system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5:The deal with Mont Blanc pens?

Ok so I try to be open minded, but I still can't really understand why people would pay hundreds (or thousands?) of dollars for a pen. I get that they're probably really great pens, but seriously?
gpt
High End pens are like high end anything else. Quality and prestige drive up the value of the product. Pilot makes some really nice pens for about $20 each. Compare that to the bank teller's Bic you swiped that probably cost under a dollar. The Pilot is likely to be significantly better (more comfortable to write with, better quality ink refill, sturdier design, aesthetically pleasing, etc.). Now imagine an even better pen (fountain pen, less mass produced or more hand made elements) with a rich history of craftsmanship. 

Mont Blanc pens, Ferrari cars, or Rolex watches, or whatever are generally among the highest quality product in the industry, but also (and more importantly) have the deepest history associated with the product. A perfect car example, Volkswagen made a $90,000 vehicle called the Phaeton. It was a marvel of automotive engineering and was designed to be the peak of luxury (after all, VW borrowed heavily from sister company Audi). Yet no one bought it. Why? No history, no prestige, no brag factor. You can't walk into a bar and throw down your VW key fob and expect anyone to be impressed. No one cares about a $5,000 Timex. And Bic could never charge $100+ for a pen.

I'd venture to say that the actual quality of a pen tops out around $50. After that, it depends on the materials it's made of. As those materials get better/rarer, the price will continue to climb. Then add a multiplier for the prestige of the company. I'd say a Mont Blanc pen is at least times more expensive then a comparable Pilot.