Will Inking An Unused Pen Devalue It?

[Pingu]

I have the reissue of the Pelikan M800 Tortoiseshell that I bought new in 2013 shortly after its release. I have still not inked it, because I use an M600 GoG as my main fountain pen as I actually prefer the M600 size. The M800 actually feels a bit on the big side for my hand and I know that if I ink it I wouldnt use it very often.

 

I understand the Tortoiseshell is apparently very collectible now, and I am wavering about selling it. On the other hand, I bought it originally for myself, not for investment (pens are generally bad investments anyway!), and I wonder if I should just ink it and use it and see how I get along with the M800 size. But if I ink it and decide its not for me, will it be devalued if I do decide to sell it, compared to it being uninked and essentially NOS?

 

Thanks in advance for any replies. 🙂

Edited December 16, 2018 by Pingu

[Charles Rice]

Use it. It might feel too large now, but you'll get used to it.

[inkstainedruth]

C-worders will tell you not to ink it. I'm not one of them. If you bought the pen for you, then use it. If you decide an M800 is too large/heavy for you, sell it. You likely won't get your original purchase price back anyway, unless it's something super rare (the prices now being asked for the pink M600s are just mind-boggling). But you won't know if you will like it until use it.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi Pingu, et al,

 

I'm not sure what a "C-worder" is,... ...but I guess I'm one... I say DO NOT fill it with ink.

 

 

Instead, fill it with pen flush or water with a couple of drops of Dawn... which will reduce the water's surface tension and pretty closely match the viscosity of fountain ink... and will lubricate the nib.

 

Then "write" with the pen flush for a while and see if the pen's weight and balance are okay for you.

 

If they are... keep it... fill it with real ink and enjoy it.

 

But if the pen doesn't float your boat... you can still sell it for full NOS value... which will be considerably higher.

 

Be well and enjoy life.

 

 

- Anthony

[Karmachanic]

NOS = New Old Stock

 

"New old stock (NOS), also backronymed as "new on the shelf" or "new off the shelf",^{[citation needed]} refers to obsolete equipment, or original parts (components) for obsolete equipment, that have never been sold at retail.^[1]"

[inkstainedruth]

I'm not sure what a "C-worder" is,... ...but I guess I'm one... I say DO NOT fill it with ink.

 

C-worder is a phrase coined by (IIRC) FPN member OcalaFlGuy, and means "Collector" (with a capital C -- they're the people who buy pens and stick them in display cases. I differentiate C-worders from people like me in that the only pens I don't use is because I haven't gotten them fixed yet. Even the NOS Sheaffer Snorkel which still had the original nib sticker on it. (Okay, it wasn't a higher end model, and I also only paid $14 US for it....).

@ Pingu -- ParkerDuofold does have a point though about flushing the pen with soapy water first, to clean out any residual manufacturing gunk or oils, then rinse well with distilled water and let drain (most of my pens aren't new so I forget to tell people that -- I always DO it, just forget to tell people). I do always recommend distilled water because a lot of places have hard water with a lot of minerals in it -- you don't want THAT clogging up your feed! (For vintage pens, which are likely to have been used, you want to flush with distilled water and then with dilute ammonia solution (1 part clear ammonia to 9 parts distilled water) followed by more distilled water -- unless it's something like a Sheaffer Snorkel, which could easily cause damage to the spring, so for those you want to have a pro check the pen out first).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Pingu]

Thanks for the kind replies. Ill go with Anthonys suggestion, i think Ill dip it rather than fill it up and see how I get on with the M800 size. Its surprising how much difference a little more length and girth can feel in the hand compared to the M600. I suppose the extra weight also makes a difference.

[Pingu]

Thanks Ruth for the added words of advice. The knowledge and willingness to share on FPN is awesome.

[Uncial]

The first question is, do you like it?

If I had that pen I doubt I could last 24 hours after purchase before inking and using it. They go for serious money these days, but it doesn't seem to make a great deal of difference if it's been inked or not. You could buy a few really great pens on the proceeds of a sale. If you love it, then use it, treasure it and enjoy it. It was designed for ink, paper and a hand not a display case.

