Search the Community

I use Waterman Phileas fountain pens to create drawings for my website www.TwelveDrawings.com Through my several years of buying, I have watched these wonderful pens creep up and up in price. I hear that back in France, they were strictly a school student's pen. In America, they once sold at Staples for about $20. When I bought my first one at Staples (2011) it was up to $50. I bought two more as gifts. One day, I dropped my pen (nib down onto concrete) and went back to Staples for another. The clerk said the pens were no longer made and suggested I check eBay. At that time (maybe 2012), new Phileas fountain pens were going for $70-90 on eBay. Online retail stores were listing the discontinued pens at $99+. Today, a quick check of eBay shows several black Phileas pens with an "Buy It Now" price of almost $200. The highest priced ones are black pens owned by speculators willing to wait for the market to come to them. Less costly items are typically used, out-of-box, an unusual color, or a Kultur. I have the pens I need and won't be buying any more unless I see a great buy on a new-in-the-box Phileas. If you know such a source, please share. Do you think this $20 pen is really worth paying triple digit prices? And why? Because it's THAT good? Because they are not made any more? Because you might resell it for a profit in the future? I'm okay with all three reasons.... maybe you have another one. — twelvedrawings.com