Cutting on my collection..

[ilangai]

So, I decided to cut on my collection because it got out of hand.. Just found that many of my pens didn't get any use..

I had LAMYs, TWSBIs, Chinese pens, Pelikan 800/1000, KAWECO Sports (different colors) and many more.. The most pens I had were 47, and I used only less than 10 of them regularly..

So I sold all the pens I found not in use (it was a hard pick) and now I left with these:
13225
Left to Right:
• Delta Parthenope, Tortoise flake, 18k M nib
• Visconti Rembrandt, Dark blue, Steel M nib
• Pilot Custom Heritage 92, Translucent dark blue, 14k FM nib
• Pelikan Souverän M600, Black, 14k M nib
• Pelikan Souverän M400, Black-green, 14k M nib
• Not really a pen, but a Pelikan M400 14k BB nib I used to have on my M205 Duo that can now be rotated on my M400..
• Kaweco Classic Sport Guilloché 1930, Steel F nib
• Last spot on the right is saved for the Karas Kustoms Ink I'm waiting like many of you are..

I still kept the option of buying some new pens (there is still a place in the box and the 3 pens case), but it would be more thoughtful and slow..
Did any of you have/had this issue (of taming your need for buying many pens), and are you capable on maintaining this?

[stevekolt]

Approaching/thinking about it. Will be listing a couple, maybe a few pens later today. I've been doing the same with my knife collection...Stay safe over there Ilan!

[ilangai]

Approaching/thinking about it. Will be listing a couple, maybe a few pens later today. I've been doing the same with my knife collection...Stay safe over there Ilan!

Thanx!

My Knife collection was also cut down.. Like my Fountain Pens, only my most used stayed with me..

[Waski_the_Squirrel]

I've been decluttering a lot of things besides pens. But, yes, I am in the process of paring down my pen collection. I haven't set a goal number yet, and I want to keep a variety of function. But I have too many pens and too many bottles of ink. Like the OP, I want to limit my pens to what I actually use.

[RonLyke]

............but now you have all those empty spaces in your box. Unacceptable!

[ilangai]

............but now you have all those empty spaces in your box. Unacceptable!

To be filled wisely and slowly ;)

[top pen]

I've been looking to pair things down a little over the little over the last few weeks. I've PIF'd a few pens and perhaps have one or two more I can too however I'm quickly reaching the point where I can't justify just giving pens away.

I'd be interested to know that with the pens you sold did you loose a lot of the initial investment you had put in to the pens?

[ilangai]

I'd be interested to know that with the pens you sold did you loose a lot of the initial investment you had put in to the pens?

That is a good question.. For most of my collection I've earned some, and I think that for at least 4 pens I got the same amount I've paid for them. No loss..

What I have now is positive balance in my PayPal account. I know now that whenever I'll be interested in a pen, the only thing I'll have to consider is "do I really need that pen?".. And again, I just started this "vision", maybe it won't work and I'll start buying all the pens back.. But I want to believe I can do this..

[kallenpj]

I find that things feel more manageable with a limited collection. I personally have a 13 pen limit (10 pen box and 3 pen case). I am still content, but like you I reduced down to 6 or 7 so I had some room to grow.

[top pen]

I'm actually really glad I read this post as it's made me start thinking where do I want this hobby to go. I think if you spend a lot of time on here and on FPN you can get into the habit of never being happy with what you have and always wanting that next pen. I think in the early days you feel the need to fill blank spaces in you pen case and do this by buying cheaper when buying that one more expensive pen may have made more sense in the long run. I may go with that more expensive next year and look to cut down what I have at the same time.

[scrivelry]

I am in a different situation in that I have a lot of pens, many of which are in severe need of restoration, because when you buy a lot (usually of old, sad, unloved pens) on an auction site, or an in person auction or whatever, you can easily get a bunch of pens along with the one or two that were worth the price of the whole lot to you - so I can't say it's necessarily been a waste of money, and it does not bother me having them here even if I'm not always using them.

On the other hand it just occurred to me this evening that I am not necessarily obliged to fix them all, even if they can be fixed. This realization has sort of shocked me and I am in blink blink mode...

I have learned a tiny bit about repairing pens and I am trying to learn more, so having pens around that need the love is a good thing. I have slowed down on buying pens at the moment because I do want one very nice pen and I should save up for it - but we are probably talking between one fifty and three hundred, when I finally see it. I don't really feel a need for a stable of really fine modern pens, and when I look at my history of owning cars, bags, and other such things I can see this fits right in and is probably not going to change.

The key is knowing yourself. I realize I want some better nibs for pens I have that I like very much. I need a slightly better system for keeping them organized. I need much better handwriting. And if a few pens come around that I like, I should get them. But the extra pens don't really bother me the way they bother some people - maybe if they were expensive they would.

[ilangai]

The key is knowing yourself. I realize I want some better nibs for pens I have that I like very much. I need a slightly better system for keeping them organized. I need much better handwriting. And if a few pens come around that I like, I should get them. But the extra pens don't really bother me the way they bother some people - maybe if they were expensive they would.

I agree with your look at this, I think it all goes down to who you are and your relations with the pens.
For you, rescuing unloved pens and learning the art of restoration, lead you to a bigger collection.

I look at my closet, a big portion of it are bags I bought for myself.. Way to many! Most of them haven't been used much. For me, having the ability to hold myself from "just" buying more, make me appreciate the ones I have. And I'm not talking of buying only Expensive pens. Maybe the next one would be worth 20$..
But, for myself, maybe if the collection will grow Slowly, I can look at it and have the pleasure of knowing they are being used.