Is M800 red striated soon back to business?

[Major_Tom]

I was talking to my retailer in Athens, GR about the red striated M800 that I lost when it was in production and how today you need to sell a kidney to have one used, when he told me that Pelican is likely to relaunch the model within this year. Music to my ears that of course haven’t seen around the net being confirmed. Anyone heard of something?

[PAKMAN]

Haven't heard this but it would be good news!
 

[yubaprof]

Pulling the rug out from under those who already have one in terms of value?

[N1003U]

13 hours ago, yubaprof said:

Pulling the rug out from under those who already have one in terms of value?

Trading in old, used things is often a speculative business (be it real estate, fountain pens or whatever), so in that sense, I suppose the best advice is always, "buyer beware", but as for me, I will consider this discussion hearsay (why does the autocorrect want to change it to heresy ) until I see something that is a little better corroborated.

[mehandiratta]

I have also heard the same

[Ron Z]

A manufacture's interest is not in "collectible value" but rather in selling pens to an interested market, and rightly so.  That's why they're in business.   If there is the demand for the red pens, they'd be silly to ignore it.  A subtle change in pattern or something else (which they have done with tortoise pens) "preserves" the value of the originals.

[Major_Tom]

Pelikan has in fact no obligation to preserve the values of those discontinued reds in the secondary market. It was a standard range model that was at one point decided to stop it’s production. No special model, nor a limited edition to which the company is indeed committed in producing for a specific time or for a given number of pieces. 
 

Bringing it back to the market breaks no bonds with the collectors. As it was a production model they can bring it back whenever they want. Like what they did with the brown tortoiseshell. The fact that in eBay you can find such models at 1000-1800$ shows that the market wants it. The only unhappy people will be those that count on paying the rent of the month with selling one of those 

 

MT

Edited February 1, 2021 by Major_Tom

[yubaprof]

All of the comments are well taken. I had my collector's cap on and not my business cap when I posted. 

[N1003U]

1 hour ago, yubaprof said:

All of the comments are well taken. I had my collector's cap on and not my business cap when I posted. 

...and (assuming the re-introduction happens as rumo(u)red), just think of all the fun that will be had here in these threads in a few years, with people asking for ways to identify the highly sought-after “pre ‘21 re-issue” red M800s...😜😃

[Ron Z]

9 hours ago, N1003U said:

...and (assuming the re-introduction happens as rumo(u)red), just think of all the fun that will be had here in these threads in a few years, with people asking for ways to identify the highly sought-after “pre ‘21 re-issue” red M800s...😜😃

 

More truth to that than most of us would care to admit.

[Major_Tom]

11 hours ago, N1003U said:

...and (assuming the re-introduction happens as rumo(u)red), just think of all the fun that will be had here in these threads in a few years, with people asking for ways to identify the highly sought-after “pre ‘21 re-issue” red M800s...😜😃

ah yes!

And with the design of the Pelikans being quite unlike to change one will have to put those under the microscope to tell the differences 

[Eccles]

14 hours ago, Major_Tom said:

ah yes!

And with the design of the Pelikans being quite unlike to change one will have to put those under the microscope to tell the differences 

 

The cap logo is the easiest differentiating factor; the old version has the printed logo, a newer one would have the more recent plated logo.

Glenn.

[encremental]

....Hmmm, if only Pelikan caps were interchangeable 😎

 

John

[N1003U]

5 hours ago, encremental said:

....Hmmm, if only Pelikan caps were interchangeable 😎

 

John

Shhhh...

[Storch]

I'd imagine they would do something similar to the black/brown vs the older tortoise. 

Similar enough to make people who missed the original happy while not being exactly the same making owners of the original happy.

[savingbirds]

On 2/17/2021 at 7:56 AM, Storch said:

I'd imagine they would do something similar to the black/brown vs the older tortoise. 

Similar enough to make people who missed the original happy while not being exactly the same making owners of the original happy.

The problem is that the M400/M600 still uses the exact same red striped pattern as the discontinued M800. If Pelikan re-released the M800 in black/red with a slightly different colour/gradient/pattern, they'll create a disconnect in design between their lineup. Of course, it can be a total re-vamp and they can update all their pens to the new red finish (and maybe even extend it to the M1000? Please?).

[MHBru]

well... as a very happy owner of a red striped M800 I have no issues with a reissue.  I purchased it a few years ago (at a modest but not ridiculous premium) because i liked it not because it was an investment.  

[Barry Gabay]

I agree with MHBru.  I like my red 800 very much. If there were a re-issue, I would certainly consider buying one. I have a green 800 from the 1990s and another green one from just a couple of years ago. No harm in having multiples of the same model from different years and with different cap crowns, but in the same color.