How to sell a 'Meisterstuck' ballpoint pen?

[roblerner]

First of all, sorry. Not the most interesting topic, and although I couldn't see a more relevant place to post in the forum I hope this isn't against any rules (even though I read them and didn't see anything like that!)

 

I have a ~6 year old Mont Blanc Meisterstuck ballpoint pen that was given to me as a gift, and after being used a couple of times has been sat in it's box in a drawer. I've had a go at listing it on Ebay but I feel like I'm missing some vital pen-related information, and I also have no idea how to price it! So if you don't mind I have a couple of questions:

 

-Are all ballpoint pens equal? Does it have a certain type of tip/barrel/etc, and how do I tell which is which?

-Will there be a serial number somewhere? The only number I can see is on the ink cartridge, not the actual pen.

-How on earth do I price it? Previous ebay listings have varied between ~£60 and £200. I have the case and manual but the pen has some tiny blemishes - so somewhere in the middle?

-Is ebay the best place, or should I list in the classifieds here/other website

 

Thanks in advance for any answers. I realise this is a fountain pen forum so you probably all HATE ballpoint pens, but I couldn't see a ballpoint pen forum!

[jar]

First, welcome home.

 

Your first step would be to figure out what model pen it is and make sure that it is authentic. Picture might help folk identify what model it is.

[roblerner]

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

Attached are 2 pictures, any specific area needed to help figure out what model it is?

 

I thought 'meisterstuck' was the model :embarrassed_smile:

Edited April 10, 2010 by roblerner

[David H]

There are several different types and I do recommend going to www.montblanc.com or posting pictures here in order to correctly identify your pen. If it is only 6 to 7 years old, there will be serial number on the clip band that goes around the pen near the top where the white star is. It will be stamped right on to the metal and so will the word Germany.

 

I'm not sure if there is a secret to selling but I think you main objective is to ensure that this is an authentic Montblanc. Copius amounts of pictures of the box with the pen and not stock photos are probably a good idea.

 

The rules to sell on this forum are posted here.

 

As for price, I have no idea what to tell you.

 

It may be a fountain pen forum but we also cover other topics. Personally I like mechanical pencils. Good luck.

[jar]

I can't tell much from the pictures. What will be needed will be clear closeups of the crown, clip, clip band, engraving on clip and on cap band, close ups of the internals and point.

 

Also, dimensions will help.

Edited April 10, 2010 by jar

[roblerner]

aha! It was so faint I didn't see, but there is a serial number there:

 

VF2390844 GERMANY

 

The 9 could be a 7, my eyes aren't so good. Does this mean anything in terms of age/model? I can't identify it from the website, and typing the serial number in throws up no results?!

 

Thanks again.

[David H]

My money's on the Chopin Ballpoint.

[czar]

First of all, sorry. Not the most interesting topic, and although I couldn't see a more relevant place to post in the forum I hope this isn't against any rules (even though I read them and didn't see anything like that!)

 

I have a ~6 year old Mont Blanc Meisterstuck ballpoint pen that was given to me as a gift, and after being used a couple of times has been sat in it's box in a drawer. I've had a go at listing it on Ebay but I feel like I'm missing some vital pen-related information, and I also have no idea how to price it! So if you don't mind I have a couple of questions:

 

-Are all ballpoint pens equal? Does it have a certain type of tip/barrel/etc, and how do I tell which is which?

-Will there be a serial number somewhere? The only number I can see is on the ink cartridge, not the actual pen.

-How on earth do I price it? Previous ebay listings have varied between ~£60 and £200. I have the case and manual but the pen has some tiny blemishes - so somewhere in the middle?

-Is ebay the best place, or should I list in the classifieds here/other website

 

Thanks in advance for any answers. I realise this is a fountain pen forum so you probably all HATE ballpoint pens, but I couldn't see a ballpoint pen forum!

 

Dear Roblerner,

here in Fountain Pen there is an implicite rule....frankly speaking!

I started collecting pens in early '70, when I was only 8 years old and my focus, for simple efficacy rules, was on ballpoint pens. I have to say to you a bad fact: Montblanc was not known to anyone!!!

Montblanc was a little and little known brand which made excellent fountain pen well known, exxpecially in the architect/engineering/passionate world, for their incredible nibs (the fountain pens were all hand built, with the nib "signed" by the handcrafter that built it (I have a wonderful 149 signed by a handcrafter of Montblanc who's name was "Mr. Szago"!!!))

 

As a strange fact of life (think for example the success of timberland shoes, originally made only for special purpose workers) a brand starts to be "fashion". it happened for Montblanc and Montblanc, very profitably managed, started to make anything around fountain pens: roller, ballpoint, pencils....aND OVER ...organizer, watches.....

 

So, your pen has, in my opinion, a "real" little value (I assume the classical black pen, not a gold/silver one) but you can find someone interested in because it is a "montblanc"!| Montblanc has a silly policy that forbids to show up its catalogue pens price by distributor. So, the only way to know the catalogue price is to enter in a official distributor shop (you will find one of them in any international airport).To put it bluntly: a 10 dollars parker jotter typically write much better than a Montblanc ballpoint, but you can find a "fashion Guy" who doesn't know that and strongly want to build a "paroure" with a previously bought unique --- really --- Montblanc fountain pen.

 

Hoping not to have been too boring ...

yours

Cesare

[roblerner]

Cesare,

 

An interesting reply, thank you. I see by browsing some posts on here that there are some really beautiful old pens around, and I can appreciate that what I have is more 'fashion' than art! Having said that I do all my writing on a computer, and when I do pick up a pen I tend to chew the end so an expensive pen really isn't the best idea for me.

 

Mine was a gift from some Japanese colleagues when I gave a conference in Tokyo (which makes me very sure it isn't counterfeit), but I'm selling almost everything I own to fund a voluntary placement in Malawi, so although this has no sentimental value to me or artistic value to you - it should have some monetary value to someone else!

 

Dimensions are:

 

140mm long (with tip extended)

12mm wide (at the band, the widest part)

 

The pen is black resin and gold, so from the website it could either be a 'Le Grand', 'Chopin' or a 'Mozart'. I can't see any dimensions on the site, so I'm unable to compare mine to those. I also can't take any better pictures as I only have a mobile phone camera. I guess a phone call to a dealer is due, hopefully they can fill me in with more details.

[rogerb]

I recently sold a friend's 164 ballpoint here for about $110 ....approximately a third of the new price.