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TWSBI Draco, not numbered?


Whyterose513

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I contacted Goulet Pen Co where I purchased my TWSBI Draco, and asked this question. "What number of the 3,000 limited edition is my pen", my answer "While these are limited out of 3,000 I don't believe they are individually numbered"


Is this typical? A manufacturer creates a pen, claims it is a limited edition of 3,000 but does not number or identify the pen? They could easily make 10,000 pens instead of 3,000.

 

I feel mislead by the limited edition claim, can anyone clarify if this is normal practice for fountain pen creators?

Edited by Whyterose513
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4 hours ago, Whyterose513 said:

I feel mislead by the limited edition claim, can anyone clarify if this is normal practice for fountain pen creators?

 

A ”limited edition of N” does not promise or imply the individual pens are numbered from 1 to N, much less that an owner will be offered some form of artefact — a certificate of authenticity, or inscription engraved somewhere on the pen's body — evidencing the serial number of a particular unit.

 

Limited editions that are individually numbered will usually be described as such in their product listings and marketing collateral.

 

I don't want to challenge or invalidate your feeling(s), but if you were misled at all, then you misled yourself by filling in the blanks with what you thought ought to be there, when the manufacturer and retailer said no such thing; the responsibility or fault lies with you. Feel as angry or disappointed as you want… in yourself for making an untested assumption and purchasing decision based strongly on that.

 

There is no standard for “normal practice” to which you can demand manufacturers far and wide to conform. As long as only N units of the limited edition are available to be acquired as advertised, no-one can validly accuse a manufacturer of deception, even if the buyer does not get offered any proof to his or her satisfaction, much less something to show others in case he or she feels it affects the inherent and/or resale value of the product bought.

 

The (now discontinued) Sailor pen models 11-1224-104 and 11-1224-304 are both marked as limited edition products (限定品) in the catalogue, without so much as stating how many units of those would be produced and/or available. So, as you can see, one ought not assume so much as being entitled to know how many there will/would be in what was planned and sold as limited edition products.

 

Three limited edition Platinum Izumo pen models

 

Shown above are three limited edition models from a single manufacturer and one particular product line: Platinum Izumo. Units of the Yagumonuri, as far as I'm aware, do not sport individual serial numbers in spite of being rarer than the other two models. (The manufacturer's press release for the introduction of the Yagumonuri said nothing about serial numbers, from what I can see.) So, as you can see, one ought not even jump to the conclusion that all limited edition pens from the same manufacturer will be individually numbered, even if some of them are.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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Thank you for your reply and explanation, lesson learned.  I will be more careful with future purchases.

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17 hours ago, Whyterose513 said:

Thank you for your reply and explanation, lesson learned.  I will be more careful with future purchases.

More careful?  Are you saying you will only purchase a limited edition pen if it's numbered? :smile:

 

Are you otherwise pleased with your Draco?

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5 minutes ago, maclink said:

Are you otherwise pleased with your Draco?

 

On 4/9/2021 at 8:19 AM, Whyterose513 said:

I just received my TWSBI Draco today and am really enjoying it.  Does anyone know where I might find what number my pen is since its a limited edition of 3000 total pens?

 

 

 

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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Hmm, I think maclink has a point to be fair. If you buy a pen because you like it, does it really matter if it is limited or not, or numbered or not? I know there are people who say they enjoy owning something for the exclusivity of the thing, but I've never been able to get my head around this. I can't bring myself to care a jot about how many people own whatever. It has absolutely zero impact on my enjoyment and use of anything.

 

I wouldn't put a lot of stay on 'LE's' ever anyway. It's marketing nonsense to enable producers to charge more and create brand hype. The recent Seiko Glacier Alpinist is a fine example. An LE that sold out in two days flat. Seiko decided they were on to a winner with an unusual dial they didn't think would prove so popular. A year later they release the exact same watch; unlimited. I get it; why on earth would you pass up on selling a boatload of very popular watches? I think they days of LE's and exclusives are coming to an end to be honest. There are just so many of them across so many different types of products that's it's become meaningless. I understand though that it is a good way for a producer to test the markets with small batch production and tell the buyer they are getting an exclusive, limited scoop.

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Usually, if you buy a LE pen, you pay more for it than a regular production.  I guess this is where the OP was coming from, expecting that there would be some number or marking to verify the extra cost.

 

If I buy a LE pen, it will look different from the regular production model, even if just a particular colour.  That's enough for me personally, since I would be purchasing it for the appearance and not a number of total made on it.

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On 4/11/2021 at 2:42 AM, maclink said:

More careful?  Are you saying you will only purchase a limited edition pen if it's numbered? :smile:

 

Are you otherwise pleased with your Draco?

More careful meaning to not over expect and nothing more.  I am pleased with the pen, however it is overpriced for what it is.  I purchased it because I liked the color and mistakenly thought there were a limited number of pens produced was why it was so much more expensive than the other TWSBI pens I own.  After receiving it and using it and compared to my other pens I do not feel it was worth what I paid for it.

