Montblanc 146 fakes on eBay -a few or most??

[23109VC]

I’ve been researching the market and looking to pick up a Mont Blanc 146 fountain pen instead of going to the local store in pain the ridiculous retail price I was looking at the used ones on eBay. There are tons of them for sale and one thing I have noticed is that the more I look the more I find it almost impossible to figure out which ones are real and which ones are fake..

 

To make things more confusing, I have noticed what appears to be some that are obviously fake, which caused me to start researching what the fake ones look like which prompted me to locate websites like Etsy and Alibaba, which are selling pens that in the photographs are indistinguishable from a real one

 

The only thing that I have noticed as I do not see any apparent counterfeit pens that are modeled after the old 1970s ISH style pens with the larger clear Inc. window and all gold nib but it does appear. There’s lots of fakes of the new ones..

 

There are a handful of sellers on eBay that have thousands of reviews and good ratings but most of them appear to be selling pens that are at least $500 and at that point I’ll just buy a brand new one

 

I have not been able to find any online retailers that sell them for anything that is significantly less than retail and I don’t wanna buy an old one that is scratched up

 

I’m kind of wondering if I’ll just either bite the bullet and buy a new one or perhaps look for a more specialty model it is more unique looking that hasn’t been faked yet

 

For those of you who have been able to locate a nice clean, almost new in the box example of a 146 who did you buy it from?

 

Any suggestions or appreciated

 

I’m starting to wonder what percent of the pens out there are actually fake I don’t really know what precautions you could take, nor how this would be legitimately policed anyone could start substituting fake ones if they’re high enough quality and if you’re a novice buyer like myself until it actually showed up at your house. It would be hard to prove it’s a fake and some of the sellers don’t even accept returns so you’re just relying on some stranger to be honest which candidly is a stretch these days
 

Do most of you believe that the majority of the Mont Blanc pens on eBay are real or that there are tons of them that are fraudulent. I am starting to wonder if it is the latter

 

as an example of things that make me curious some of these Mont Blanc boxes could be easily fake or just bought on some Chinese website and then people put their imitation pens into a box that looks legit

 

Another thing I’ve noticed is a lot of the pens that are supposedly used. Still have the stickers on the barrel that have the size of the nib or made in Germany.

 

Candidly I can’t imagine the average person would buy a pen and then use it for years and not remove those stupid little stickers making me wonder if these things are just getting pumped out of China and they make the stupid little stickers so it looks like a new pen that’s vintage or really old one instead it’s just a knock off that’s done really well that’s worth 50 or 60 bucks and they’re trying to sell it for 400??

Edited February 4, 2023 by 23109VC

[I-am-not-really-here]

2 hours ago, 23109VC said:

For those of you who have been able to locate a nice clean, almost new in the box example of a 146 who did you buy it from?

Chatterly Luxuries, Fivestar Pens, and Dromgoole's. Yes I paid more than perhaps what some 'john doe' seller had an eBay listing for.  That added cost is for trust.  Integrity counts in my book.

[kestrel]

1 hour ago, I-am-not-really-here said:

Chatterly Luxuries, Fivestar Pens, and Dromgoole's. Yes I paid more than perhaps what some 'john doe' seller had an eBay listing for.  That added cost is for trust.  Integrity counts in my book.

I have dealt with all three of these businesses and they stand by what they sell.  I would add eBay seller speerbob to the list.  Bob posts on FPN.

[langere]

Yes, and anything stating  that a pen is "Mont Blanc" is fake, as the company's name is "Montblanc."

 

Erick

[Toolattack]

13 hours ago, langere said:

Yes, and anything stating  that a pen is "Mont Blanc" is fake, as the company's name is "Montblanc."

 

Erick

 

It's interesting that eBay in the UK default to 'Mont Blanc' rather than Montblanc.

My advice @23109VC  (for what it's worth) is that if you are interested in a pen from a 'John Doe' seller ask to see a receipt. In my experience there are so many MB pens on eBay that if you wait long enough you will find a genuine John Doe with a receipt (for the correct pen) from a retailer you trust. I bought a MB midsize platinum ballpoint in excellent condition for about 50% of retail in October with a receipt from a well known store in London. I went into the boutique a couple of weeks later and they kindly confirmed both the pen and the receipt were genuine.

Good luck and remember that developing relationships with sellers like those listed above may yield 'loyalty discounts' going forward!

Hope that this is useful.

[Glenn Atkins]

New

https://www.iguanasell.com/

 

Used and restored

https://www.peytonstreetpens.com/

 

In both cases customer service is off the charts great.

 

No affiliation with either.  Just a satisfied customer over the years.

 

Glenn

[Carrau]

Another reliable seller follows.  There were two 146s there this morning.

 

https://www.penboard.de/shop/

 

Izods.ink is another.

[TgeekB]

I bought mine from a member here. 

[txomsy]

That it is listed as Mont Blanc or Montblanc may be due to misspelling, one has to exercise judgement.

 

But there is a new flood from China of MB pens that seems like a registered trade mark designed not to infringe on Montblanc but to mislead unawares specialized on making fakes. the fakes so far seem to be of the cartridge/converter models, but lately there seem to start appearing some fakes with ink window. So, if it is listed as MB and new, it is most likely a fake.

Traditionally, it was uncommon to see fakes of piston-fillers and when there were the quality would tell them out. Alas, it may no longer be so.

 

As for the stickers, some people do like to keep them, and some people buy a Montblanc only as an investment, not to use them but to resell them in the future. This is usually more frequent with limited editions. But a sticker needs not be indication of fake, it is not so rare, plus it is not so trivial to fake a 70+ years old aged sticker. Nor is it a guarantee either, as soon as anyone claims so, there is bound to be a flood of fakers adding stickers just to grab a quick buck.

