I apparently had a lot to say on this topic!
The Gamification of Fountain Pen Collecting https://cjs-wunderkammer.ghost.io/the-gamification-of-fountain-pen-collecting/
Timelordiroh 
@jezlyn very well written and very true. I find the constant stream of "Limited Editions" very tiring. i'm still relatively quite new into fountain pens (got my first one in 2023). I think this is ultimately part of the end-stage capitalism world we live in. If a company does as well this year that they did last year, they're considered a failure. That's driving a lot of the same sales tactics and push for overconsumption in many industries.
@jezlyn I know this isn't a unique thought around these parts, but browsing /r/fountainpens really is just a waste. Everyone posts their new pens (and hey, new pens are fun), but that gives the impression that EVERYONE is constantly buying new pens. You then also get the posts of "look at my 100 TWSBI Ecos in a rainbow". Do you really need to matchy matchy that badly? How do you use all those pens?
@timelordiroh Yeah, it's why I've stopped reading that subreddit and have stopped watching too many YT videos from FP people because it is a lot of NPD and hauls and all that and it makes me envious. 
It sucks because I liked watching and reading that stuff, but it's hard enough keeping spending in check. :sigh:
@timelordiroh Also, yeah, while I admire people having large, themed collections, I do wonder how many of their pens they actually use, especially when I see a fair amount of pen swap posts saying they're selling a pen that's never been inked. 
@jezlyn @timelordiroh I only read r/fountainpens when I specifically search for topics I am interested in (reviews, repair). My acquisition has tapered down through the years after realizing there is not much I really want after experiencing the pens I already do have, unless it is a specific thing I am interested in. Hahaha, at the Manila Pen Show I got an inexpensive *rollerball* that uses fountain pen ink, because that was what I needed. But it was purple!
@pixiecata @timelordiroh Nice! What brand of rollerball did you get?
@jezlyn @timelordiroh Kakimori Frost Violet rollerball :) 0.5mm nib, writes very nicely, comes with a converter, which I filled with a syringe.
@pixiecata @timelordiroh Hehe, I wondered if that was it. I have the same one. 
It was what started my whole path down finding a bunch of FP ink-using rollerball pens. That's my next (maybe) big article.
@jezlyn @timelordiroh I have four ultra cheap Lamy-lookalike Chinese rollerballs that take fountain pen ink too, and I love them. They were about USD 0.50 each. But I got the Kakimori for when I dress up and need to use in a more business setting.
@pixiecata @timelordiroh Oh, are these piston-fillers? I just bought two from Amazon that are piston-fillers and have 0.38 tips. The caps look like Lamy Safari, but the body looks like a TWSBI, even down to the gap that stops the piston from extending all the way to the feed.
@jezlyn @timelordiroh Mine are converter! I have them in 0.5mm too.
@pixiecata i'll be curious to see how it holds up over time. I don't know how accurate it is but i've heard that the ball can erode over time and get to be small enough that they start leaking ink. @jezlyn
@timelordiroh @jezlyn Since I mainly use fountain pens on a daily basis I am not too worried about the rollerball eroding quickly. Also, Kakimori sell a replacement rollerball tip. But I won't buy a fancier rollerball than that.
@timelordiroh @pixiecata Yeah, I read that, along with recommendation to use wet inks to help with lubrication. I'm not sure if I'll ever get to the point that the rollerball erodes that much, but I'll keep an eye out.
The TWSBI thing I can get to some extent because they aren't terribly expensive and hold ink forever and yes I have 10 of them but I use them all because they *always* have ink when I want them.
But the more expensive brands with hundreds of colors like Sailor are harder to understand.
@jimp @timelordiroh @jezlyn Agreed, I have a pile of twsbi's (but I think I have enough, also around ten), and I have allowed myself to collect Kaweco sports because they're inexpensive and fill that "fun rainbow" slot in my brain. But I am really not getting the, for instance, sailors that people are getting every edition of. I have a sailor, I like it. I don't necessarily need more of them, especially not at that price point.
@silhelm @timelordiroh @jezlyn Between Sailor, Platinum, and Pilot special editions I don't see how people keep up. Lots of people have way more disposable income than I do, apparently. Some of the special editions look awesome, but for a pen that's already expensive, multiplying the cost by 2-4x keeps my goblin brain in check.
My go-to "fun rainbow" filler is Jinhao sharks. When a 12 pack is $20 for that good of a pen it's hard to pass up, but I stopped at 12 (so far).
@silhelm @jimp @timelordiroh Yup, Sailor is one brand I had in mind when I thought of companies that release *so many* pens in a year. I am surprised they've kept up this release frequency for so long.
@jezlyn @silhelm @timelordiroh One benefit of getting into these things late is so many limited/special editions have already passed and are essentially unobtainable that there is no hope of being a completionist. That helps my goblin brain turn FOMO to JOMO (Joy).
@jimp @silhelm @timelordiroh Heh, for me it just feels like more of a dagger to my heart because I just missed certain limited editions and now will never obtain it. 
Over time I've gotten over the feeling, and every now and again I'll see someone selling a pen that I thought was forever off the market, so a couple things I try to keep in mind are, "there's always another pen," and "someone might be willing to sell the pen you want".
@jezlyn @jimp @silhelm @timelordiroh
I feel this way about ink 
@BennysLittleThings @jimp @silhelm @timelordiroh Yeah, that, too! But at least with ink it seems that manufacturers kind of make similar inks and may eventually get around to making a lookalike. Not in all cases, of course.
@me @timelordiroh Agreed! I have a similar problem. Because I cooled it on pen purchases, I shifted over to buying inks, particularly ink samples, since they're much more affordable, and I love changing up which inks I use in the several pens I have inked up at a time. There are a few companies who release a ton of inks throughout the year, which just adds to the list of things I have to chill on buying.
@timelordiroh I'm a relative newbie, too, though I got my start in fountain pen collecting in Aug 2022. I still want to build out my collection but I want to be as intentional as I can. It is tiring to see all these cool LE pens, especially ones that are Japan-only, or whatever since it makes it even harder to obtain. I do think greedy, late-stage capitalism is to blame here, but I didn't want to get too preachy/political. 
I agree with you, though!
@jezlyn Fantastic post! I hadn't heard of "Novelty Seeker" before but I 100% fit right into that as well.
I've been trying to reduce my impact by limiting my NPD posts recently unless it's something really special or weird, but at the same time I realise that I also enjoy sharing when something new is announced because it's fun to see what's coming out even if I have no intention to buy it. It's a tough dichotomy.
@toga Yeah, I mean, I don't want to rain on people's parades. It's fun to share when you got a new toy. But due to volume of people posting on YT, Reddit, IG, etc., it can feel like "everyone's" buying new stuff all the time except me. 
Part of it is on me to control how I react to posts. The other part is getting manufacturers to chill on the constant marketing.
@jezlyn Unfortunately, I don't see that last part ever happening 
@toga Yeah, that ship has sailed.
@jezlyn
I keep buying in check with lists. I have a wish list and don't buy if it's not on it. That can backfire if I encounter pens on the list since they're pre-approved. I have an acquired list with costs and yearly summaries. It's a nice dose of reality.
I consume too much pen content online, but thankfully, most of it doesn't interest me. I'm mostly looking for things things people do with their pens. The material and color are not major factors that draw me in. I have enough pens. My knife collection petered out once I'd gathered what I wanted. I'm starting to bump up against a number beyond the amount of use the pens will get.
@tallastro I should've added setting a budget as one of the methods to counter FOMO. Good point about using a wish list to limit what you buy.
@jezlyn Great post! I would also say I fall into the "Novelity Seeker" category. I like trying new tech, and I also fall into the "I want to be unique" category. My neighbor has beautiful red and yellow tulips. When I got tulips, they had to have frizzy edges, just to be "different." Fountain pen manufacturers marketing limited editions, get me almost every time, especially in the ink category.
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I've been thinking a lot about what I am putting out there on social media. I keep a blog and mostly talk about exploring ink. I think it comes down to sharing about the experience of using these things, these tools, instead of sharing NID or NPD. All of this is really tough, especially right now, and it's fun to see what everyone is excited about. The fountain pen community, especially because they've been the most welcoming out of any hobby I've had.
@BennysLittleThings Yes. I don't mean to begrudge anyone sharing about fountain pens. I know that most "penfluencers" aren't earning tons doing what they're doing, so I have no problem with them offering affliate codes or partner discounts, etc. It's just the volume of people out there posting about fountain pens can become overwhelming if you follow a lot of them, especially when there's a new pen release, because, as in tech, there's the embargo date when everyone can post...
@BennysLittleThings ...about a new product, so you have multiple different people telling you about the cool new thing, making it that much harder to resist picking up said new thing. And yes, a lot of that is down to your own willpower, and the actions you take, but it's tough given the way the system is all set up now.
@jezlyn Oh totally! It can be overwhelming with the marketing emails and the “penfluensers” all dropping content at the same time. I think all of these points are great and valid points! I don’t think for one second you’re begrudging anyone! It’s definitely got me thinking more about what I personally release, although I’m trying to share what I’ve been enjoying, not necessarily to influence anyone else’s choices.
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@jezlyn This whole discussion has been really interesting and something I may expound about on my blog. I’m loving seeing this from the community. And yeah it’s about willpower and sometimes I almost think the system setup people up for failure. It’s about extracting those dollars. LOL. Those darn marketing emails!
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@BennysLittleThings Seriously... I'm trying to build up my tolerance by really looking at these e-mails and realizing a lot of what they put in front of me may push my novelty seeking button, but if I can just chill a moment, realize it's not something I really want. 
@jezlyn Yeah. That’s the thing, looking at these marketing emails, thinking “why” do I really want this thing? I probably don’t. I don’t need the new pen by so and so just because it’s a certain color to invoke a certain emotion. Maybe if I’m REALLY in the market for it, but let’s be real.
@BennysLittleThings Yeah. There are people out there who share what they like and aren't trying to influence others. But because we trust them and their taste, it ends up influencing us a bit. But I think that's healthy. It's more natural word of mouth, vs someone with a financial stake trying to stoke sales in an unhealthy way. (1/2)
And even if a person who's merely sharing their thoughts ends up partnering with brands, I think there can be a way for that person to remain true to their purpose of knowledge sharing, and still promote things they genuinely enjoy. It's a fine line. (2/2)
@jezlyn I think you hit the nail on the head with this. Finding ways to make it feel more like word of mouth. I think certain platforms lend themself to that over others.
@BennysLittleThings Heh, I totally relate to the "I want to be unique" thing. I often gravitate towards fountain pens and tech that aren't mainstream (when they work well for me). And, cool, I like the "frizzy" tulips, too! 
@jezlyn My line of work is "tech" specifically security so I'm always jumping on the new shiny open source thing. Drives my wife crazy ... hehehe