If you’ve ever shopped for discounted Pelikans or any other fountain pen from overseas, the chances of getting a bargain are now slimmer than ever. That $140 Pelikan from Hannover you bragged about on Fountain Pen Network will now potentially cost you as much as 20 to 40% more. For years, budget-minded American fountain pen enthusiasts could buy pens, ink, and fine writing related paraphernalia from international vendors, often at a fraction of domestic prices. Trade rules, influenced in part by de minimis exemptions, have permitted a gray market to flourish where authentic brand-name goods could be purchased through unofficial channels. It has been a pathway that has allowed people to buy pens that they might not otherwise have been able to afford. Cheap imports thrilled buyers but undercut domestic retailers. Overseas shopping undermined the very U.S. vendors keeping the hobby alive at home. As of August 29, 2025, the ink has officially dried on overseas steals, and the pen market has been redrawn.