[Pingu]

Thanks for your thoughts Uncial.

I guess I do like it, although I dont love it as much as my M600 GoG. I must admit when it was announced I was slightly swayed by the fanfare at the time, and the retailer offered me a 10% discount on it as a repeat customer (I bought the GoG from them previously) so that clinched it. Ive got an EF nib on it.

 

On the other hand, I wonder if I love the GoG more for the very reason that I use it regularly? I suppose its hard to bond with a pen, no matter how nice, if you dont use it. Maybe if I start to use it then I will learn to love it!☺

[TSherbs]

If you're 50-50 on keeping it already, then don't ink it and sell it. Why even mess with something that you are only so-so about? Divest!

[pajaro]

The pen will have a lower value if inked. If you ink it you might get almost as much for that pen as if it were never inked.

[Honeybadgers]

If it's really collectible, if it's gently used and not scratched or scuffed, with the box and packing, you should still get nearly new or full value. Most collectors know that pens are going to at least be dipped a few times. Those who insist a pen (which is a thing that was made to be used) never have seen a drop of ink are, for lack of a better word, idiots. Idiots whom I wouldn't want to sell a cool pen to anyways. I paid $600 for a visconti divina metro in like new condition, it's going to be highly collectible as long as I take good care of it. I use it, but I also know of its habit of sucking ink into an un-cleanable part of the section, so I carefully coat the area around the nib with silicon grease before each fill because that will keep the value up a lot more, even though I do use it.

[PAKMAN]

The 2013 M800 Tortoise retailed for $750, I got lucky and got mine for around $450. The are currently listed on ebay for between $1000 used and $2000 to $2500 new. This is not the run of the mill M800, so 'lucky to get your money back' is not exactly true. It was a very short production run and quite a beautiful pen, the only thing that would cause it's current inflated price to drop would be if Pelikan decided to make another run at near the same price as this one (if Pelikan makes another run, I would expect to see it sold at a much higher price point.)

[pajaro]

If it's really collectible, if it's gently used and not scratched or scuffed, with the box and packing, you should still get nearly new or full value. Most collectors know that pens are going to at least be dipped a few times. Those who insist a pen (which is a thing that was made to be used) never have seen a drop of ink are, for lack of a better word, idiots. Idiots whom I wouldn't want to sell a cool pen to anyways. I paid $600 for a visconti divina metro in like new condition, it's going to be highly collectible as long as I take good care of it. I use it, but I also know of its habit of sucking ink into an un-cleanable part of the section, so I carefully coat the area around the nib with silicon grease before each fill because that will keep the value up a lot more, even though I do use it.

If you insist on a new pen never having been dipped or filled, it is NOT true that you are an idiot. You are just insisting on what you want. A look at the feed is usually indicative.

[Pingu]

The 2013 M800 Tortoise retailed for $750, I got lucky and got mine for around $450. The are currently listed on ebay for between $1000 used and $2000 to $2500 new. This is not the run of the mill M800, so 'lucky to get your money back' is not exactly true. It was a very short production run and quite a beautiful pen, the only thing that would cause it's current inflated price to drop would be if Pelikan decided to make another run at near the same price as this one (if Pelikan makes another run, I would expect to see it sold at a much higher price point.)

You got it even cheaper than I ! Just checked my invoice and I got mine for £395. I think the list price was £425, so that would have been a 7% discount not 10% as I had thought. Btw Im a bit astonished at those inflated eBay prices you quoted, I was aware it was collectible and commanded a premium even when new compared to normal M800s, but those prices seem a bit extreme.

 

Do you use yours on a regular basis and how do you like it?

