Old Montblanc inks are a collecting field in their own right and one in lively demand. At the collectors' meeting in Cologne in March 2005 they were among the most sought-after items on offer of all; remaining stocks were still being sold after the meeting, as long as supplies lasted. Thus not only the writing instrument itself but also the associated consumables are regarded as worth collecting.
Ink is assembled by some collectors systematically and on a large scale: one such collection comprised more than 450 inks from all the known manufacturers in 2005. Historical inks are not merely kept but also tested and described in dedicated ink notebooks and specialist articles, so that the properties of older inks can be read up in documented form.