The Allure of Expensive Pens

[Jon Szanto]

I find a great deal of enjoyment in looking for a pen that has caught my interest: the chase.

In getting to know the world of pens, I've gone from being bewildered by the millions of options, new and old, to gradually refining my tastes and interests. I've found what piques my curiosity and what is best left for others to enjoy. When gradually focusing in like this, the occasional pen will come up that... well, it would be really great if I can find it, and find it within what I'm comfortable paying for. I am very well aware that scarcity can (and usually does) increase the cost of an item. I accept that is the way the world turns, and adjust my attitude accordingly. It is also a given that with rarity comes a commensurate increase in the likelihood I won't be successful. Completely understandable.

I found one pen that I looked for over a seven year period. I was lucky, and rewarded with a pen in pristine condition and less than I expected to pay. It was not a cheap pen but the majority would have been sold for even more. I value that pen for all of the elements it holds: design, history, function, and the delight and honor of being able to use it. Adding on top of all that, the charm of finding it after such a long search, never stressful, just curious and fun, and the patient action of looking and gathering it in finally paying off. It was worth every cent I paid for it, though I have paid more for other pens.

So the chase adds a personal value, one that I can't transmit to anyone else. At the end of the day, what is expensive? It is just a word that differs in meaning, in this instance, from person to person. I constantly see pen friends purchasing pens far more costly than I'd ever spend, or buying pens in great regularity, the sum total making my head spin. None of that really affects me - I just relate to pens the way that gives me pleasure, and everyone else can find their own way. If I share my experience, it is just that: sharing. No one need, nor should, follow my interest or path.

Besides, until we go to a completely cashless world, there's always a bank to rob.