Pricing on a Lamy 2000 with custom nib work

[Behike54]

I saw a LAMY 2000 makrolon (B) nib that had gotten the Pendleton Brown "BLS" treatment.


Buyer said he got the Lamy 2K in B, but said it seemed "blobby." He wrote with it for one day and immediately sent it P Brown at the recommendation of a friend.


He said the pen was like new or mint and me actually looking at and handling the pen conformed that. If he would have said the pen was new and the nib was a custom, I would believe him. He was very honest about how much he has used the pen, what he paid for it and how much the nib work was.

The writing sample was AMAZING.


My question is what do you think a fair price would be? I mean, I can subtract X,Y, or Z from pen and services, then add shipping, and I am not sure what is "proper."

I am not a haggler, but I also don't want to overpay.


For the record, the pen's sweet spot was bigger than I anticipated and I imagine it's hard to get a B nib that has been turned into something just short of magical.


I want to hear people's opinion about what a pristine pen with that kind of nib size and work is worth SHIPPED.


I know someone is going to ask the price. He said he is working on it.

Thanks a bunch!

[stub]

For mint/used you still expect a discount off retail (maybe $90~$110) but for custom nib work by a name nib tech you expect to pay more. Those things pretty much offset. He or she saved you the fee, shipping and wait time for a custom grind. I'd say expect to pay $140~$175 (ish). Curious to see what others say.

[carlos.q]

I'm curious too as I also have a 2000 with a BLS nib that I'd like to sell.

[Aristosseur]

Consider new ones can be found 110$ at tr lowest, plus nib work which is 50$, plus shipping to and fro. A fair price would be 150$ shipped.

[Behike54]

Consider new ones can be found 110$ at tr lowest, plus nib work which is 50$, plus shipping to and fro. A fair price would be 150$ shipped.

Not everybody buys of Mass Drop, and from what I have heard about wait times and when issues come up, one has little recourse, and certainly a timely one is out of the question.

I guess it's about values and money, aside from just "value." Not for everybody, but some. I'm not saying one should overpay, but value will differ from one person to another.

Anyway, I appreciate your feedback.

[heymatthew]

You can buy a brand new Lamy 2000 from Amazon for $113-124 with free two-day shipping for Prime Members (plus tax depending on where you live). Let's say, for easy math, it's $125 to your door for a brand new one. Then you get the grind, which is about $45 if I remember Pendleton's pricing right. Plus cost of shipping to Pendleton (say $10 insured Priority Flat Rate). You're at $180.

I'd think that 15-20% off of that for a near-mint pen would be fair. So maybe $145 or so?

That being said... a nib grind, in my opinion, is like putting nice wheels on a car. It's an upgrade and doesn't necessarily increase the value of the car. Put a set of $2000 rims on a Honda Civic and take it to market and it's still just a Honda Civic. Worth no more or less than a stock version. I feel that way about pen mods. They're personal things that, in my opinion, don't increase resale value.

I've never paid more than about $105 for a used Lamy 2000. I wouldn't pay more than $125 for a used Lamy 2000 with a custom grind.

But that's just me. Given that you're smitten with the grind, I'd say you're probably more likely to pay a premium. And there's something to be said about a pen that you've tested and love and know works for you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[stub]

That being said... a nib grind, in my opinion, is like putting nice wheels on a car. It's an upgrade and doesn't necessarily increase the value of the car. Put a set of $2000 rims on a Honda Civic and take it to market and it's still just a Honda Civic. Worth no more or less than a stock version. I feel that way about pen mods. They're personal things that, in my opinion, don't increase resale value.

for me, it depends somewhat on the nibber who done did the grinding. I'd pay a bit more for a Mottishaw, or Masuyama, or Binder adjusted nib for example.

[jar]

When I set a value on a pen I am considering buying I ask an entirely different question than seems indicated in this thread. "Is there a different pen selling for the same price that I want more than the one being offered?"

[TSherbs]

I ask all these questions, and rarely buy a pen above $100 cuz "yes" is the answer to at least one of these questions.

1) Can I do without this right now?
2) Is there something else out there in the world that I would rather spend this $100 on?
3) Will my $100, left in savings, earn me more for something even nicer down the road?
4) Will my wife turn the evil eye on me when she sees the PayPal bill?



That said, I am looking toward the horizon and a couple possible pens in the $90 dollar range. As long as I don't go to triple digits.