Does This "defect" Make My Pen Unique In A Good Way (Le Petit Prince Meisterstuck 146)?

[Anduril1024]

Greetings!

First time poster, though I've lurked around for a while. I had a question about my pen and thought you guys would know more about this than me.

I just bought a Le Petit Prince Meisterstuck 146 fountain pen, which I find gorgeous and is perfect for me since I love the book. However, I noticed something odd about the pen when we received it, as you can see in the pictures below:

 

 

 

 

Basically, everything is just as it should be, except that the cap doesn't have the fox pattern that normally goes with this model pen (and all Le Petit Prince edition pens for that matter), but rather it just has a smooth cap. It would regularly look like this:

 

 

I bought it off Appelboom, so I'm not too worried about it being a fake, since I understand that they are trusted in the business. It's not really their fault, as it came like that out of the package. They also confirmed that it must have come like that from the factory, which they verified is not found on any other of these pens within their inventory. They were also gracious enough to offer to exchange it if I so wish.

 

I personally don't have any major issues with it, other than the feeling that the pen is not exactly as it should be from the factory. However, I kind of like it because it gives a more serious tone in a business environment from someone else's perspective, while keeping all the other the child-like details of Le Petit Prince without them being too noticeable to someone who's not looking for them.

 

So, in a nutshell, I wanted to get your input on whether I should keep it or exchange it for another one. Also, if I were to sell this as it is, would this have any impact on its value? I can see someone making the case that it's not really a defect that affects the performance of the pen while also making the pen unique and therefore raising the value, but I can also see someone saying that it is not how it should be out of the factory therefore lowering the value.

 

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks for reading.

Edited July 7, 2018 by Anduril1024

[sciumbasci]

I don't know anything bout Montblanc but that they are too expensive for me.

Though, if such... Flaws are anything like Rolex's, I would baby that pen dearly.

[JulieParadise]

I would say: Congratulations!

 

The way your pen looks I like it a lot more than with the pattern. If this oddity makes it more precious it is even better!

[Ghost Plane]

Although the Dumas "wrong" signature didn't add anything to the value of those pens, so flaws are sometimes nothing but flaws.

 

I like it better without the fox as well. Enjoy!

[akrohn2010]

Looks like your Montblanc swapped the patterned party jacket for a two-button dark blue suit: still interesting but far more flexible for every occasion.

 

I say keep it!

[Driften]

I would say send it back. It's not really the pen you thought you were getting and I don't think collectors in the future are going to make the pen worth more for being wrong. They are going to want "Le Petit Prince" not sorta prince to add to their collection.

 

But I don't know the future and it's your money to gamble with. If you enjoy it with out the fox, keep it, otherwise get what you really wanted.

[alfredop]

Take the pen as is, go to a Montblanc Boutique (without the cap) and ask the price for a cap (you can say that you lost it), if a new cap does not cost too much to you, then take also the new cap. So you will be able to swap the cap on the base of the occasion. Moreover if one day you want to sell it, you can offer the rarity of your original cap together with the standard version.

Alfredo

[Shannon]

Take the pen as is, go to a Montblanc Boutique (without the cap) and ask the price for a cap (you can say that you lost it), if a new cap does not cost too much to you, then take also the new cap. So you will be able to swap the cap on the base of the occasion. Moreover if one day you want to sell it, you can offer the rarity of your original cap together with the standard version.

Alfredo

 

 

Brilliant!

[mana]

Nice!

[Chrissy]

I'm in the return it category. If I had bought that pen, I would have bought it with the fox cap. Without that cap, it's a more ordinary blue pen, and others won't value it as highly as the Petit Prince if it is ever sold. Even though it's authentic, many won't believe it is.

[MsRedpen]

Personally, I would keep the pen as is, use it and enjoy it!

 

Ideally, could you negotiate with the vendor to send you the original cap free of charge, to have both “versions”?

At the end, it was an error in the production and packiging checking line.

[ethernautrix]

Is the nib (supposed to be) imprinted with the little prince or the fox? In other words, what other details distinguish this pen as a Little Prince?

