Gold/Silver and Pens

Should you be concerned with the increase in gold and silver? 

The answer depends on what pens mean to you, as well as other factors. I am going to approach this topic from different viewpoints... (If you have been paying attention- Silver has more than doubled this year. Gold is up more than 80%- will double at 2400 per oz! Palladium is at 2400)

As a buyer- Obviously it is going to cost me more in the near future to buy any collectible that is adorned with Gold, Silver, Platinum, etc.. Of course if you intend to sell items, that can also affect how much you buy/charge for that item. Some people will simply ignore price increases from their favorite brands. 

As a Seller/Retailer- I am also concerned. As I mentioned above, any price increase from any maker/vendor has to be passed on to the customer. This can affect how much I buy from my vendors which, in turn, affects the number of products those vendors/distributors will choose to carry/stock as well.

As a collector- There is a conundrum; you are happy that your collection has increased in value. But, you are also aware that your ability to buy/collect more has decreased. Expect to hear more "Horror Stories" about people melting solid gold pens, caps, barrels, and nibs in the coming months. This is especially true of non-collectors whom have no idea of the value of vintage pens!

As a Pen Maker- Some pen makers may face troubles with these price increases.  Many independent, small pen makers will have find it difficult to offer pens/nibs with these materials. I can see makers starting to experiment more with other metals- Magnesium, Nickel, Titanium, Aluminum, or any metal that can be trim and/or take iridium tipping, and daily writing use.

I fall into many of the above categories. As a collector and seller- I am apprehensive about the situation. As a buyer- I am concerned about upcoming cost increases. I already see a problem (and this is only about plating!). As you know, I just started selling my own nibs this year ("FP"/Federalist Pens Bock Nibs). My source from Italy has informed me that there will be a $5 upcharge moving forward for Gold Plating! This is still a stainless steel nib! This is a 25% increase in cost over the unplated nib! With Gold over $2,000 per ounce, Just imagine what is going to cost to buy loose gold nibs soon??

We have already seen something similar to this increase scenario this past year. A certain Pen Maker (One I represent) decided to stop offering Palladium nibs, and moved to 18k Gold nibs (Same Nib Maker for both materials- Yes). That Pen Maker moved one step further to reduce costs by moving nib making operations "In House" this summer. I can see more large makers moving in this direction. This leads to choices, but can also spell trouble for small pen makers. On the other hand, they would have more sources to choose from!

The point of this article is to make you aware of what can happen, and offer some friendly advice (As a Collector, Speculator, Dealer, and Pen Pal!). If you have a certain "Grail Pen", or a pen you have an eye on that is gold/silver/etc, you should look to buy it soon before it truly becomes too expensive!
Frank

New Products- Now Available!

Nuuna Notebooks (Germany)

Link- https://federalistpens.com/collections/nuuna-notebooks-new

New from Lamy- Glacier Studio!

Link- https://federalistpens.com/collections/lamy-pens/products/lamy-studio-fountain-pen

Federalist/Shaw Pens "Founding Fathers" BP Pens!

Link- https://federalistpens.com/collections/federalist-pens-exclusive-collections/products/founding-fathers-bp-collection-shaw-pens-federalist-pens

#Pens in The Pipeline!

In keeping with my last few blogs- I wanted to let you know what is happening! I just celebrated my 5th Anniversary as Fed Pens! We have grown tremendously over the past 5 years. We continue to grow, despite economic uncertainty. Below are a some upcoming additions to the site!

Robert Oster "Frankly Fifth"

My latest Oster Ink celebrates my Anniversary! Frankly Fifth will be arriving mid-August! This Bluish-Purple (Sapphire) Ink has some red undertones, and adds to my Blue, Scarlet, and Green "Trilogy" from this great Australian brand! I was so proud to be the first to bring this brand to the U.S. in 2016! "Frankly Fifth" will be a Fed Pens Exclusive (Pre-Order Now- $18)

Link- https://federalistpens.com/products/robert-oster-signature-fp-ink

 I am in the process of establishing a relationship with the new vendor of Giuliano Mazzuoli Pens Italy (This is the trendy MOKA Pen Maker!). Very pleased to be able to continue offering this brand! Update on site soon!

The Same Vendor also works with a famous Swiss Brand- One I will be adding/stocking in the next month! (Has Initials C.d.A) More on this in the next issue! I appreciate all of You! Thank You for your continued support!

Frank