Are Rollerball Pens Collectible?

[andyk]

I actually do collect rollerball pens, specifically the modern Parker Duofolds. One nice thing about them is that the front section is interchangeable with the international size fountain pen sections, so you can easily switch between roller and nib. The only drawback is that only the short cartridges will fit. However I should warn you that not many people seem to be interested in collecting rollerballs, so it can be hard to track down specific pens, and their resale value is effectively nonexistent so don't expect your collection to be worth anything down the road.

Hi.

 

Tend to agree with this, RBs don't fetch high prices, I recently sold a lovely Conway Stewart 100 RB on Ebay, very little interest and sold for starting price of £69.99 (retail around £300). A week or two ago a Pelikan R400 I sold went for just over £60.00 so don,t expect to get your money back when you sell.

 

However if you buy because you enjoy using them then the sell on price is of little matter. Not sure I would call them collectible though.

 

Andy

Edited January 9, 2016 by andyk

[dogpoet]

Perhaps those of us who started writing with fountain pens when we were children don't have these adult hang-ups.

 

I'd suspect a lot of people who were trained to write using fountain pens much prefer ballpoints: I know my dad's one of them.

[4lex]

I had a nice Mont Blanc that I received as a gift that I used daily for more than 10 years. It's beat up and essentially unusable at this point, but I enjoyed the pen.

 

I am not married to Mont Blanc at all and I am seeking some feedback / suggestions.

 

It's easy to get caught up in the idea of collectible fountain pens (and I will get involved in that at some future time), but right now my interest leans toward rollerball pens.

 

• What suggestions do you have for a nice $50 - $75 rollerball pen that I can use daily for another 10 years and be proud to own it?

 

• Are there any collectible rollerball pens or is collectability really tied more to fountain pens?

 

Thanks any advice or suggestions / insight.

 

 

Brian

 

Simple answers:

 

• No
• No and Yes

 

although I know some people who have 10 and more Bic Crystal pens at home, I don't think they would call themselves collectors

[ian1964]

I had a nice Mont Blanc that I received as a gift that I used daily for more than 10 years. It's beat up and essentially unusable at this point, but I enjoyed the pen.

 

I am not married to Mont Blanc at all and I am seeking some feedback / suggestions.

 

It's easy to get caught up in the idea of collectible fountain pens (and I will get involved in that at some future time), but right now my interest leans toward rollerball pens.

 

• What suggestions do you have for a nice $50 - $75 rollerball pen that I can use daily for another 10 years and be proud to own it?

 

• Are there any collectible rollerball pens or is collectability really tied more to fountain pens?

 

Thanks any advice or suggestions / insight.

 

 

Brian

 

Personally, I think the Waterman Carene is a beautiful pen in all forms and the Rollerball would certainly fit the criteria.

Edited January 13, 2016 by ian1964

[AndyKeir]

I know this is going to be controversial ... sorry ... but I never quite understood the attraction of ballpoint or rollerball pens.

With a fountain pen, the nib and the feed are an essential part of the character of the pen. They stay with the pen usually for the life of the pen.

With a ballpoint or rollerball, all the bits that do the the writing part get replaced with every refill.

I just don't quite understand how writing with (for example) a $500 Montblanc ballpoint is that much different to writing with a $15.00 Montblanc refill. Sure the body is made from lovely materials ... but isn't the whole point of a writing instrument the writing?

[4lex]

I know this is going to be controversial ... sorry ... but I never quite understood the attraction of ballpoint or rollerball pens.

With a fountain pen, the nib and the feed are an essential part of the character of the pen. They stay with the pen usually for the life of the pen.

With a ballpoint or rollerball, all the bits that do the the writing part get replaced with every refill.

I just don't quite understand how writing with (for example) a $500 Montblanc ballpoint is that much different to writing with a $15.00 Montblanc refill. Sure the body is made from lovely materials ... but isn't the whole point of a writing instrument the writing?

 

Well, advantage of rollerball pens is that regardless of their cost, be it $5 or $500 they will always give you the same writing experience, as long as you are using the same refill.

[RMN]

I know this is going to be controversial ... sorry ... but I never quite understood the attraction of ballpoint or rollerball pens.

With a fountain pen, the nib and the feed are an essential part of the character of the pen. They stay with the pen usually for the life of the pen.

With a ballpoint or rollerball, all the bits that do the the writing part get replaced with every refill.

I just don't quite understand how writing with (for example) a $500 Montblanc ballpoint is that much different to writing with a $15.00 Montblanc refill. Sure the body is made from lovely materials ... but isn't the whole point of a writing instrument the writing?

 

Nothing controversial.

 

I always say that a RB/BP i as good as it's refill.

 

Or:

.........

You can wear a collar and a tie

One thing you can't hide

Is when you're crippled inside

 

 

D.ick

[AndyKeir]

 

Nothing controversial.

