Ex-Lurker Here

[cimmerian]

Hello!

 

I'm Marcelo from Brazil. I've been coming here for a couple of months because Brian Goulet can't shut up about the FPN

 

Now I've felt sure that I want to be part of this (extra) fine community. I'm a total n00b when it comes to fountain pens — I've been using fountain pens since college, but only this year I decided to really dive into the hobby and acquire some know-how and connect with other enthusiasts.

 

(The discovery of the Goulet Pens YouTube channel might have had something to do with it.)

 

It's quite hard to find good pens, inks, paper, etc. in Brazil without forking out a lot of cash. Not only everything is imported, importation duties are between 86 and 94% over price + shipping. This creates a scenario where few pen companies dare to bring or produce very much of anything. Pilot, for example, sells, two bottled inks, "black" and "blue". That's it. Pilot concentrates on ballpoint and roller pens here. Sheaffer sells maybe three pens and Faber-Castell doesn't even sell anything apart from pencils in Brazil.

 

My first pen ever was made by a regional brand called Crown. They're the only people who lean pretty heavily into fountain pens while also making rollerballs an mechanical pencils (Brazilians love 'em some mechanical pencils). Crown's alright, but they are villains and victims of this state of everything being so expensive: their pens really don't mach up to quality by price if compared to German or Japanese pens of the same level of quality, even with the added importation taxes.

 

I'm rambling (I'll be doing that a lot around here, sorry). Anyhow, it's good to finally stop lurking!

[Bklyn]

Marcelo:

 

Welcome!

 

Nice to see you. I would LOVE to go to Brazil someday! (I just need an invite)

 

Howard

[cimmerian]

Nice to see you. I would LOVE to go to Brazil someday! (I just need an invite)

We're going through a recession right now, so it's a good time to visit: your money will be worth a lot more, heh!

[ThomasB]

Hello and welcome from Baton Rouge, Louisiana...Enjoy your time here

[Writing]

Hello Marcelo,

 

Do not worry about "rambling". I will be doing that too ... plenty of it, but eventually we will learn.

 

The bes to you.

[delano]

Welcome!

[Dragonmaster Lou]

Ola, Marcelo! Bem-vindo ao forum!

[Sasha Royale]

Welcome, Marcelo !

 

Thank you for "rambling". This is a friendly community, and we learn from one another. We learn about more than fountain pens. I have learned something about Brazil from you. Don't give up. Somebody will share ideas. Some might work. Americans, especially, have a "smuggling" tradition that dates to colonial times.

 

Is there import duty on gifts ?

[penrivers]

I made the triangle Rio, Santos, Sao Paulo. Nice landscapes. I had a very cheap fountain pen from Brasil I even published a photo in fpn some years ago, welcome.

[luvpens]

Welcome on board.....

[PAKMAN]

Hello and Welcome to FPN!! Glad to have you as a member!!

[cimmerian]

Thank you all. I really feel welcome.

Is there import duty on gifts ?

 

Yeah. A lot of people ask int'l retailers to mark stuff as "gift" but it doesn't work; Customs will only take longer with your shipping because they'll have to see if there's anything like it locally so to have an average price and tax you on that — also, they're amazingly understaffed.

 

I don't know if that practice started because too many people (and shops) were saying actual purchases were gifts or is something woven into the law that stabilises Customs... customs.

 

Also, Customs will add shipping cost to the product cost/value in the invoice before applying taxes. That makes importing uncannily expensive. I don't know if this is something only Brazil Customs does of if it's something Customs around the world do. Anyhow...

[SujiCorp12345]

Welcome aboard!

[notVirtuThe3rd]

Hi! Welcome to FPN.

I'm really glad you've joined us.

Enjoy!

Best wishes from Japan,

VirtuThe3rd

[Wahl]

Bem-vindo, Marcelo

[H1N]

Hello and welcome to FPN