At the edge of "Expensive"

[fncll]

I'm pretty sure we can all agree that a $1000+ pen is expensive.

But what is the lower bound of an "expensive" pen for you now?

I remember when I bought my first Pilot Varsity, I couldn't imagine paying $25 for a pen. I thought it was crazy.

I'm still the King of Cheapies. I've held and written with a quite a few high-priced pens, some of which are amazing, but it still thrills me to get a sub $25 pen that, maybe with a few tweaks, writes as well as one 10x or 20x the cost. And, of course, it can also depend a lot on one's disposable income.

That said, I have some holy grail pens. And I understand--even when I don't share--other qualities of pens that justify their price to the person who wants them.

But I'm still curious: what is your definition of an expensive pen? What's the lowest figure--assuming a working instrument--you stop and think "really? Should I?"

[Paul-H]

That will be different for every person, and will much depend on their disposable income.

Some people couldn't justify £25 on a pen but others will spend thousands and think nothing of it if it gets broken, because its easy come easy go.

For me £50 is a lot to spend on an old pen and I have to really must have it if I go over £100 although I have gone over £200 but only once and never again if SWMBO finds out, isn't it amazing what you can buy on eBay for a fiver

Paul

[bigevilgrape]

I consider anything over $100 to be expensive :P

[fncll]

SWMBO is even more important than disposable income (in my humble, punished-more-than-once, opinion)!

[erpe]

I have set an upper limit of € 100 (about $ 125) for an individual pen. Beyond thay, luxuriosity, decorations and expensive materials are added but I don't beleive that a pen becomes a much better writer. I am currently eyeing some pens from China, reasonably priced and apparently quite good quality. For the European products, some grailpens are just over the limit and I put them on the waiting list, I am in no hurry... If the economy gets up again, there is always time to act.
Oh, if SWMBO acts up I can always point at the shoe and handbag storage

[jar]

Why would anyone care what someone else thinks is expensive or not expensive?

[fncll]

Mere curiosity. I consider the evolution of my own thinking---and the reactions of others in the rare times it comes up---and it makes me curious about others.

I assume it's uninteresting to you...so why post?

[fountainpenkid]

For me, anything over $250 is expensive.

[Nomdeplume]

My definitions have changed over the years...along with my salaries and lifestyles. There has been some significant increases in my definition of expensive as we became 'empty-nested' and gifts from my husband moved from jewelry to pens!

I think I have 'plateaued' around $250 as my definition of expensive...but can easily justify more for maki-e, one-of-a-kind pens as ART!

[AndyT]

What's the lowest figure ...you stop and think "really? Should I?"

About the price of a Nib Creaper, if we're talking new: I'm pretty much done with modern pens now anyway. For a vintage pen with the right nib which appeals to me, I'll stop and think hard at the £50 mark. There are however a handful of exceptions where I'd be willing to go significantly higher for the right one.

[ardgedee]

Why would anyone care what someone else thinks is expensive or not expensive?

My personal threshold for "expensive" is probably around $100, although like other respondents I could be convinced to go beyond that if spending a wee bit more will get me exactly what I want rather than something near-enough. (The most I've spent on a pen is $85 and that was completely by accident -- by pulling the trigger on the wrong Ebay auction among several I had been studying at the same time. Fortunately it's a nice pen and I like it.)

I can consider the price of a $500 pen to be fair, and admire the pen's beauty and craftsmanship, while at the same time not feel desirous of owning it. So it does intrigue me to see what the thresholds are among people who do collect Edisons or Pelikans or Mont Blancs or Nakayas, or who commission pens from the likes of our drgoretex -- all pens I like to look at but don't want to have. So I think it's a good question and I hope there's some insight to be gleaned by seeing a variety of responses.

[Tracy Lee]

Expensive is a tough one. For me, it is price+writing experience x intangibles. I have a pen that retails for $1995.00 but based on my experience with the feel of it, the nib, it is not expensive at all. I have a TWSBI under $100 and have really enjoyed it so I don't view it as cheap. Same with my Esterbrook under $50. I have some in the $100 to $200 that have been very disappointing and thus I instantly feel too expensive. Most pens for me can climb to $1200 before I start to wince but only in the Visconti line that I am familiar with. Other lines with which I am not as familiar, I don't know if $1000 is too much, or if $500 is too much. I have to learn. For Delta, I have had some great deals, but for the experience I have had with the dolce vita line, I would pay the full retail and never think it was too expensive. But I am a DINK and my life is different than a lot of folks, too. I have some leeway.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2

[pencils+pens]

I'm in the $100 group, although about a year ago that was $30-$50.

The most expensive pen that I purchased is a TWSBI Vac 700 for $80. I went that high since it was the least expensive new vac filler I could find.

My next most expensive pen is a Sheaffer Snorkel at $54. I misbid on eBay and won it. I don't regret it but it was at the time the most expensive pen I had purchased.

Third in line is the Sheaffer 100 I bought at the Miami Pen Show this past Friday for $40.

All of my other pens (about 120) were $40 and mostly substantially under.

I don't have much interest in vintage pens, especially those before the cartridge/converter era (circa 1960). I prefer modern pens. I also couldn't care less about gold nibs or flex nibs and wouldn't pay extra for one. I own several Noodler's Ahabs, Konrads and Nib Creapers and I don't use them in flex mode.

My two grail pens of the moment are the Visconti Starry Night and Dali Time and I just can't convince myself the pens are worth the price.

[jfsisler]

I would spend up to $250 before I would really have to stop and think about it.

[jar]

Mere curiosity. I consider the evolution of my own thinking---and the reactions of others in the rare times it comes up---and it makes me curious about others.

I assume it's uninteresting to you...so why post?

Mere curiosity. I am trying to understand why people post questions like "what should I buy" or "which is better" or 'what is the lower bound of an "expensive" pen for you now'.

[fncll]

I didn't realize psychoanalysis was a topic here...is it free?

[ardgedee]

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[fncll]

I could use help breaking the $100 mental barrier. I'll pay more, but it takes some doing and getting past the feeling of taking a step back and pondering the absurdity...

Then I can worry about those voices!

[79spitfire]

Well, I suppose it would depend on the pen, but the most I have spent (on an individual pen... ) is $130 for a Pilot VP, and I'm afraid to take it anywhere... Dangerous. I have some pens that are worth more, but came to me needing repair or were inherited. (I have an early Conklin Nozac that was my great grandfathers)

On the whole I would have to say a special pen for the collection $100 is likely the upper limit, but that has more to do with the budget than anything else. If my budget changes, the upper limit is likely to change.

For one as a daily user or abuser, $40 is pushing it...

[tarheel1]

To me anything in the 250.00 range is expensive, but i have set a limit of not owning a pen over 5,000.00. Currently most expensive pen is my Jules Verne at 1,000.