Online Shopping Vs. Brick And Mortar Stores

[Bunghole]

Hi guys,

 

Sorry if that's a topic which have been discussed before, I couldn't find anything similiar in the forum search.

 

I'm hesitating between purchasing my next pen from a well known online store or a nearby brick and mortar shop. The prices for the same pen are more or less the same.

I believe the advantages of shopping online is that you get a pen brand new out of the box, and you also get it checked and tuned.

When buying in the shop nearby (at least where I live) you don't get the pen out of the box, they keep the pens usually in big paded cases, let you try it dipped (and all the other interested shopper of course). If you choose to buy it, they wipe it off, shine it a bit and put it in a brand's box (not always the matching one for the specific model).

Am I beeing way too picky about this or is that the way it works? Do you have any preference as to shopping online from a well known seller (such as nibs.com or Binder) or from "real" pen shops?

 

I'd love to hear what you think, and in which way do you feel most comfortable purchasing a new fp.

Edited December 3, 2013 by Bunghole

[Edwaroth]

B&M's seem to be few and far between ( a very sad state indeed). However, unless you have friends with the pens you seek, they are the best and only way to try them first before you buy. There is only one B&M anywhere near me and they have a limited variety. On the other hand, I have been very pleased with most of the online stores that I have purchased from. I would, in a second, and plan to purchase from both nibs and richard's.

Edited December 4, 2013 by Edwaroth

[Florida Blue]

For me, a dipped pen is still new.

 

Also, a pen you buy from nibs.com or Richard Binder will also be dipped. They have to test the pen using ink to know what adjustments it may need and if it's writing properly. You can't know if a new pen writes properly if you don't write with it in ink.

 

The box thing seems odd, but you won't need the box unless you plan to resell it. Otherwise the box will just go into a drawer.

 

I have nothing against Mottishaw or Binder. They provide an excellent service and enable people who are nowhere near a B&M store the opportunity to buy a pen that is guaranteed to write well out of the box. That being said, there is nothing that beats the opportunity to test a pen in person, receive good service and then walk out of the shop with your new pen.

Edited December 4, 2013 by Florida Blue

[ac12]

The other "problem" with online purchasing, is color.

99% of the monitors will not show the pens color correctly. Some times close, some times WAY OFF.

This is because most monitors are not color calibrated.

Not to mention the issues with color balance of the light that the pen is shot under.

Some shops do a better job with their photos than others.

The viewing light (intensity and color balance) will also affect how the pen looks when in your hand.

So a pen that looks one color on the monitor, may look a different color with the pen in your hand.

Some times color makes a difference, other times not.

 

This is a BIG problem with pix from eBay.

Many of the pens I have did not look like their pictures.

 

BTW, this is a PROBLEM that pro photographers face when clients or potential clients view their work online, and complain about the color of the photo. There is no way to color calibrate everyone's monitor. And IMHO, a properly color calibrated monitor is too bright to use for general use, white web pages, like this one, will feel like you are looking at a light bulb. For general use, I had to turn the brightness of my monitor down, to a level that my eyes could deal with.

Edited December 3, 2013 by ac12

[Laura N]

I don't have access to a good general fountain pen store, unfortunately. If I did, I would make all my purchases there. Even if you have to pay a little extra (and that's a big "if"), I think it's worth it. I've been far more satisfied with the pens I've bought in person, after trying them out. And I suspect that I've saved a lot of money by eliminating pens that turn out to be too heavy, or unbalanced, or not quite right for me.

[hungh]

My experiences were different then yours though.

The B&M I buy from has test pens for customers to try, then when you decide on the pen, they get a brand new one from the back.

 

Maybe you can ask the people at the store if they have another one that wasn't on display.

 

Then again, you can always go try it at the store then buy it online.

Granted that's not very...I don't know, nice? But it's one way.

[flatline]

The only store in my area that sells fountain pens other Staples or Office Max is also a tobacco store. I went in once to see what they had and swore I'd never go back again. My throat burned, my eyes burned, and I stunk for the rest of the day.