[Uncial]

Used examples have sold on the Bay for around $1,500 up to $2000. There are currently 'as new' (whatever that might mean) examples and 'brand new' examples on eBay both selling for a BIN price of $1,999.99. That's a tempting figure to sell at and I don't think it's a case of 'well, they can ask....' as I've put a few of these in my watch list in the last six months and every last one has sold. If you want to sell it, now is certainly the time because if Pelikan decide to release another M800 tortoise soon, those prices are going to crash somewhat.

 

*edited to add...

 

I've been watching these because it's a pen I would happily buy (to use) and I was hoping the silly prices were folks chancing their arm, but to my great disappointment they are achieving these prices and I'm not willing to fork out that amount. If you fancy selling it for 20% more than what you paid originally I will be more than happy to give it a new home

Edited December 17, 2018 by Uncial

[Parker51]

Please keep in mind there are a series of costs associated with the sale of a pen. First, are you a registered EBay seller? Do you have an excellent rating? If so, you will not need to pay the costs associated with getting these needed prerequisites for getting a high price. Now, do you have an excellent camera and photography skill? If so, great, you have paid for those costs of time and money. And so, now you will try to sell the pen. One has sold in Used condition recently for under $1100. None others have sold. Some are for sale for a little under $2000. That comes to about 1500 pounds. So, you likely could list it at that price. This might realize you 1300 pounds. Thus you potentially could receive 900 pounds, but remember, no one recently has sold any pens at that price. They only have it listed at that price. It may have no relationship to what one will sell for. That is the case with many other collectables. They are known as wish prices, as in I wish I could sell this item for double what I know I can sell it. If that is the case, then you actually can sell it for 650 pounds, so your actual profit for all that work would be 250 pounds. Not an insignificant amount, but certainly not a huge windfall.

[Pingu]

Im sure youre right, Parker, and the value is probably overhyped. I think Ill see how I get along with dipping, and see if I get used to the M800 size and weight.

 

I maybe wouldnt mind selling it for a Toledo, which are more valuable, but apparently the Toledo 900 is the same size as a 800... would the Toledo 700 be equivalent to a 600?

Edited December 17, 2018 by Pingu

[Bo Bo Olson]

I like the 600. A light and nimble pen, with good girth.

 

A long time ago, I trans-mailed a W.Germany 800 to Spain....in some Idiots in Germany refuse to ship out side of Germany. It was a bit too wide, a bit too large, a bit clunky.

In the meanwhile, I've.bought a few Large pens. (not a 800 and won't in modern post '97 are nails.) Would buy a W.Germany 800; a very fine tad more springy regular flex nib than the Germany regular flex nibs. Do have a 87-90 W.Germany 200 and that nib is a slight bit more springy than the '90's 14K or other 100/150-200 nibs.

 

A long time ago, there was debate if the 1000 was semi-flex or a springy nib****. At my B&M I checked one out, (with a good semi-flex pen to compare with) and it was semi-flex.....and 'huge'.

Recently I bought a 1005 OBB at a live auction...........and because in the meanwhile I do have more Large pens....it was not so honking Huge as when I first tired it. Actually usable to my shock. Lighter than I remembered.

So do at least try the water writing.....

And sell that 800, you can get a Grand Place and 3-4 other real pretty 600's.

And you can fit semi-flex nibs to them.

The 600 Grand Place cost more now than when new.

 

 

Until I had my BB stubbed to a butter smooth 1.0 stub, I often had a '54 semi-flex B in it.

 

 

*****IMO, with out any facts, but suspect, the Bock 1000's nibs were semi-flex and the later Pelikan 1000's nibs are springy regular flex. (Many 1000 nibs are semi-flex....others regular flex and that requires a different alloy.)

Bock made Pelikan nibs as they wished made; regular flex for the 200, semi-nail for the 400/600, nail for the 800 and semi-flex for the 1000, from @ 1997 to @ 2010....with the 1000's nib being the last to be taken back 'in house'.

:lticaptd:The exact same complaints that plagued Bock made Pelikan nibs, plague the new Pelikan made nibs. (Baby bottom on all but the 200's is one of them.) Fatter and more blobby than pre '98 nibs.

Edited December 17, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson