Quillophyles : DON'T LOOK AT WHAT YOU SPEND; LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE SAVED!

I DON'T want to think about how much I've spent on pens, inks and papers over the years because I know if I looked there's a good chance I would feel a touch guilty... just a touch 😧

Banksy "Sale Ends Today" from Banksy Melbourne Exhibition.

Back at the end of 2016, Althaven blogged her analysis of the amount of money she had spent on pens, inks and paper for the year. 

Why on earth would she suggest such horrid torture? 

Was it something I said? 

Don't you just love the human condition? A challenge is set, and the physiology of the brain gets to work creating escape routes to protect the psyche!

It's all about focus and disposition. 

So in this blog, I thought I'd focus on the things in the last month or so that I wanted to buy but didn't. These are the FOMOs and cravings that took me to a web site, an instagram,  a brick and mortar store and right up to the point of pressing the "buy" button on shopping carts before pulling back my finger and .....saving!!! 🙈🙉🙊

This is a one-off Desiderata Icarus in a fabulous orange ebonite.

EYES: "What a beautiful pen. That orange just sings to me; and I love the feel of ebonite in the hand. 

HEAD VOICE: You have a Desiderata pen don't you? Do you use it a lot? I know, the one you have is just black and not shiny and pretty like this one; but is this a pen you really need?  --- quick, close the page and move on!

SAVING: US$175

The Karas Kustoms Knox Retrakt pen - limited edition (and not a fountainpen!)
[Photo from KK website]

EYES: This pen just reeks of character. It's unique. I love that oxidising light blue. I love the lack of uniformity; the almost organic sense to it. Karas Kustoms make a fabulous, quality product and this is a humdinger!

HEAD VOICE: It's not a fountain pen. You have other KK pens.

SAVINGS: US$210 

Baronfig ASKEW Notebook

EYES: Brad Dowdy likes it, (Myke doesn't) and that was a really interesting discussion on the PenAddict podcast. Let's check it out. Website (above) visited. Wow! That blue on the cover is brilliant (not keen on the LE cover). Love the haphazardness of the lines. It's a brilliant anarchic take on the notebook. I JUST LOVE IT. It's not even that expensive. I want it!
HEAD VOICE: How many unused notebooks do you have? (boxes). 
SAVINGS: US$20

Sailor 1911 Large Fresca Blue Fountain Pen from Anderson Pens

EYES: There it is on the Anderson Pens YouTube... just love that colour! I love Sailor nibs; this is a no-brainer let's go to the web site. OOOO; look! It was $360 and it's down to $288 In Australian dollars that's a savings of AU$96!  Drool......
HEAD VOICE: How many pens do you have now? Yes it's gorgeous; but you have how many Sailor pens? (11) Is this where you want to focus your collection; or could this be money that went towards a grail, a celluloid, an OMAS that your collection really needs... [DAMN]
SAVINGS: US$288

and there's more:

• ITOYA PORTFOLIO JOURNAL SIDEKICK MAGNETIC PEN HOLDER - SAVINGS: US$19.99
• LAMY Z24 CONVERTER - SAVINGS: US$4.50
• 5ML BLUNT TIP SYRINGES (2 PACK) SAVINGS: US$5.00

There you have it. All up, over the past month or so, I have not spent a total of US$722.49 (AU$957.83 at beginning March 2017). Not bad work!  Now, how am I going to spend that.....

"Destroy Capitalism", Banksy Exhibition Melbourne - yes, that's me in the reflection!