 

Very unpleasant.

 

If we had a B&M store nearby that didn't assault my senses, I would totally prefer it over on-line stores. I would gladly pay a bit extra in order to be able to hold the pen in my hands before buying it.

 

--flatline

[ac12]

I don't have access to a good general fountain pen store, unfortunately. If I did, I would make all my purchases there. Even if you have to pay a little extra (and that's a big "if"), I think it's worth it. I've been far more satisfied with the pens I've bought in person, after trying them out. And I suspect that I've saved a lot of money by eliminating pens that turn out to be too heavy, or unbalanced, or not quite right for me.

 

Laura hit on a good point. The feel of the pen in your hand.

If I had not tried a late model Cross (don't remember which model), I would not have know how tail heavy the pen was when posted. The cap was so heavy that effectively I could not use the pen posted. You cannot know something like that without holding the pen in your hand.

[bitterwonder]

Brick and morter. You see what you get, if there is a problem you can go back.

[Simius]

I buy many of my pens from a small Papeterie in Paris, two streets from where I live. They have a reasonable selection of pens, good prices, and can get me pens that they don't otherwise stock. I can test the pens before deciding to buy. Because I'm a frequent customer, I get a better discount than the shop offers otherwise. Occasionally, I'll find an NOS that now costs much more elsewhere. And there's always an element of serendipity. For example, I spotted a GvFC Intuition one day, and since then have acquired 3 more GvFC pens. I doubt I'd be interested in these pens if I hadn't seen and tried one. The owner is very pleasant, and I look forward to our occasional chats.

 

What are the trade-offs? For one, there are better prices online for most pens that I buy from this shop. Second, many of the pens have already been dipped.

 

But I don't mind. B&Ms are a dying breed, and I'm happy to do my very small part to try to keep one alive. At least for a few more years.

[Tom Aquinas]

I 'm lucky with two good B&M stores. One sells all the brands from the cheap to exquisite LE pens. Of these , one caters for the "average" customer with medium prices designed to compete with online outlets. I have never had any problem with the writing ability of pens from the "exclusive" store because they have always tweaked the nib at POS. This includes a number of Sonnets which many claim can be finnicky, mine have not and I regard the POS tweaking as the cause. I am a bit old school and won't put any financial details on the internet, the one time I considered using a well known service there were three failed attempts to get access to my computer by hackers, so I do not regard them as safe.

[yogalarva]

Where I live there aren't any good B&M stores (besides general office supply stores). When I go home to MN I have access for a Paradise Pen store and when I was there over Thanksgiving I stopped in to hold a Vanishing Point in my hand for the first time. But they were also charging quite a bit more than anywhere online and I would rather buy from a family owned business online (like the Goulets or Binder) than a chain B&M... But if there was a small pen business here in town I would definitely go there first. I will also wait to purchase any really expensive pens until I can hold them in my hand first, even if I ultimately buy them online.

[I like mango cheesecake]

I had a recent bad experience with a B&M store today. I was looking forward to go into this store as I've known about it for awhile but never had the chance to go there.

 

I finally went there today and it was kinda pretentious looking inside. Think MB boutique, but with other brands. I look around and ask if they have any ink as I didn't see any. A fellow wearing a black suite and black gloves says "we have lots, all kinds, with varying viscosity, yada yada yada"

 

I think to myself great, I think they might have what I want. I ask "Do you have Pilot Iroshizuku?"

 

"Pilot what" he says? Of course, I repeat it and he looks at his colleague for confirmation and she says, uhmmm no we don't.

 

Okay then I ask, "do you have Pelikan Edelstien"

 

"ahhhhh no we don't"

 

Okay, one more try, this one I think might be easy. "Do you have Stipula, or Diamine?"

 

Now, feeling really embarrassed, he says with a rebuttal, "ahhh, no we don't, but we have Parker, Sheaffer, Private Reserve, blah blah blah."

