Are Fountain Pens Too Expensive Now?

Fountain pens, amongst many other things, are crazy expensive these days. Just look at the following examples of recent price increases of popular pen models:

(2026 US retail pricing, in USD)

I’ve worked in the pen industry for nearly 20 years and have seen prices go up and never come back down. I have a copy of the Goldspot 2010 catalog showing the retail price of a Lamy 2000 fountain pen as $160, now $279—a 74% increase in 16 years! (For reference, $1 in 2010 is now worth $1.51 in 2026, as per the CPI Inflation calculator) Cost increases are a sore subject with people in the pen hobby. Pens (especially ones with the nice gold nibs) are already expensive enough. What makes it worse is we’re feeling the pinch everywhere else these days: health insurance, gas, utilities, and groceries.

What can we do to still enjoy the pen hobby without going for broke?

2026 price increases of several popular pens including the pilot custom 823 and platinum 3776 century

Above, examples of items that went up in price on January 1st, 2026. Unfortunately, dramatic price increases continue to be a common occurance for all pen brands around the world.

Instead of paying all-time high prices for new pens, I suggest something you might not expect a retailer to say: take a deeper appreciation of the writing tools you currently have. All it takes is one trusty pen to write, draw, and create your life’s masterwork. And, it doesn’t take an expensive pen to enjoy writing with one. A Platinum Preppy is still a great value at $7 and a Pilot Kakuno at $14.30.

Think of your pens like a circle of friends. Which pens could you spend more time with and get to know them better? Many of us have a bunch we haven’t seen in a while. Catch up with them. Get them out and spend a few days writing with them. Maybe you’ll rekindle a passion for an underappreciated pen in your collection!

You can also mend a troubled pen. If you have a pen that’s been sitting on the sidelines because it has a “meh” nib, a simple nib adjustment could make the writing experience feel new and exciting. If you’re not skilled at doing your own nib adjustments or grinds, sending your pen to a nib meister is much less expensive than buying a new pen.

Also, if your nib is damaged, it might be possible to obtain a replacement nib instead of buying a whole new pen.

Swatch and writing sample of Wearingeul Sense and Sensibility fountain pen ink a greenish brown with pink undertones

Sometimes, all it takes to revitalize a room is a fresh coat of paint. The same applies to refreshing your writing with a new ink color choice. It can be surprising how fun a beautiful ink can be, especially with a color you might not usually write with. If you’re constantly reaching for sheeny blues, for example, maybe a shading greenish-brown will bring some much needed change to the page.

The pull of FOMO is strong in the pen world. If you struggle passing on every new, limited edition Sailor, Esterbrook, Leonardo, and Kaweco, etc., then it might be time to unsubscribe and unfollow. You can still enjoy the fountain pen hobby without knowing about all the shiny newness dropping every week. And, if you truly miss out on your grail, you can always snap up a pen on eBay, the r/Pen_Swap subreddit, or other secondary markets. The thrill of the hunt will make the acquisition more exciting, and it’s possible you’ll get it at a better price than retail.

Still, if you still MUST HAVE a new pen, you can adopt the “one in, one out” philosophy. Offset the cost of purchasing a brand new pen by selling one or more pens in your current collection. Here, inflation works to your advantage, especially if you’re selling a sought-after, limited edition fountain pen. For example, if you were selling a 2018 Platinum 3776 Century “Kumpoo” Limited edition fountain pen on eBay, you can turn a used pen into $1,000 and buy two new Platinum 3776 fountain pens in place of it.

The old adage in investing is “buy low, sell high.” Fountain pens are like long-term investments with a “buy and hold” strategy. Although this is not to be taken as financial advice (you do you), it’s not ideal to be buying when prices are at all-time highs. Next time you feel the urge to splurge on a new pen, refer to this article and see if you can’t squeeze more inkdrops of joy out of your current collection.

TL;DR Summary

Due to tariffs, record-high gold prices, weak currency exchange, global instability, etc, pen prices are rising at extraordinary rates, making the hobby less affordable.

For most of us who are feeling the pinch of higher living costs across the board, here are ways you can still enjoy fine writing without the exorbitant price tag.

  • Take out a pen you haven't used in a while and ink it up.
  • Appreciate the pens you have. Even a Platinum Preppy can write a masterpiece.
  • Fix a troubled pen that you might have put aside.
  • Try inking up a pen with a color that's both unsual and exciting.
  • If you're feeling FOMO about limited edition drops, unsubscribe and unfollow.
  • Adopt the "one in, one out" philosophy of pen collecting and sell a pen or two to justify the higher cost of a new one.
Tom Oddo from the Empire State Pen Show 2025

About the Author

Tom Oddo is the digital marketing manager for Goldspot Pens who creates most of the content you see on the shop's YouTube channel, social media posts, e-mail newsletters, and more. Over the 19 years working for Goldspot, he has kept a discplined "one-in, one-out" principle for his pen collection but goes a little crazy for ink samples, of which he has hundreds.

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