Lamy Studio pricing - US vs Europe

[saintsimon]

Running across Lamy MSRPs in Germany (as official and obediently followed by stores) and in the U.S. (as found at Fountainpenhospital website):

 

GE: Lamy Studio Steel FP: 39.50 Euros x 1.2 = $47,4 - US: $70

 

GE: Lamy Studio Black FP: 42.50 Euros x 1.2 = $51 - US: $75

 

GE: Lamy Studio Palladium FP: 89 Euros x 1.2 = $106,8 - US: $115

 

 

Somehow, only the Palladium pricing seems fair in the US <_<

 

OK - the Namiki VP/Pilot Capless is much cheaper in the U.S.

Edited December 20, 2005 by saintsimon

[JeffTL]

I guess the American market will bear higher prices. Probably because most Americans aren't as familiar with low-end fountain pens; I guess it's easier to argue that a steel Studio is superior to a Bic Round Stic to the value of $69.90 than to argue that it is superior enough to a cheap fountain pen, like many of the Europeans remember from school, to justify a $70 price tag.

 

Now if there were low-end cartridge pens in most American supermarkets, the price differential with Europe wouldn't be as big; a Lamy Studio may be arguably $69.90 better than a Bic, but is is $62.50 better than a Parker Reflex, or just $39.90 better?

[djahughes]

Or not...

 

I just bought a Lamy Studio Palladium from Pam Braun which cost me $91 or £51 shipped to the UK.

 

The same pen is £71 online in the UK.

 

Luckily I managed to get the pen delivered without extra customs charges (thanks Pam!) so it was something like a third cheaper.

 

My experience shows that pens are much cheaper in the US than the UK.

[Pendragon]

It seems that ordering over the Internet is a good way to take advantage of regional price differences. Online merchants have, in many cases, created a single global marketplace.