Pelikan 300 Green-Stripes "Chimera"

[alexelencio]

Hello,

 

In past couple of months I tried to find some video review of Pelikan 300 Chimera but  withouth any luck.

 

Even writen reviews are hard to find.

 

I have couple of question concerning this model, have you ever seen this on sale on some pen meetins or some pen events or on ebay?

 

What is the price of this model?

 

[inkstainedruth]

Sounds as if (at least according to this site):

https://thepelikansperch.com/2019/02/12/pelikan-300-fountain-pen/

it's actually an older model that just got nicknamed "Chimera".   As for prices, sorry, no clue.  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

edited for typos

[Lam1]

I never knew the 300 was nicknamed Chimera. But, yes, I have seen it. In fact, mine - a green striped which sports a wonderful stubby B nib - just ran out of ink this afternoon. 

 

They are very hard to find and I've seen less of the 300 on eBay than I have seen 400n (but it may be that I missed them 🤷‍♂️). In fact, I only saw one on eBay over the years, and forgot to bid on it! 😡

I don't know how much they are going for nowadays, but they are expensive. I imagine that Rick Propas (https://www.thepenguinpen.com/main ) might be your best chance of getting one, or at least giving you an idea of the price.

[stoen]

Hi,

AFAIK, there are two wonderful, but mostly underappreciated classical Pelikan pen models: the 300 and the 400N. Pricewise as well. Not many care for them.

I was lucky enough to get myself a green striped 400N, and it’s one of the finest writers I’ve come across so far. 

Unfortunately, the 300 stayed out of my reach. Please, consider yourself lucky in case of having got one…

🙂

 

[mana]

Underappreciated? That would most likely manifest as the variants of 300 or 400N being available more often and more affordably. Unknown might be a more apt word attributed to their scarcity (small production numbers and/or limited timeframe of availability).

 

As things are, they are very much appreciated by collectors, and if available, they usually command a premium. As more and more people have gotten to know of them and have become interested in them as collectibles, the prices have crept up over the years, and quite a lot. So, underappreciated? Maybe not.

[Lam1]

6 hours ago, stoen said:

Hi,

AFAIK, there are two wonderful, but mostly underappreciated classical Pelikan pen models: the 300 and the 400N. Pricewise as well. Not many care for them.

I was lucky enough to get myself a green striped 400N, and it’s one of the finest writers I’ve come across so far. 

Unfortunately, the 300 stayed out of my reach. Please, consider yourself lucky in case of having got one…

🙂

 

@stoen, I’m very surprised that your amazing collection still doesn’t have a 300!!

 Also curious, what makes you think the 300 and 400n are under appreciated?

 

I, like @mana, always saw them both more as very expensive and collectible, due to the scarcity. 
 

I’m very fortunate to have a 300 (green) and two 400n (the black, and the tortoise), all of which I acquired at reasonable prices. They are all fantastic pens.

[stoen]

Just a quick reply to @Lam1 and @mana. Thanks for your comments, both of which I highly appreciate. By naming those two wonderful pen models “mostly underappreciated”, I only meant that:

 

—their current market values mostly don’t reflect their scarcity

 

—comments and opinions among some pen dealers I knew has not reflected much interest in them so far

 

—not so many pen enthusiasts I’ve talked to so far, although aware of the model specifics, haven’t really shown fascination in a “slightly larger 140” or a “slightly more elegant 400”, to my disappointment.

🙂

 

As for the availability, I’ve come across 3 or 4 400Ns in the last ten years (which is surprising for how short they’ve been in production), yet not a single 300 (which have been manufactured for four full years).

 

These are not my opinions, only my findings, which may or may not really be of relevance. Thanks again.

[Lam1]

5 minutes ago, stoen said:

Just a quick reply to @Lam1 and @mana. Thanks for your comments, both of which I highly appreciate. By naming those two wonderful pen models “mostly underappreciated”, I only meant that:

 

—their current market values mostly don’t reflect their scarcity

 

—comments and opinions among some pen dealers I knew has not reflected much interest in them so far

 

—not so many pen enthusiasts I’ve talked to so far, although aware of the model specifics, haven’t really shown fascination in a “slightly larger 140” or a “slightly more elegant 400”, to my disappointment.

🙂

These are not my opinions, only my findings, which may or may not really be relevant. Thanks again.

 

Thank you, @stoen, for the clarification. 