 

Ah. Watching Croatia v. Russia, thus...distracted. (Rooting for Croatia.) I see the yellow star on the clip. That might be enough for me to keep it. I'm not crazy about the repeated fox motif.

Edited July 7, 2018 by ethernautrix

[alexwi]

If you're going to take the 2-caps route, you should call the vendor and ask if they'd be willing to order the right cap from Montblanc and sell it to you at cost.

 

You could also contact Montblanc and ask if they'd be willing to do the same.

 

I can't imagine anything from Montblanc being inexpensive.

 

alex

[Anduril1024]

Thanks to all for the feedback so far.

Seems to be a bit of a mixed response. I guess that, as a first step, it doesn't hurt to ask the vendor if they could send me the correct cap instead of exchanging the entire pen. I don't think they would be able to sell my pen as it is if I return it either way.

Is the nib (supposed to be) imprinted with the little prince or the fox? In other words, what other details distinguish this pen as a Little Prince?

Ah. Watching Croatia v. Russia, thus...distracted. (Rooting for Croatia.) I see the yellow star on the clip. That might be enough for me to keep it. I'm not crazy about the repeated fox motif.

Other than the missing fox pattern on the cap, the pen has all the other details that distinguish it as the Le Petit Prince 146. This includes the night-blue color of the sky from the book, the star in the clip (a reference to a quote from the book), the book quote in the crown of the cap, and the nib with the prince, fox, and a couple of stars above them engraved on it. Below are a couple of pictures I just took (though the lighting is not the best here):

 

 

 

Since the pen still includes all of these other details that should be there (including in the cap itself), I was a bit hesitant to exchange it to begin with (going along the aforementioned train of thought that it now actually seems more professional while keeping all of these homages to the book). I'll see if the vendor can provide the correct cap as a starting point, and go from there.

Edited July 7, 2018 by Anduril1024

[Parker51]

Very interesting. Given that color is new and specific to that pen, it suggests that someone prior to assembling the pen took the wrong box off the shelf, a box of caps without the fox markings, unknowingly assembled what appeared to be a perfectly good match to the barrel and packaged the pen and away it went. This suggests that Montblanc does not test some of its pens after assembly, nor set the nibs as a last step, nor polish or clean them. If it did, this mistake would have likely been caught.

[RogerRamjet]

I concur with the "2 cap" suggestion. I would contact the company first about getting a replacement before going into the boutique.

[Chrissy]

Very interesting. Given that color is new and specific to that pen, it suggests that someone prior to assembling the pen took the wrong box off the shelf, a box of caps without the fox markings, unknowingly assembled what appeared to be a perfectly good match to the barrel and packaged the pen and away it went. This suggests that Montblanc does not test some of its pens after assembly, nor set the nibs as a last step, nor polish or clean them. If it did, this mistake would have likely been caught.

 

This sounds like a very plausible explanation, and it's a concern if this is what has happened.

[Chrissy]

Since the pen still includes all of these other details that should be there (including in the cap itself), I was a bit hesitant to exchange it to begin with (going along the aforementioned train of thought that it now actually seems more professional while keeping all of these homages to the book). I'll see if the vendor can provide the correct cap as a starting point, and go from there.

My guess is that when he hears about this, seller will be as surprised as you were.

He will probably want to return the whole thing to Montblanc. This would be a good idea as it will alert Montblanc to a potential recall requirement before these mistakes get any further into circulation.

[sandy101]

The pen came with a 2 year guarantee - and Montblanc should provide you with the correct cap for free.

 

The wrong cap will make selling the pen later a lot harder - as I imagine many will suppose it to be a fake as the cap is wrong.

 

Besides, its the details such as the engraving that makes price of the pen much higher.

 

As others have already advised, either contact MB's boutique or the retailer and get it sorted.

[praxim]

Addressing the question in the title: No.

 

You appear to have a pen with mis-matched parts. That is very different from, for example, a coin minted with a misprint.

 

You could try the two-cap route suggested. Otherwise, it depends what the current appearance is worth to you, your personal aesthetics, My own prediction is that open market value will be lower than for the proper pen, not higher.