 

I always say that a RB/BP i as good as it's refill.

 

...

 

Thanks

I wasn't trying to be disrespectful to RB/BP fans.

I do own a couple of very nice Waterman ballpoints which came as parts of sets ... but I'm afraid I'll never understand the concept of tossing away what is essentially the heart of the pen with every refill.

[RMN]

 

Thanks

I wasn't trying to be disrespectful to RB/BP fans.

I do own a couple of very nice Waterman ballpoints which came as parts of sets ... but I'm afraid I'll never understand the concept of tossing away what is essentially the heart of the pen with every refill.

 

Oh, the reason is quite simple: The steel ball will wear with use and fall out of the casing so it will have to be replaced. That is also one of the problems with the RBs with rifillable inktanks. Maybe in the newer types they have tackled this, and perhaps if you made the balls of titanium or iridium it would be different, but they would become more expensive.

 

D.ick

[Shaggy]

To answer the OP, yes, rollerball pens are collectible. Particularly for those people in the scrapbook and planner community. They take even disposable pens very seriously. You'll see discussions of ink viscosity, flow, bleed through, etc in those communities.

 

I do own a couple of very nice Waterman ballpoints which came as parts of sets ... but I'm afraid I'll never understand the concept of tossing away what is essentially the heart of the pen with every refill.

It's about convenience. No messy ink refilling to deal with. Not stained fingers to embarrass you in a meeting. Just put in a new refill and go.

 

I love fountain pens as much as the next person, but there's a reason why fountain pens have fallen out of general use. Sometimes - - perhaps most times - - a ballpoint or a roller ball is just more convenient.

[AndyKeir]

To answer the OP, yes, rollerball pens are collectible. Particularly for those people in the scrapbook and planner community. They take even disposable pens very seriously. You'll see discussions of ink viscosity, flow, bleed through, etc in those communities.

 

 

It's about convenience. No messy ink refilling to deal with. Not stained fingers to embarrass you in a meeting. Just put in a new refill and go.

 

I love fountain pens as much as the next person, but there's a reason why fountain pens have fallen out of general use. Sometimes - - perhaps most times - - a ballpoint or a roller ball is just more convenient.

 

Oh, I understand and agree with all of that. I also understand the physics of the ballpoint ... wear and tear etc.

What escapes me is why people seem prepared to pay such high prices for premium RB/BP pens when the core of the pen gets tossed away with every refill. The RB/BP pen is really nothing more than a holder for the refill so the whole experience (and collectability) must be about the body, not the writing. The writing will be little different whether the refill is housed in a plastic tube or a precious resin tube.

While the body of a premium RB/BP might be very similar to that of a premium fountain pen, I tend to think of the feed and nib of the FP as being the soul of the instrument.

[Shaggy]

 

Oh, I understand and agree with all of that. I also understand the physics of the ballpoint ... wear and tear etc.

What escapes me is why people seem prepared to pay such high prices for premium RB/BP pens when the core of the pen gets tossed away with every refill. The RB/BP pen is really nothing more than a holder for the refill so the whole experience (and collectability) must be about the body, not the writing. The writing will be little different whether the refill is housed in a plastic tube or a precious resin tube.

While the body of a premium RB/BP might be very similar to that of a premium fountain pen, I tend to think of the feed and nib of the FP as being the soul of the instrument.

 

The body of the pen contributes weight, balance, and ergonomics.

 

I will write with darn near any refill in a Sensa body -- the Sensa is well-balanced to my hand size, and the squishy grip is perfect for my hand and finger pressure.

 

Similar to a fountain pen, where the body contributes to how easy to manipulate the pen and form words. The nib and feed of a great pen, in the wrong body, won't work.

[AndyKeir]

Cool
No meaning to get off track but just curious as I have little experience with BPs ... do you get much variation between refills or are they generally fairly consistent?
As mentioned, I have a couple of Waterman BPs but they're both still on the refill that they came with.

[ian1964]

While I understand why a "Purist" Fountain Pen collector has little time for the BP/RB, I love the feel and look of many of them; the Carene, the Expert and the Sheaffer Prelude to name 3. I even have a much derided Parker 5th Generation (limited edition Year of the Dragon) which I picked up brand new for a song, and it is lovely. As this site clearly demonstrates our likes are all different.

[orfew]

I personally do not care if my BPs and RBs are collectible or not. I buy them because I like them and like using them. I have a dozen or so quite expensive RBs and BPs (they are all Montblanc pens). I like them and that is all that matters to me. I also have quite a number of Montblanc FPs and enjoy using those as well. For me it is all about using the right tool for the right job. If that means using a BP why should I do this without the style and feel I have been accustomed to with my FPs?

Edited January 18, 2016 by orfew

[AndyKeir]

I personally do not care if my BPs and RBs are collectible or not. I buy them because I like them and like using them ...

 

That's an excellent and entirely valid answer