Liking Pens Part II: Can Pens Be An Investment?

My thoughts for this post are as a follow up to the "Liking Pens" series and are about buying and selling pens as a possible investment.  Or, not necessarily seeing pens as only pens or possessions. 

Crazy thoughts, right?  But, Mike, pens aren't meant to be looked at in this way; they are meant to be enjoyed.... well, tell that to every business you buy pens from.  They make their living by "investing" into stock of pens and selling them for slightly more.  Of course I am not planning on going into business selling pens as I have plenty of great people to buy from: Pen Chalet, JetPens, Goulet Pens, Karas Kustoms, and others, but there are times when there are pens I want that they do not have or my new discoveries take me to the more rare or difficult to find models.

I'm going to again discuss rOtring as it is an area that I am familiar with and I guess I am sort of the go-to rOtring guy in the blog world due to my obsessions.  Hands down vintage rOtring pens are expensive, almost obscenely so in some instances, but supply, demand, and capitalism all play a part in this world we live in.  Scarcity breeds high demand and high demand generally breeds higher prices.  Economics in a nutshell.

I have amassed a small army of rOtring pens that on paper, from a financial standpoint, seems absolutely insane.  Even I think it is crazy sometimes!  With the going rate of vintage rOtring fountain pens around $200, when the numbers in your collection start climbing to the 7, 8, or 9 range you can start doing the math.  I'm sure people that were able to buy rOtring pens while they were being sold at your local office supply store cringe at the thought of how much these go for now.  

The truth is, I have yet to pay "full price" for a vintage rOtring fountain pen according to the going rate.  My obsession, I suppose, has bred an aspect of "the hunt" for the next great find.  I am scouring eBay nearly every day (not all day, but for a few minutes) looking through to find which one I might be able to acquire for a great deal.  In turn, if I choose, I can sell these pens and make a slight profit which can help fund others.  It is almost like a game.  Several pens in my collection I've acquired for less than $100 each in near mint or oven NOS condition.

The real problem lies in then being able to part with them.  This battle I discussed in Part I of the series, but is a real challenge when you start rationalizing in your mind that you really do need one of every nib size in both the silver and black 600 versions... really, you don't.

I haven't sold too many of my rOtring collection when looking at the lot as a whole, but have parted with nearly 10 over the last year all of which were for slightly higher than what I paid.  I'm not the type to take advantage of people in the least so each pen I've sold has been for less than the "market value" for sure.  Those that have bought have gotten what I would still consider a great deal.

One of the benefits of doing this if able is the fact that I get to enjoy these pens yet, if I want/need to sell one or some I am unlikely to lose any money doing so and in most cases may pocket a few dollars to put towards the next.  Do I see my rOtring collection as a long-term, never part with type of thing?  For some of the pens, yes, I'll keep them forever if possible, but others are there to enjoy and may just be here for part of my journey.

I have this same ideology with my current fascination for the vintage Japanese Pilot pens like they Murex, Myu, M90, Custom, and Elites from the 1970's (except the M90 from 2008).  I am simply consumed by them right now which means I am always on the hunt.  I'll admit, I have bought a lot of these pens recently since the bug hit, but all have been within a price range where I could part with them for either a slight profit or at least the break even point if necessary. 

To raise funds for the new acquisitions, I've recently sold some of my other pens to make room for these ones.  A very fluid system that could leave some people going nuts, kind of like buying stocks I suppose.  It seems to work and is actually pretty fun.  It keeps things fresh.

Similar to the other post, I'm not entirely certain if there is a point or moral to the post, but is another peek into the mind of a pen fanatic and how I approach most of my pen purchasing decisions overall.  My pen journey is a bit more free spirited than many people I suppose as I buy and try new pens simply for the sake of learning what I like, what works the best, and ultimately what will likely stick.  Although it seems completely on the non-conservative side of the spectrum, it makes a bit more sense when seen through the lens of something temporary or as an investment.  Buy, try, see what sticks, potentially part with what you think won't.

Just don't let the collector bug grab hold too strongly...

ATELEIA Brass Pen and Leather Goods by Chris Williams on Kickstarter

I have been so excited over the past several months for this to happen.  My friend and fellow Phoenix, AZ resident, Chris Williams, has officially launched his first Kickstarter campaign.

You may recall my review of his sleek and minimalist brass pen from awhile back which garnered a great amount of feedback, and he is happy to finally offer this beauty to the world!

