M800 Tortoise?

[andyk]

Some of you may have already seen this, bidding has ended anyway, with reserve not being reached (so much for super low reserve).

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...DME:B:WNA:US:12

 

I assume it is genuine, I think they made them for the Spanish market, presumably in limited numbers (always wished I could buy one but at this sort of price or presumably more, I probably won't). The seller seems to specialise in high end/LE pens

 

Assuming $1526 didn't reach reserve how much is a pen like this worth?

 

Even seems to be damaged (although only a small crack) wouldn't this reduce the price somewhat, but then I guess this is a very rare pen so normal criteria don't always apply. How rare are they?

 

Andy

 

edited for typos

Edited October 6, 2007 by andyk

[MikeW]

I have always wondered about the existence of this pen and what it would sell for. IMHO, it is the perfect (Pelikan) combination of size and colour.

[Rick Propas]

The Spanish story is cute and amusing, but makes no sense.

 

The real story is much more prosaic.

 

They made them in 1987, when the M800 was first introduced. They did not sell well. They have not made any more because of that.

If you can believe it, my Pelikan sources tell me that they were closed out at the Pelikan factory for 300DM! Ain't that a killer.

 

In good shape a set, and that's what they came as, can fetch upwards of $2000.00.

[AndyHayes]

They need to re-introduce it as I am sure that it would sell very well.

 

I won't hold my breath though!

[Bill Smith]

The holy grail for my modern Pelikan collection and my chances for getting a tortoise M800 are slim to non existant. On the practical side, you can buy a lot of pens for $2000.

 

 

[MikeW]

Perhaps if I win a lottery (which will be hard because I don't buy tickets) I could go to Germany for a few months and go snooping around garage sales, if they have that sort of thing, or antique markets. I might get lucky - but I know I would get fat(ter) from the beer, sausages and pretzels.

[andyk]

Thanks for the input.

 

To be honest this might be one of my holy grails, but not at these prices, I buy pens to use and just wouldn't use one that cost this much (even assuming I could afford to spend £1000+ on a pen).

 

Oh well one might turn up one day for far less or maybe one of the Tortoise M600s they made for the Japanese market, in the meantime I will be content with my M400 version.

 

Still can't understand why they don't reintroduce this colour in one or all of the sizes, I am sure it will be more popular than some of their more recent pens (for example the Sahara or dare I say it the M7000), but then I guess we all have different tastes and they can't cater for all of them.

 

Andy

Edited October 2, 2007 by andyk

[Rick Propas]

What is interesting about this is that everyone urges the company to do so, yet when they did make the M400 in tortoise, for the Kaufhof Department Stores, Kaufhof ended up wholesaling them, apparently unable to sell them for the 300€ price they asked. My guess is that we will not be seeing any M800s in the foreseeable future.

[MikeW]

I certainly would not expect to find/buy a pen in a department store (only a few still exist) but perhaps that's the way things are done in Germany.

 

One wonders whether they have heard about globalization and test marketing or focus groups. Unfortunately, Pelikan doesn't have a monopoly on apparent indifference to customers; one can ask the same things about OMAS.

 

I wonder how close you could come to "cloning" a Tortoise 800 without infringing on any intellectual property rights? If it writes like a Pelikan and looks like a Pelikan, would customers be willing to buy it if it is not a genuine Pelikan?

[RLTodd]

It would seem that if anyone is willing to put up the money for a minimum production run, Pelikan will make anything you want. Off hand, I can't think of anyone who would be interested in putting that kind of money at risk.

 

Of course there is always someone with money to burn, somewhere..........

 

 

Edited October 2, 2007 by RLTodd

[Rick Propas]

As far as "cloning" a Pelikan, one of the leading German collector/dealers tried it and ended up with some very stern men on his doorstop who convinced him to destroy what he had made.

[PAKMAN]

So there I sat at the Shotgun Dan's pizza enjoying pizza and pen talk during the Arkansas Pen Club meeting and Sam Highsmith opens up his little case of pen goodies and there was just about every modern Pelikan made. I got to handle and ooh over the Blue Ocean and all the other goodies. I looked over in his pocket and asked about the Pel he had peaking out of his pocket and he said "oh just this little beauty" and handed me an 800 Tortoise... He can move surprisingly fast for an retired barrister, he managed to tackle me before I could get out the front door!

