Got money? Want a $730K pen?

While listening to the Economist on the way to work today, I came across an article that referenced the existence of some luxury goods I had no idea existed: A $730K Montblanc pen called the “Mystery Masterpiece” which you can put in a Louis Vuitton purse that costs $140K. Actually, in perusing the internet, the Louis Vuitton bag isn’t even the most expensive one out there. That fine distinction seems to be held by a Chanel bag that costs $261K.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I know, but I find both the pen and the bag ugly and unappealing, independent of their price tags. They’re just not aesthetically pleasing designs. Maybe it’s just me.

The pen reminds me of HR Giger’s work, which I think is best suited for for sci-fi films like Alien. It doesn’t look comfortable to use.

At first, I decided that there was absolutely no question that the psychographic target market for this pen were people who want to collect brand-named, ultra-luxury goods for the sake of showing off or having them. So what if that’s a narrowly defined set of people? Just find the handful who are willing to buy the 27 limited editions you made and your done with your pen sales for the next 5 years.

And then I read this article, about how another Montblanc limited edition pen called the Solitaire Royal that sold for $175K when it was first released is now worth up to 10 times that amount. That’s a CAGR of nearly 20% over 13 years. Sheesh.

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