Shot of first run of brass pens in his Dudek Modern Goods Groove - Photo provided by Chris Williams - Photographed by Adolfo Solorio

Shot of first run of brass pens in his Dudek Modern Goods Groove - Photo provided by Chris Williams - Photographed by Adolfo Solorio

In addition to his brass pen, Chris has also been working on a selection of fantastic leather products which he will also be offering via the campaign.

Please head over and check out his campaign!  Best of luck, Chris!

Airfoil Click: An Aviation Inspired Pen by Grant Takara

I must first tip my hat to Mr. Grant Takara for being so kind as to send me a prototype to review of his newest creation, the Airfoil Click Pen.  He also kindly provided me a prototype of his last pen a few months ago, The Airfoil, which I found so clever and creative, but when I saw the Airfoil Click I knew he was onto something fantastic.

If you don't recall the original Airfoil campaign, take a minute to look over some of Grant's history with his first venture into the pen design world.  The design is very unique, but his outside of the box approach to conventional pen design is what made me enjoy his last project most.

Grant was also kind enough to reach out a few months ago while still in some of the finishing design phases so I could take a peek and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this thing.

When he offered to send me a prototype I asked if he wouldn't mind sending me an "all silver" version: silver aluminum barrel, silver clip, silver inner sleeve, silver screws, and silver knock.  Just from seeing the design I knew this would be my preference as to try and soak in as much aviation inspired goodness as I could handle and, let's just say, Grant has impressed me with this pen.  It literally takes my mind to where he intends it to go, or like I'm looking at a vintage polished aluminum aircraft.  

With all of this fantastic aviation imagery in my hand, the only thing it may be missing is a pinup girl painted on its side!

If you are familiar with the original Airfoil, you will quickly recognize that while the Airfoil Click takes some reference from the original design, it really is a completely new pen which has been revamped and streamlined beautifully.

The first major change is the "fins" or "struts" on the sides.  In the original pen they were much more pronounced, had sharper edges, and were bolted to the tip and tail with hex screws.  I would wager that if there was an element of the last pen that people may not have enjoyed so much, it would have been those.  They made me think of the inner frame of a zeppelin or supports inside an airplane, but for a lot of people holding them in your hand to write may not have appeared most comfortable.

In the new pen, Grant has refined these to be sleek, stylish, and comfortable, but still keep their purpose in the design and help to maintain that Aviation feel that make his products unique.  Rather than being their own separate pieces, they have been machined out of the solid metal barrel.  This provides a more fluid feel to the overall pen design, but also allows him to cut down on extra parts and assembly which is a total win:win in my opinion.

Airfoil Click Pen Review

Some other aviation styled features are the nose cone front section which could be like the tip of a fighter plane or rocket and the recess where the knock sits is concave like the afterburner of a jet.  Even the clip has some holes drilled through it to maintain some of the "structural" look of an airplane and is reference (like the holes in the "fins") to how plane manufacturers do this to cut down on weight, but maintain integrity of the aircraft.  These subtle details are definitely some of the things that I appreciate most about this pen because so much thought went into the experience of the pen, not simply function.

The tip has three rings machined into it which provide ample grip.  Grant sent me the pen with a Schmidt Safety Ceramic rollerball refill, but I ended up swapping in a 0.5mm Pilot Juice in blue/black as it is my preference.  

The knock being used will be familiar to many as it is the same Schmidt knock used on the Karas Kustoms Retrakt and Tactile Turn Mover and Shaker which is smooth, durable, and all metal.  I can see why this knock is so popular in the Kickstarter scene as it is discreet yet somewhat industrial feeling and is a part that pens can be easily machined to fit.  I can't even imagine how much it would cost to develop your own knock... why reinvent the wheel when this one is popular and works great?

In size, the Airfoil Click is smaller in diameter than its predecessor by quite a bit and comes in at around 1/2".  This makes for a very comfortable size for everyday writing and is easily pocketable.

The clip is adorned with the word "AIRFOIL" in a very aviation themed Art Deco-esque font reminiscent the lovely machines and vehicles being dreamed up during the late 1920's and 1930's.  

I 100% provide a stamp of approval on this pen and I absolutely love just how unique a piece it is.  Often times "theme" based designs can tend to overdo it a bit, but Grant really nailed it down between the lines of subtlety and exaggeration.  Kudos, Mr. Takara.  Is it odd that I can't wait to see what you come up with next?...

In addition to receiving this prototype I will also be backing the project.  If this seems up your alley (or someone you know...) give his Kickstarter campaign a good look over.

Thanks again, Grant!