 

I guess that's as close as I'll ever get to owning one!!! :embarrassed_smile:

[andyk]

So there I sat at the Shotgun Dan's pizza enjoying pizza and pen talk during the Arkansas Pen Club meeting and Sam Highsmith opens up his little case of pen goodies and there was just about every modern Pelikan made. I got to handle and ooh over the Blue Ocean and all the other goodies. I looked over in his pocket and asked about the Pel he had peaking out of his pocket and he said "oh just this little beauty" and handed me an 800 Tortoise... He can move surprisingly fast for an retired barrister, he managed to tackle me before I could get out the front door!

 

I guess that's as close as I'll ever get to owning one!!! :embarrassed_smile:

 

That's the secret then, if I were a retired barrister I may be able to afford this pen, often wish I had followed my original inclination for a career path, yet another reason to regret that I didn't. Oh well maybe one day.

 

Andy

Edited October 6, 2007 by andyk

[Yiddil]

Hi Everyone:)

 

I have not posted here for some time, but for this thread I thought I would add my 2cents. As Rick knows, I have a new, never used not only 800 Tortise Fountain Pen, but the matching 800 Tortise Ball Point to Match. They were purchased from two differnt people nearly 5-6 years ago. I have shown them to Rick and others at a Washington Pen show in past years. From everything I was told, there are not many of these pens out there, forget a matching set which includes the ball point pen. I am not sure what they would run together as a set, but I am not suggesting I would sell them for any amount of money, although I could be temped.

 

My point is that when I first started collecting and fixing and later selling vintage founbtain pens, one of the first ones I bought was the Tortise 800 set, and my point being that even as a beginner, you may find yourself with the unbeliveable luck of running into and purchasing somethinbg this special...dont give up:)

 

My Best, henry AKA THE YIDDIL

 

PS while your at the penguins site buying some pens, you can see a pic of the pen in a fantastic Article Rick wrote on pelikans:)

Here is an undated pic of this wonderful set:) enjoy

Edited October 16, 2007 by Yiddil

[Matt]

I have recently seen a tortoise M600 and a tortoise old style M250, both on martiniauctions (no affiliaction). The prices were reasonable too.

 

The tortoise really is the most beautiful Pelikan made.

 

Matt C.

[andyk]

Henry,

 

Thanks for sharing never realised that they did an 800 BP in Tortoise. I thought I was doing quite well having a modern 400 and vintage 400 BP (probably late 50s/early 60s as it takes the old style refills).

 

Oh well I will keep my eyes open, like you say you never know your luck.

 

Andy

[Yiddil]

Henry,

 

Thanks for sharing never realised that they did an 800 BP in Tortoise. I thought I was doing quite well having a modern 400 and vintage 400 BP (probably late 50s/early 60s as it takes the old style refills).

 

Oh well I will keep my eyes open, like you say you never know your luck.

 

Andy

Your more than welcomed...its always possible to find jems and not be the biggest or most knowlegable collector....every once in a whle you get lucky, as the Pen-Gods can't own them all!!! LOL

[saintsimon]

What is interesting about this is that everyone urges the company to do so, yet when they did make the M400 in tortoise, for the Kaufhof Department Stores, Kaufhof ended up wholesaling them, apparently unable to sell them for the 300€ price they asked. My guess is that we will not be seeing any M800s in the foreseeable future.

Rick, I think they were on wholesale only. They were Kaufhof exclusive, but I've never seen them being sold at Euro 300. Kaufhof has these wholesale actions, say, twice a year with Pelikan pens. They never appear at their fictitious "original" price.

Edited October 17, 2007 by saintsimon

[saintsimon]

For those interested (I'm not ...); on da Bay, there's a M800 tortoise from the Netherlands on auction for the remaining 10 hours or so.

[saintsimon]

So this M800 brown tortoise went for only US$ 2125

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=250183253862