Montblanc 3-42G questions

[AzJon]

Mornin' Geeks!

So my father in law came across a MB 3-42G in an antique shop with original box and paperwork for a price that I'm...willing... to pay for it. Part of the problem, however, is that I live on the other end of the country and can't get a look at it up close.

I am in not well versed in anything MB, to be honest. I did learn that the '3' delegation is for their entry level pens and the 'G' is for the gold nib.

SO, onto the questions.

First off, I've heard this is a smaller pen. I use a Sheaffer Touchdown as my standard day-to-day pen and find that size pleasant (smaller pens, despite larger hands/longer fingers). How does the 3-42G stack up next to other pens size-wise?

What price would y'all consider a good price on a pen like that? It appears to have very few surface scratches with a touch of brassing on the the trim. I believe it has a broad nib with the "ski-slope" feed.

Any help y'all can offer would be most appreciated!

[jar]

Yes, the 342 in the many different versions is small, slightly smaller than a Pelikan 200/400. Nice little pens.

Here is a 342 next to a Pelikan 200.

[FredRydr]

That box in very nice condition with papers adds to the value even though it's a 3xx pen. The photos don't allow for a complete view. There appears to be pitting on the clip, and the ink window looks like there is either ink still in the pen or darkening of the celluloid.. If it doesn't need repair and you reduce price to allow for cleaning and a piston cork, used retail with that box and papers is IMHO $225-300. A flex nib will add value.

Fred

[AzJon]

Ah! Ok. That's not too small. That's actually in the range of what I would consider a "normal" size for pens.

[farmdogfan]

I think 225-300$ is way too much, box or not, more like 100$ max in my opinion.

[jar]

I sold the 342 with OBB nib in that comparison picture and in great near mint condition for $125.00 just recently.

[FredRydr]

For a collection, a box and papers in similar condition sold for $100 at the DC show two years ago. I didn't have a pen for it, and I don't know what the buyer put in it.

Fred

[Pterodactylus]

I would not pay anything more for a cardboard box and some instruction/guarantee sheets.

I also think 225-300$ is way too much.

I´m with Jar, 80-150 € sounds reasonable depending on the condition.

It's difficult to judge depending on this photos, but IMO there is ink in it, and the feed looks not very clean.
So I think it has to be cleaned.

On the photo the nib and the clip seem to show some wear, but this might be the photos.

In general I love the 342/344 pens.
The nibs are great semi-flex and the handling/construction/quality is also great.

And there are no flex nibs in these pens, they are all great semi-flex nibs (beside the Steno nibs)

[FredRydr]

This is why second and third opinions are always good to have. Collectors commonly pay a premium for a box and papers.

Also, be sure to do an eBay search for "Montblanc 342" sold listings.

Fred

[Pterodactylus]

True, but I´m primarily a writer/user not a collector.

As I can't write with the box it has no value for me


And those collectors are crazy, suspect guys/gals, they prefer looking at their pens instead of inking and writing with them.

[AzJon]

I agree, the pen appearts to have ink still inside. You can see what looks like some gunk in the nib. There does appear to be some pitting or brassing on the clip.

Sorry for not having better shots, I wasn't around at the time to ask for more stuff. The dangers of others spotting something kind of cool in the wild.

The shop was asking $175, but would take $160, apparently.

This would definitely be a user pen for me. The box and papers are cool and are nice to have if I were to resell it, but otherwise of no additional monetary value.

eBay prices are all over the charts. $100 seems to be the average. Some go in Germany for less. Many are not in great condition.

Such is the difficulty or having others scope pens for you.