What's with Moleskine Notebooks

When you look at the school supplies section, you will normally see a moleskine type of notebooks. And I wonder what's with moleskine notebooks that they are so expensive. My Navi Journal may not pass as smooth as a moleskine but I love the texture of it and any pen you write on it, it looks fine.

So what's with moleskine notebooks?



I went to Wikipedia and here's what I got:

"...in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, these nameless notebooks became a prominent creative tool for avant-garde artists who enjoyed drawing and writing outdoors, putting down impressions on paper, painting from life in the streets and cafés, and capturing extemporary scenes, ideas, and emotions.

Among artists who used similar black notebooks were Oscar Wilde, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway and Henri Matisse."

And still I don't get it. So here's more:

"Moleskine notebooks are made with acid-free paper. Paper for Folio collection is Forest Stewardship Council certified. According to Moleskine Srl all suppliers are selected after careful screening about quality standards. Labour and environmental fairness criteria are included in specific clauses of all suppliers’ agreements."

 Well ... these could be the reasons why. But I still don't get it why it is so expensive. :) Can somebody please enlighten me? LOL.