Platinum 3776. Pricing

[Terie_Benjamin]

Hoping to find out why the platinum 3776 is $80 from amazon but $160 from goulet? Any idea why the huge difference?

[crystn625]

I think this has to do with import tax, and I believe they may have different color availability depending on where its imported from.

[Terie_Benjamin]

22868

[Terie_Benjamin]

http://www.gouletpens.com/platinum-3776-century-fountain-pen-bourgogne-medium/p/Plat-PNB-10000-71-M

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007RA29B4/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?qid=1453157967&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=platinum+3776&dpPl=1&dpID=315sBJWrekL&ref=plSrch

[crystn625]

Maybe not, for a while I was under the impression you couldn't get the rhodium trim without it being imported or maybe its just new? Either way- I think the black, bourgogne and charteusse are more readily available,

[Lady Onogaro]

You will find this kind of price difference with almost all pens shipped from Japan. I'm not sure why--probably taxes, shipping, etc.

[katherine]

Returns and such might be a little harder to deal with via Amazon, but they generally seem to be pretty helpful!

[stub]

I was surprised to see in Japan that while the Blue & Burgundy with gold hardware was indeed (approx) $80 the Rhodium trim and all the demonstrators were not all that much cheaper than you see in the US or here in Korea. I am curious to know why some models are so steeply discounted and other are seemingly not. I would expect that percentage-wise you would see some ballpark consistency across the board. The huge difference between yellow gold and Rhodium trim is also a bit baffling.

Also discovered: The amazing prices you see online (amazon, J sub, eBay, Rakuten) are actually not what you see in stores, even in Japan. As far as I could tell I was not really enjoying any advantage actually being in Japan over purchasing over the internet other than saving on shipping and a curiously variable tax discount (Tokyu Hands & Kinokuniya yes, Itoya no.)

In fact the 912 I got from Rakuten was dramatically cheaper than any I saw in a dozen brick and mortar places in Japan a couple weeks ago (that didn't stop me from buying 2 pens and 3 inks though haha).

[nusiax]

I was in Japan last October. Found a big difference in price for the Platnium 3776. They were half the price that we would pay in the west. I bought 4 different pens. But if you bought models specific for export then not a big difference. Also in Japan there was such a larger selection. I got the most beautiful 3776 in Orange with gold Maki lions. Love it simple love it. Also found a black 3776 with 14ct EF for less than $50 on sale. There was a big big difference where I shopped

[KBeezie]

I've gotten two of my Century 3776's from Bunkidou on Rakuten for 90$ shipped or less (Depending on yen rate at time of the year).

Also keep in mind that the Retail price of that pen in Japan is 10,000 yen (hence the model number is PTB-10,000), which currently is about $84 at the current exchange rate (which makes the Century 3776 over at Bunkidou about 72 USD + about 12 shipping for 3-4 day EMS).

http://global.rakuten.com/en/search/?k=3776&sid=bunkidou-shop&l-id=gs_product_search

The Blue one is a little more expensive, and I've found that any music nib option offers no pricing break compared to the overseas pricing.

Also keep in mind there is a difference between the older 3776 and the newer Century 3776, the older one can be found around $50-60, sometimes comes available with a steel nib, does not have an easy friction fit nib/feed, and the cap does not have a slip-n-seal mechanism.

Amazon like Rakuten and Ebay has multiple sellers, so just saying "From Amazon" doesn't mean much as it could be any seller with unknown experience. Which is why I'm specific when I say Bunkidou on Rakuten, because I've made a few purchases from them and had no problems, I can't say the same of any other seller on Rakuten as I haven't dealt with them.

[Dragonmaster Lou]

The basic issue comes down to where the sellers get their pens from. The $80 sellers on Amazon aren't Amazon itself, but various online shops that use Amazon to provide their online shopping experience. I think Amazon even lets you get space in their warehouses if you set things up correctly with them, hence why some non-Amazon third parties are allowed to have Prime shipping as an option.

What's going on is some of the sellers are any combination of Japanese shops, Japanese shops with an American representative, or people who import from Japanese shops. Hence, they sell at a price close to the Japanese price, figuring in exchange rates, etc. This is pretty much a gray market area and there is a strong likelihood that if you need warranty service for your pens, you'd need to send them to Japan as they weren't purchased from an official American reseller. Goulet, on the other hand, is an official American reseller, and they have to set prices based on what Platinum charges/requires them, hence the higher price.

[gbryal]

I bought mine from Stationery Shop Bunkidou on Amazon. There weren't any problems getting the pen, but I can't say anything about servicing it, as that hasn't come up. I fear it would be a pain. One thing I appreciated though was the letter from the president of the company that came with it. It's still on our refrigerator, it's sort of charming.

[ethernautrix]

FWIW, I just bought a Pilot CH912 via Rakuten, and even with shipping and 25% VAT (Poland), the total cost was at least $20 less than I've seen for U.S. vendors, around $50 less than others.

The pen was sent promptly, spent a couple of days in customs, and was delivered about a week after it was mailed from Japan.

Interestingly, the pen did not come in a Pilot box (which is fine, because I seldom keep the box); it was in a plastic slip wrapped in protective foam packed in a small mailing box.

[writingrav]

I'm offering the same pen out of my collection, very well cared for, Broad nib for $70 if anyone is interested.

[KBeezie]

I'm offering the same pen out of my collection, very well cared for, Broad nib for $70 if anyone is interested.

There's a For Sale section for that. :P