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On 4/11/2021 at 5:05 AM, Uncial said:

Hmm, I think maclink has a point to be fair. If you buy a pen because you like it, does it really matter if it is limited or not, or numbered or not? I know there are people who say they enjoy owning something for the exclusivity of the thing, but I've never been able to get my head around this. I can't bring myself to care a jot about how many people own whatever. It has absolutely zero impact on my enjoyment and use of anything.

 

I wouldn't put a lot of stay on 'LE's' ever anyway. It's marketing nonsense to enable producers to charge more and create brand hype. The recent Seiko Glacier Alpinist is a fine example. An LE that sold out in two days flat. Seiko decided they were on to a winner with an unusual dial they didn't think would prove so popular. A year later they release the exact same watch; unlimited. I get it; why on earth would you pass up on selling a boatload of very popular watches? I think they days of LE's and exclusives are coming to an end to be honest. There are just so many of them across so many different types of products that's it's become meaningless. I understand though that it is a good way for a producer to test the markets with small batch production and tell the buyer they are getting an exclusive, limited scoop.

This is my first LE pen, and I appreciate your reply and explanation.  I will be more careful when considering a LE pen in the future.

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On 4/13/2021 at 2:08 AM, Whyterose513 said:

I am pleased with the pen, however it is overpriced for what it is.

 

Just to be clear, are you saying that:

  • a serial number (say, provided on a certificate of authenticity card included in the retail package) would make the exact same pen less ‘overpriced’ at the price you paid, because a number (say, 2179/3000) is adds to the writing instrument's value to you?
    – or –
  • the pen is overpriced with or without a serial number, but you just didn't know it is overpriced (on account of its material, workmanship, writing performance, etc.) until you've handled it, even though on the whole you would be pleased with the pen if you didn't pay the asking price, which is killing your enjoyment of it somewhat?
    – or –
  • the pen is overpriced with or without a serial number, and you knew it all along, but it is attractive-looking and hey, it's only money and this is your hobby, and as it turns out you're pleased with the pen and really enjoying it, so all is good?

I'm a bit confused which one it is, from the rest of your post and also your first post in this thread.

 

On 4/13/2021 at 2:08 AM, Whyterose513 said:

I purchased it because I liked the color and mistakenly thought there were a limited number of pens produced was why it was so much more expensive than the other TWSBI pens I own.

 

I don't see anything that suggests either an unlimited number, or at least a greater number than the stated 3000, units of this pen, were produced (or are still being produced). Price is primarily a function of supply and demand, even if/when the price is set only by speculating on the demand for an item yet to be released in the market.

 

On 4/13/2021 at 2:11 AM, Whyterose513 said:

I will be more careful when considering a LE pen in the future.

 

You may also want to look up what happened with the (rather pricier) limited edition Aurora Optima Nebulosa and Pelikan M900 Toledo models.

 

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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To further confuse things,  Leonardo in particular numbers their standard issue pens as well.  

 

I agree that most LE pens released today are not numbered.  

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  • 3 months later...
On 4/14/2021 at 12:39 AM, A Smug Dill said:

a serial number (say, provided on a certificate of authenticity card included in the retail package) would make the exact same pen less ‘overpriced’ at the price you paid, because a number (say, 2179/3000) is adds to the writing instrument's value to you?

 

That would be the general expectation.

 

The OP was told about the lack of certification, so it was an informed decision.

If the discovery was after purchase, then refund was always an option.

 

If you are happy with a pen at price 'x' but agree to pay price 'y' because it is LE (to be different). The certificate just ensures that commitment from the manufacturer. No paperwork, no deal.

 

Manufacturers have gone back on their word and later on launched the LE's as mainstream which IMO is unprofessional.  :angry:

Just sullies the term 'LE'.

 

At least, you won't find MB LE's becoming mainstream even though their price/value is debatable.

 

On 4/11/2021 at 12:05 PM, Uncial said:

I wouldn't put a lot of stay on 'LE's' ever anyway. It's marketing nonsense to enable producers to charge more and create brand hype. The recent Seiko Glacier Alpinist is a fine example. An LE that sold out in two days flat. Seiko decided they were on to a winner with an unusual dial they didn't think would prove so popular. A year later they release the exact same watch; unlimited. I get it; why on earth would you pass up on selling a boatload of very popular watches? I think they days of LE's and exclusives are coming to an end to be honest. There are just so many of them across so many different types of products that's it's become meaningless. I understand though that it is a good way for a producer to test the markets with small batch production and tell the buyer they are getting an exclusive, limited scoop.

So it would seem, sadly.

 

Telling the buyer it is an 'LE' is blatant lying if the product is going to be mainstream thereafter.

The price increase is for the exclusivity, which isn't the case once it becomes part of the standard offering.

 

Engineer :

Someone who does precision guesswork based on unreliable data provided by those of questionable knowledge.

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  • 1 year later...

I've just bought a second hand Draco.  I had no idea it was an LE pen.  It's a nice pen.  It writes well.  Not having a number on the side makes not a jot of difference to me.  

http://www.aysedasi.co.uk

 

 

 

 

She turned me into a newt.......

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