I now see what you mean and it makes perfect sense. 

Nothing like someone with a better picture of the whole to put things in perspective!

 

To be honest, I never looked at it from a comparative point of view and, indeed, although quite pricey (by my standards) neither the 300 nor the 400N are as expensive as some other models that are, perhaps, less scarce.

 

Over the last 8 years or so, I have seen only one 300 show up on eBay and only a handful of 400N (is the 300 even more scarce than the 400N?), and although they have commanded good prices, they certainly went for less than some relatively common pens.

 

[mana]

Thanks @stoen, I hear you.

[Bo Bo Olson]

300 was seen once on Ebay and at well over my then bottom feeder existence, a long time ago.

 

The thought to be 400n, turned out to be a 400....but the piston cap looked rounder in the picture. Light tortoise of that era..

This is someone else's picture of my 500 won on the same night as the light tortoise 400 and a flock of other Pelikans, when my grail pen money burnt a hole in my pocket.

The few 400n's seen were going for well into the €150 level, when to me €100 was taking a deep breath.

Would I chase a 400n, now? No, I have a few vintage 400-400nns.

A seaweed tortoise is something that I'd want more than the 400n.

One of my pictures...which shows why I use other folks work. Eyeballed OBBB.

Eyeballed OBBB. I have two or three OBB's.

A pure signature pen, 2/3rds-3/4ths a page for a 15 letter legal signature.

[alexelencio]

Thanks' for the feedback...
 

I have one, I was thinking selling it  but cannot find any reference of a price...

 

In my collection among some 30 pcs of 400 and 400NN I also have 400N in 2 colors and 500N, the same case, have no idea how to put a price tag on them...   😑

 

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

If yours is in first class condition.

His prices are fair enough for prime first class condition, go to Tom at Penboard.de, and check his prices out.

If yours are a bit less than near mint first class, his prices will give you an estimation.

 

I have three pens...that I happened to look up...(nothing I do often,); a Pelikan 500, MB 234 1/2 deluxe ('52-54 only), and an LE Lamy ball point $$$$.

All worth considerable more than what was paid ages ago.

.........................

You could always, check passed, sold prices on ebay of which ever country you wish.

I got my 500 for €150, as one had been sold for that...now worth €500.

The MB 234 1/2 drove up the price of the 400nn, I was after, and paid €150 for that MB, 400nn&MP&BP live auction lot. I was more than pleased that 234 1/2 was then worth €200, and now is worth €500 at Penboard.de. .

That fancy Lamy ball point, my wife got at an auction in the good neighborhood, for €5.00,  Someone on local sales Ebay wanted €350, and I fell off my chair. Then someone was looking for idiots, $900.

And Tom has one for sale for €500.

I walked into my B&M and asked one of thier older sales ladies what it had costed,anbd it took her no more than 4-5 seconds to remember €250....and that for a ball point!!!!!

 

My wife is a walking Somegie...that ball point, this pre-23 MB Safety Pen with a Weak Kneed Wet Noodle....it wasn't as polished, nor had it the Parisian 950 silver snake on it. The man didn't know about twisting the piston knob, and gave it to my wife as spare parts. The hand made silver snake, with emerald eyes, cost more than the repair and polishing.

 

[mana]

Some generic info on pricing follows.

 

 

Primary influencers on prices are:

* model: naturally, a 500 is a different thing from a 400, and more expensive due to materials used and rarity, etc.

* the colorway: green-striped are the most common and cheapest, tortoise the next, black-striped gets to the uncommon territory, then the rest like the seaweed, light tortoise, etc.

* condition of the pens: mint/NOS are always rated higher, as are pens that are functional and professionally restored and come with a warranty.

* rarity of the nib: ST especially, but the ”triples” (EEF, BBB, OBBB, especially if marked on the nib and/or the piston knob) are also always sought after and more rare, and thus tend to up the price.

Tom is a professional seller/business so there is a sizable markup due to VAT (for EU buyers) and other costs, you also always get a restored pen in working order (disclaimer: I have bought from him in the past).

 

For a private seller the prices of sold pens on ebay is a more realistic indicator, you could also check r/pen_swap on reddit.

 

Of course, the seller is always free to set the prices as they wish but the right price is ultimately the one at which the item gets sold.

 

This is also dependent on location, vintage Pelikans in the US are usually more expensive than in the EU due to rarity/availability and previous cost of import, etc.