 

I just walked out of there without even saying a word after that. A bit disappointed, especially when their website looked so promising.

 

I ended up going to a tried and true pen store here, one that wasn't so pretentious looking and a bit more crowded with "real pen enthusiasts" and not stuffy business men trying to impress clients. Saw the whole range of Iroshizuku ink and picked the colour I liked and was looking at buying it right there and then, until I saw the price: $45

[jordanjay29]

I usually prefer B&M shops, but the closest one to me (which is about 4 hours away at the Mall of America) is a chain shop. So I'd much rather support small, online businesses like Goulet Pens and such. The level of service and detail that the smaller shops devote to their customers keeps me coming back.

[Ted A]

If the price is the same, I almost certainly would go for the B&M. I like to support local businesses, I like to be able to feel and handle a pen before I buy and it's fun sometimes to make a completely impulse buy. I don't believe I've ever run into a B&M that comes anywhere near matching online prices, though. I just can't convince myself to pay full MSRP, plus sales tax, on a pen that you can get from almost every single online store for 20% off MSRP, especially as the price climbs above $100. So generally I buy pens that can't be easily found online. Or that are ones that really require B&M assistance.

 

I was at a stationery store a month ago that was having a huge moving sale. Everything in the store on sale. The Lamy Safaris, after the price cuts were two cents less than regular online prices. I did buy, though, because the pens were old enough that they had black rather than chrome clips.

 

The one thing I will not do is to use the B&M as the showroom for the online stores. If I take up a sales person's time, I will not then leave the store and buy online. Though I haven't determined how long I should wait between the visit and a later purchase. But I think the only pen I've ever purchased online after examining it in person was a Noodler's Ahab and that was because the B&M didn't have a color I wanted.

[MarcS]

replying to flatline's comment above, i would like to add that this b&m's selection of pens is attractive and presented well, and the people are knowledgable and attentive. despite being a non-smoker, i enjoy the (strong) tobacco aroma from the inventory and the smokers in the sitting area; but when i leave, my clothes and i need a bath. whenever i shop there, i am the only pen customer, but there are several tobacco customers, so it's clear which side of the business pays the bills. i am grateful for their pen side, for otherwise, i would have to travel to little rock.

[flatline]

replying to flatline's comment above, i would like to add that this b&m's selection of pens is attractive and presented well, and the people are knowledgable and attentive. despite being a non-smoker, i enjoy the (strong) tobacco aroma from the inventory and the smokers in the sitting area; but when i leave, my clothes and i need a bath. whenever i shop there, i am the only pen customer, but there are several tobacco customers, so it's clear which side of the business pays the bills. i am grateful for their pen side, for otherwise, i would have to travel to little rock.

 

I have no complaints about the staff or the help I received. I just got to the point where I couldn't take the burning eyes and throat anymore and had to leave.

 

--flatline

[DriedUpBob]

I will +1 the B&M. You can try the pen, feel it in your hand and see the color.

 

I have bought from Nibs.com and Binders and they perform a great service. I would be surprised if you could get a similarly tuned nib from a B&M but if you can dip the pen and write with it before you buy I think that accounts for alot of buyer satisfaction even if the nib is not perfect.

[BillZ]

I have the luxury and pleasure of being able to shop at Dromgoole's in Houston's Rice Village! I can try any pen in the store and, in fact, the brothers encourage potential buyers to do that so that they will know how a pen writes and feels which to me is the bottom line. I have been in other stores that "sort of" sold pens. Most of them had ill-trained staff that had no idea what they were selling. Since I usually want an F or even EF nib I'm out of luck in these places because almost all of them only stock M nibs. This issue is not black/white and I could go on at length about it. More later?

[Rubicon]

I favor Brick and Mortar even though they might be a bit expensive. I like the personal service and actually being able to look at the pen. I've been lucky as I've order my pens mostly online, but ended up liking most of them anyway. But whenever I go into pen boutiques I find pens that looked really tempting online but underwhelming in real life.