Quitting fountain pens and going back to cheap ballpoint pens!

[Pterodactylus]

I would not sign this, I‘m for sure not a collector.
I‘m a user but I spent for sure a lot of money in the pen hobby.
Good quality pens cost money, vintage pens cost money, and if you have more than a couple this sums up......

For sure somebody could also be satisfied with a bunch of Chinese pens, 3.5$ each, nothing wrong with it.

But the generalization „nobody“ in your statement is for sure not true.

You are indeed a user. I have seen your work and it is beautiful. Whether you are a collector or not, I guess depends on your definition. To me, a collector is someone who has way more of something than he or she needs. Could you not enjoy writing with a fountain pen if you only had a couple good ones? I'm not suggesting that there is anything wrong with collecting fountain pens. They can be lovely things and a joy to own. But, if you own thousands of dollars worth, I find it difficult not to call that a collection unless it's just a couple thousand dollar pens. Which I suppose is possible.

Thanks a lot

True, I can’t say that your definition of a collector is wrong.
In that sense I‘m a collector as I have way more pens than somebody reasonably can argue.

Regarding inks it is even worth, I own more inks than I can use up in several life times, but I enjoy using them.


My personal definition is a bit different, for me a collector is somebody who gains his enjoyment and satisfaction by just owning things (rating them for different aspects like value, completeness, brands, time periods,....).

In that definition I‘m not a collector, I enjoy high quality tools and really use them, not just looking at them, they are tools for me.
Imho a tool which is not used is not worth owning it. (And here a collector in my definition would strongly disagree).

For sure I could also be satisfied with less pens.
They just grew over time.
In the beginning I was also not sure what I like and what to buy (especially vintage), so I just acquired pens which looked interesting to me or which had an aspect that I not already had.

If I would start buying pens from scratch I would for sure end up with a much smaller amount of pens, because I know now what I like and what not.
But I‘m like a black hole, what I acquired once usually stays with me unless it is a complete lemon (and there are a few pens I dislike and I still own (others I gifted (those which I have not a bad feeling gifting it to somebody I like) to get rid of them), I just tossed them in a drawer where they rest (for years), .... I know this is against what I claimed above but try to sell them is kind of too much action for me).

Years ago I stopped buying (ok with some exceptions) pens as I had the feeling I already have all kind of pens/nibs/filling systems and I do not miss anything unique.
Just a fancy new design does not trigger the „want immediately“ feeling for me.