Pen and related vendors temporarily shutting down for Convid 19

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UPDATE: March 21, 2020- - Some vendors have stopped operations but are still taking orders. Here's a word of warning.

I would be careful about making any orders from anywhere that takes your money now but are unable to quickly deliver the product. It doesn't matter what company it is. A pen that retails for $100.00 today will be lucky to bring $50.00 in a few weeks/months. Maybe even less as there won't be money available for pens. Retailers of mass market non-essentials will drop prices just to have cash flow with hopes to survive. Many retail vendors will not survive, will go bankrupt, and your money is gone.

I don't care what the company's good name is or what high moral standards they claim as these are not normal times and past performace isn't a good indicator of what can occur in the future.

Should you place an order not knowing if or when your order might appear, make sure it's money you can afford to lose.

Economics will tell you that certain product prices, referred to as non-essentials, will collapse in the long term. I see no reason this will not happen to the pen market. That Pelikan, bought last year for $800.00 retail, will sell new next year for perhaps $4-500 (or less). That used Pelikan bought for $800 will be lucky to bring $200.00 and that's optimistic. Pens are not investments 99% of the time. No one needs a pen to survive.

Buy only what you are assured to get. You'll need cash for the future.

Learn what essentials are and act accordingly.

It will suprise people to find that they lack many essentials but they swim in their over-abundance of Beanie Babies and the latest fads. If you've never learned to live below your means, you'll now pay the price.

In my case, I had several items listed on Craiglist and other such sites. Here's why three weeks ago I removed those listings.

1. I didn't want to have contact with people. I had learned enough about the virus to stop all unnecessary contact.

2. The items I had listed would be considered 'essentials' and highly desirable during rough economic times. As I didn't need the money, I knew they would go up in value tremendously and I could always sell or barter them into the foreseeable future for much more than I could get now.

If you have something non-essential you want to sell, do it now as the price will go down. Consider taking a loss today as you'll take a bigger loss next month.

If it's something you want to buy and it's non-essential, wait.

This isn't a matter of supporting small businesses and making a statement of your belief in a company, this is your economic well-being. Act wisely.

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Fountain Pen Hospital has stopped business. No shipping. Still taking orders.

Peyton Street Pens -shipping one day a week for now.

Goulet Pens - no shipping, no restocking. Still taking orders.

Galen Leather - no shipping.

Other retailers are only taking customers who call ahead as the doors are otherwise locked.



Amazon may be your best bet for certain items.

Update: Saturday March 28, 2020

I'm also listing those vendors still open for business - taking orders and shipping. Let me know if there are others.

Pendemonium - Sam and Frank are still going strong with a 25% discount on everything and free shipping over $25. I've been doing business with them for 16 years and they're good people. Good time to order Da Book - 'Fountain Pens, Complete Guide to Repair and Restoration' at a 25% discount. It's an excellent reference book and will often help you diagnose pen problems.

Federalist Pens
Vanness Pens
Pen Chalet open and shipping
Edison
Fountain Pen Revolution
Main Street Pens - Ron Zorn advised 03/19/20 he's still reparing pens and shipping.

Overseas

Mr. Pen in England, open and shipping
Ranga Pens in India. I heard from Mr. Kandan this morning, 3/28/20, and they're open, making pens, but not shipping until the 3-week lockdown is lifted.
ASA pens in India. open and shipping.

In the UK I understand Cultpens, Purepens and Thewritingdesk are all still taking and dispatching website orders