How Much Le Ink Is It Reasonable To Hoard?

[alarickc]

I just ordered my first bottle of Edelstein Amber after reading reviews and looking at swabs. What kills me about it is that that it's the outgoing ink of the year and as such is ending production forever. I really think I'm going to love this color and am already planning on buying two more bottles so I at least have three. Already though that seems inadequate, I'm thinking of upping it to five or six bottles....

 

Which brings me to my question: How many bottles of LE ink do you think it's reasonable to hoard?

[Paul80]

Hi

 

The hint is in the term "Hoard"

 

If you wish to be a Hoarder then there is no limit, you should "Hoard" as much as you can to the expense of everything and everyone around you

 

If you just want some stock of a soon to be discontinued ink then just enough to last until you no longer want to use it would be enough.

 

Paul

[erpe]

42

[alarickc]

42

Wait, I thought that was how many roads I needed to walk down. Now what am I supposed to do with my life?!

[alarickc]

Hi

 

The hint is in the term "Hoard"

 

If you wish to be a Hoarder then there is no limit, you should "Hoard" as much as you can to the expense of everything and everyone around you

 

If you just want some stock of a soon to be discontinued ink then just enough to last until you no longer want to use it would be enough.

 

Paul

I shall build the Amber Ink Room! (Warning, 75% less war-proof than Amber Room. Do not build near artillery fire.)

[pajaro]

I would estimate there must be at least forty-two people who wished they had bought forty-two bottles of Montblanc Racing Green when it was available.

 

I have one bottle of MB RG and it suffices for me, but you buy as much of the Edelstein Amber as you think best.

[DanF]

A bit silly to ask such a question here methinks.

 

Dan

[Chrissy]

I have decided I have hoarded my ink for long enough. I'm going to get rid of my Mb Racing Green, my Parker Penman Emerald and some of my bottles of Mb Gandhi.

 

I have come to the conclusion that I have more perfume and ink than I can realistically use during my lifetime.

[pmhudepo]

It seems to me there is always another ink that is very interesting, and while it is unfortunate when you can no longer get a favorite ink, I don't see it as much of a problem. Should Iroshizuku Asa-gao cease to exist, then I'm sure I'll find a new favorite blue ink, etc.

 

Get as many as you like and think you will be able to actually use, and enjoy it.

[lapis]

I stuck to 5.

[RuiFromUK]

I am sorry but I think I am missing something. What is the actual problem?

[johniem]

How much shelf space do you have?

[fourseamer]

A bit silly to ask such a question here methinks.

 

Dan

So, I'll play devil's advocate and take the opposite side of the hoarding argument...

 

Don't hoard. I understand what it's like to fall in love with an ink. Right color, right behavior, right writing experience. Also, an association with a joyous event in one's life (e.g. the birth of my twin daughters on St. Patrick's Day). For me, that ink is Montblanc Irish Green. A future without it would be...just fine.

 

Sure, I'd be sad about it. But look around the fountain pen ink landscape. There's a wealth of inks to choose from, and there's a good number that could serve as replacements for these inks that are discontinued.

 

As for limited edition inks in general, I've found them underwhelming. Typically a premium price for a lesser amount of ink, and the inks sometimes have performance issues (names withheld to protect the guilty).

 

So, one vote for move on. There's always another ink.

[Mr. Pink]

If some people start hoarding it, then of course others won't be able to give it a try.

[flyingfox]

Use the ink first, THEN decide. It would be just as sad, if you order a whole bunch more bottles, then you find out that the ink, after all, is not what you thought it would be.

 

On the other hand, if the ink turns out to be as fantastic as you imagined for real, THEN buy as many as you want. Buying now and hoarding them for yourself would be cheaper than buying off of 'Bay later. Or you might be able to make a fortune selling off your excess, decades from now!

[rtruslow]

One should feel comfortable hoarding a horde of bottles.

[alarickc]

Wow, lots of replies!

 

I think(if I like the ink, I'll find out tomorrow) I'll get five bottles. That should last me five to fifteen years depending on usage. I figure if I can't suck it up and use a different orange-brown after fifteen years I have bigger issues than running out.

[saskia_madding]

I agree with flyingfox and yourself - try it first and see if you like it. If you do, then the answer to your original question should be based on the following variables.

 

1. How much do you like it, exactly?

If you LOVE LOVE LOVE it, then you'd need more back-ups.

 

2. How often would you use it if it were not a LE ink?

I love Caran d'Ache Saffron a lot, and was worried I wouldn't have enough, so I bought 8 bottles. I thought I was not using it because I was hoarding it, but once I started thinking about it, I realized that I actually tend to use Sailor Kin-mokusei when I want an orange ink instead. Oops!

 

3. How much storage space do you have for inks, which need to be in a cool, dark place?

If you love a lot of LE (like I do), then this quickly becomes an issue. I have mine in large plastic storage bins in my basement, but I already have two full ones. Not everyone has a place for that much back up ink. And if you want your ink to last a long time, you can't place it next to a window or near a heater, so you need a specific type of storage space.

 

4. How many mL are in a bottle?

I bought 8 bottles of Yama-dori (60 mL), and somehow 8 became my standard number of bottles I buy for back ups of inks I love. Of course, when I started buying Caran d'Ache inks after they got discontinued, I realized that they were only 30 mL bottles, so I theoretically should buy twice as many! I didn't have the space or money available for that, so I didn't, but size of bottle is an issue to consider.

 

5. How much money do you have?

That one is obvious.

 

6. How unique is it? Is there another ink with the same look and/or feel?

If there is, then I go for a meager three bottle back-up rather than 8+!

[Bigeddie]

If some people start hoarding it, then of course others won't be able to give it a try.

 

In this case I think the opposite is true. Edelstein Amber is a Special Edition, not Limited Edition. They will produce it for two years if the last SE is anything to go by, it's not limited by number. The more people hoard it, the more there is out there for 'rediscovery' later.

 

I have no shame in saying that I have 25 bottles of my favourite SE Montblanc in a box under the bed, i probably 'need' 5 or so. At some point after the production run ends I will look to move some on, some as random gifts to people who are trying to hunt some down, some will be sold at an inflated but not extortionate rate on eBay. It will balance out

[Andyroo]

Pelikan themselves sell litre bottles of Royal Blue, so by that measure you could feel comfortable with up to 20 50ml bottles of Edelstein Amber.