 

The next best to buying from an advised reseller is to look at the sellers' feeedback and comments and see if they are specialists, if they have sold more fountain pens and if they have had legit complains (some people complain unjustifiably).

 

[SpecTP]

I did an ebay search and found several 146 at around $250-300 range.

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Support a company that thrives on snob appeal, support somebody who's stealing trademarks from a company that thrives on snob appeal, it's all the same to me.

 

Why I stick with low-end Pelikans. And am disinclined to accept a MB (real or fake) as a gift, or even a high-end Pelikan, for that matter.

[Karmachanic]

There are reputable pen dealers on eBay.  Look for dealers that sell only pens, have 100% feedback and go from there.

[txomsy]

12 hours ago, hbquikcomjamesl said:

Support a company that thrives on snob appeal, support somebody who's stealing trademarks from a company that thrives on snob appeal, it's all the same to me.

 

Why I stick with low-end Pelikans. And am disinclined to accept a MB (real or fake) as a gift, or even a high-end Pelikan, for that matter.

 

It has not always been so. And needs not be so in the future: if the owners see an opportunity in lower end prices without diluting the mark image, they may return to produce more affordable pens.

 

There used to be a second and third level ranges of Montblanc pens. The Noblesse and Slimline were rather affordable. And Montblanc has come out with a high quality flex nib when they have sensed there was a demand in the market... and it has been a success.

 

So instead of complaining about Montblanc being elitist we should complain about not being an appealing, innovative, affordable new model (like the Noblesse in its time) that calls to new generations of writers, not just to collectors. And then, maybe we will have it, just as the Calligraphy nibs are rolling out.

[Paul-in-SF]

20 hours ago, Karmachanic said:

There are reputable pen dealers on eBay.  Look for dealers that sell only pens, have 100% feedback and go from there.

 

This is good advice, although I have also had good luck from a couple of more general antiques sellers. I always read the negative and neutral feedback posts, both to see what customers have complained about, and what kind of language and tone the seller uses to respond to that feedback.

 

23 hours ago, SpecTP said:

I did an ebay search and found several 146 at around $250-300 range.

 

I would combine this with the above advice: do a search like this, see what the average used price is, and be prepared to pay around that much. 

 

Finally, and most important to me: read the listing carefully, look at the photos carefully, so you will know what the seller claims to be selling. It's not only fakes you need to worry about, there are also legitimate pens with flaws that are glossed over in the listing or important details that are not specified. Also ask questions if you need more specific information before you bid or buy. 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

11 hours ago, txomsy said:

. . . if the owners see an opportunity in lower end prices without diluting the mark image . . .

Ay, there's the rub.

[miwishi63]

I would respectfully suggest that MB146 pens in the $200-$300 range are about what one would expect to pay for a "vintage" pen of that type. As others have suggested, buy only from reputable sellers and you will likely find one that is not a fake.

 

Mike

[MatteoM]

In my opinion on Ebay you can find the best deals on used 146s.

For the same model sometimes the price variation is huge, but occasionally you find very good deals.

 

Having owned a good number of 146 and 149 it is relatively easy for me to spot a fake just looking at the pictures.

What I personally do, is to ask additional photos of the nib and feed as well as the piston mechanism.

In this way it is easier for me to compare the object with what I have seen and determine if it is a fake.

 

I also find that pen shows (at least here in Italy) are a good place to find a good pre-owned 146, since the model is so popular. 

In my experience 220-240 EUR is the right price for a model from the '80-'90.

[23109VC]

I ended up finding a brand new black 146 W. platinum accents that was made specifically for BMW brand new medium them on sale for $400.  The patient has a crisscross pattern on the cap that I have also seen on some of the Mont Blanc bags.  It’s supposed to show up tomorrow. I’ll post some impressions once I write with it.
 

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

That's a very nice pattern of the cap.

 

Somegi is my cousin, with the same price I paid for my two 146's in a live auctions ...one, an OB, even had a no name inkwell in it's lot. Black glass base.

 

Having a 146 F,  ** made only one bid, the opening one, and had a bit more interest in the inkwell than the pen alone. Was very surprised that I got it at opening bid, in normally MB is higher priced. I wouldn't have bid except for the inkwell.

 

** Nearly a decade ago, pre-telephone much less computer, sitting in the almost empty live auction hall during summer vacation, the lonely near mint was got at starting bid....then a bit high for me, but 'reasonable'. A pure impulse buy...poor little thing.

 

In that empty auction house hall there was a woman sitting right next to me...and that E-20 starting bid for the Dupont went to 90, in her husband had wanted it. I got all three pens offered that day, only the Dupont was 'expensive'. The MB that cost well more, had been cheap, and as I find from the prices 'quoted' here, good and cheap at E-150, but one has to add the 25% tax and auction house costs, which is E-37.  Still a bargain.

I was back when I bought the first one, use to standard and medium long/large pens, so found the 146 a bit ungainly. Now having more Large pens find them, fairly light and nimble.....Not as light and nimble as the thin Snorkel or the second generation P-45. But more a pen I'd use now than then.

[donnweinberg]

I hope that this post is considered within the topic, which includes fakes.  Just for fun, and knowing it was not authentic, I recently received this definitely fake "light blue" Montblanc 146 for $39 from an Ebay seller in China.  It is a piston-fill fountain pen with the ink-level window lines, and it has all the (fake) indicia of authenticity.  To save space, I'm not showing all the photos I took.  But here are some:

 

 

As I knew it was not authentic, I saw no harm in enjoying this toy, which does write just fine for the money.  I purchased it also, as I would love to see Montblanc issue its 146 and 149 in more colors.  I don't hold out any hope that the company will do so.  I enjoy looking at this one.

 

 

Fake 146 -