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This Orange Parker Duofold Centennial Special Edition is what I would call a reasonably priced collectors pen. Somewhere between sane & insane. If you take a close look, it's a lot, but it's not much. Is it plain? -yes. Is it simple? -yes. Are there any other pens like it? -yes. Are there any other pens exactly like it? -no. Would I buy a pen if it was a homage? -no. Would I get a MacArthur Limited Edition for 4 times more? -no. Does it compliment my Japanese Pilot Maki-e theme? -no, yes & maybe. But if I close my eyes & think Parker, I imagine Orange Vulcanite or Orange Permanite. How would I picture the most perfect Parker? Pilot Custom 845 Ebonite Urushi, from Parker, in Orange, with 3 thin rings; 1 medium & 1 thin ring; or 1 medium ring. A 2 tone nib, in a maple wood box. The only thing I know that is worse than fountain pens are leather pen cases. Probably my lack of knowledge, but the only one I've seen that I liked was Maxwell Scott, The Pienza in Chestnut Tan or Dark Chocolate Brown. -so if you know better, please tell me. We don't have fountain pen shops or a fountain pen culture where I live. The only place I know where they can seriously markup fountain pens, only sell Montblanc in their physical shop & their shop is older than me. So what about Parker Maki-e? -if you can't get away with more than Pilot could get away with in 1979, I'm still unsure about getting a Pilot Taka (although, they're SUPER NICE), so anything beyond what a Montblanc 149 costs, is like getting a Painting. As I said before, my theme is supposed to be Pilot Maki-e & I already have too many non-Pilot Maki-e. If this hobby is to last me a lifetime & I can't get a decent price, or be bothered with the risks involved in selling used pens. I better choose carefully the pens that I want to collect, for the sole purpose of admiring them, every now & then. I wanted to do this with watches, but servicing an expensive watch every 3 to 5 years, feels like punishment. If I start from the bottom & slowly work myself up, I might enjoy & understand the value & workmanship. It's only expensive because we believe that it has value. Otherwise it's Supply & Demand. A Rich, Dead, Artist, who can't Authenticate his own work. Or a Poor, Unappreciated, Artist, who can't get paid or sell anything.