) for $ 221.62 each, plus a total of $ 67.57 in shipping and tax for the order.

What I received is pictured below. The pens arrived – in Amazon.com shipping cartons bearing a U.K. return address – in beat-up paperboard Pelikan boxes. Each is packaged in a plastic sleeve within one of these slim, grey paperboard boxes. The pens have Pelikan tags. To my untrained eye, they appear to be genuine Pelikan pens in mint condition, but what do you think? Is it normal for Pelikan to distribute its pens in this minimal packaging? New Pelikan pens sold in the U.S. generally come in fabric sleeves in stylish high-end pen cases, complete with instruction manuals and warranty documentation.

[farazqamar]

The pens look genuine to me. As far as the packaging is concerned, the one you have in the pictures above is what the pens arrive in from pelikan. The nicer packaging is separately sold by pelikan which retailers buy and then sell the pens in. As far as I know, there are a number of packaging options that retailers can choose to buy from pelikan.

 

This info is at least 3 years old. Let's see what other have to say this on this.

[chravagni]

Yes, it is. I've bought a m805 Stresemann, a m400 green striped and a m200 black, all from Amazon Italy, all with the same minimal packaging. I was aware of it because of the Amazon reviews from other buyers, but it didn't bother me too much because the price was so much lower. They are original and guaranteed like all other Pelikans - just missing box and leaflet.

Chiara

[Bo Bo Olson]

I have a couple fancy Pelikan boxes..........so what. One is under the bed, another is hidden under one of my Tupperware odds and ends box. Do I have a third, probably. Does it matter, not at all. I don't store my pens in pen boxes. ..........pen cups.......walnut humidors, a glass topped pen case, velvet or Bakelite bracelet cases.

The pen box that I had an MB new pen in, languishes in the book case.

 

Yes, you can sell your pens for more with a real box....but you got yours cheap because on no box.

 

I'm not going to spend more money on a box, be it a '50's box that's not much better than what you got, or a modern fancy box. If the @ same price of course I'll go for the box.

 

Nibs that arrive out of alignment. I'd been saying the packing, and having boxes for modern pen in mind as not bomb proof for modern day rough mail, was blaming the sturdy box, when it could have been sent in a flimsy 'box' like the OP showed. That had not crossed my mind.

It wasn't something any mentioned when complaining about misaligned nibs.

Edited November 12, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

[Parker51]

E U rules regarding packaging are interesting, so yes, minimal packaging is oft to be expected, especially easily recyclable materials.

[sargetalon]

The pens are genuine. There is not an issue of fakes with Pelikan like there is with Montblanc. One of the ways costs are kept down is for the vendor to forego the gift packaging and just ship in plain boxes. That is how they receive them. You can imagine what that vendor probably pays for the cardboard and faux leather of the G15 gift box. In addition, pens from the UK are usually better priced than some other markets. The pricing doesnt necessarily surprise me or raise an eyebrow.

[writebyhand]

I guess the favorable USD / Sterling exchange rate plays into this as well. I was just looking at the 5-year chart.

 

 

 

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[dbs]

Pelikan send each pen in the tiny box (as in your photos) to reseller. Reseller unpack the pen from this tiny box and ship the pen with gift box to you. Unlike Montblanc, Pelikan gift box has no UPC bar code for the pen, it only has a bar code for gift box itself.

 

Only special edition, limited edition (for example, M100N) has dedicated gift box with pen's UPC bar code. Even in this case, pen and gift box are shipped separately to reseller. We saw reseller often shipped M100N with box stating different nib size...

 

Your case, the reseller just forgot to mail you the gift box.

 

 

[BaronWulfraed]

I guess the favorable USD / Sterling exchange rate plays into this as well. I was just looking at the 5-year chart.

 

Wow... It's been decades since I last saw the potential of a "one dollar pound"

[fplover01]

As cleared above Pelikan treats the pen and the box as different items, with a separate barcode. Retailers buy the boxes from Pelikan and put the pens in them. Amazon sells the pen in the minimal packaging it arrives from the factory thus saving the cost of the gift box as well as shipping costs. But the pens are genuine. I have several of them, all good. There is the possibility to buy the gift box from amazn separetely.

[PAKMAN]

I have piles of useless boxes in my basement. They seemed cool at first but have never been used since. I would be fine with minimal packaging on my future Pelikan purchases.

[sargetalon]

I have piles of useless boxes in my basement. They seemed cool at first but have never been used since. I would be fine with minimal packaging on my future Pelikan purchases.

I have tubs upon tubs full. I save them though in the event of resale (who am I kidding?). I could do with less boxes myself.

[sansenri]

I feel the same way, and some Pelikan boxed are larger than others... and awkward (those round boxed drive me crazy!)

[amk]

This is fantastically interesting information for Pelikan nerds. I wish I could forego the box on other pens too - I have far too many boxes cluttering the place up! if I could do so and get a discount into the bargain, I would be extremely happy!

[a m a r g o]

Pretty normal...

 

I too would like if vendors could offer the option with or without box regardless of the final price.