Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: What to do with all these free pens

  1. #1
    Senior Member FredRydr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Carlisle, Pennsylvania USA
    Posts
    4,907
    Thanks
    1,396
    Thanked 6,390 Times in 2,505 Posts
    Rep Power
    18

    Default What to do with all these free pens

    With the Covid19 restrictions, I am ending up with a growing surfeit of free ball-point pens. Many shops, stores, banks and offices don't want them back after I sign. Yesterday I got a genuine UPS Store clicker ball-point, but the pen-mugs are stuffed full and the glove boxes can take no more. When I drop them under the car seat, I hardly bother to retrieve them.

    Pen people don't throw pens away.* Or do they?






    * I've always wondered where away actually is.

  2. #2
    Senior Member silverlifter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Posts
    616
    Thanks
    359
    Thanked 772 Times in 355 Posts
    Rep Power
    6

    Default Re: What to do with all these free pens

    I collect the springs from them and use the in the back of Kaweco Sport barrels to stop catridges coming loose.

    Other than that, we have a bin at work where they can be deposited and a local charity collects them and redistributes/repurposes/recycles them.
    Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.

  3. #3
    Senior Member fqgouvea's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Waterville, ME
    Posts
    393
    Thanks
    114
    Thanked 254 Times in 134 Posts
    Rep Power
    9

    Default Re: What to do with all these free pens

    Disinfect them and donate to a school?

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Clinging desperately to planet Earth
    Posts
    474
    Thanks
    36
    Thanked 474 Times in 281 Posts
    Rep Power
    8

    Default Re: What to do with all these free pens

    Quote Originally Posted by fqgouvea View Post
    Disinfect them and donate to a school?
    I agree. However, many schools are using virtual classroom teaching because of the pandemic. With that, one might consider donating any unwanted pens and stationary to a homeless shelter. I suspect clothing donations would be welcomed too.

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    SFO USA
    Posts
    1,375
    Thanks
    13
    Thanked 1,113 Times in 573 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: What to do with all these free pens

    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    With the Covid19 restrictions, I am ending up with a growing surfeit of free ball-point pens. Many shops, stores, banks and offices don't want them back after I sign. Yesterday I got a genuine UPS Store clicker ball-point, but the pen-mugs are stuffed full and the glove boxes can take no more. When I drop them under the car seat, I hardly bother to retrieve them.

    Pen people don't throw pens away.* Or do they?






    * I've always wondered where away actually is.
    I say we put our free ball-points in a box and send them to Jon Szanto. I happen to know he cleaned out a space in his garage and they would certainly help fill the void.

  6. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Farmboy For This Useful Post:

    Ole Juul (January 16th, 2021), TFarnon (January 17th, 2021)

  7. #6
    Senior Member grainweevil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Cornwall, UK
    Posts
    1,572
    Thanks
    269
    Thanked 885 Times in 461 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: What to do with all these free pens

    Pens for Kids can apparently supply a list of organisations to whom you can send pens directly for children overseas in need of writing utensils.
    In the words of Paul Simon, you can call me Al.

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to grainweevil For This Useful Post:

    Ole Juul (January 16th, 2021)

  9. #7
    Member JParanee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Posts
    38
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 38 Times in 17 Posts
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Re: What to do with all these free pens

    I carry pens so I do not use theirs


  10. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Sydney Australia
    Posts
    52
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 17 Times in 12 Posts
    Rep Power
    5

    Default Re: What to do with all these free pens

    That’s funny. A side effect I never would have thought of. Prior COVID, they’d hunt you down to get their pen back

  11. #9
    Senior Member Kaputnik's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    By the long tidal river.
    Posts
    1,043
    Thanks
    2,713
    Thanked 2,570 Times in 695 Posts
    Rep Power
    14

    Default Re: What to do with all these free pens

    I generally use my own pens, not from recent fear of contagion so much as because I've always preferred to use my own. But when I do acquire a freebie ballpoint (or on rare occasions a pencil), I leave it in the communal pen cup at work for others to use. Rightly or wrongly, my coworkers aren't that worried about it, and we do have the disinfectant wipes and spray right next to them.

    I've been disposing of "free" pens this way for years. A few years ago I went through drawers and pen cups for all the old cheap ballpoints that I knew I'd never want again, and left them at work. What's interesting to me is how I can leave a dozen pens in that cup, and a week later, they're all gone. Some turn up again in odd places around the building, but I think a lot of them get thrown into backpacks or coat pockets, and subsequently lost, who knows where.

    I still have a good selection of Parker Jotters, Fisher Space Pens, and other slightly more upscale ballpoints at home, and carry some around with me, but they aren't going in that cup.

    Now if a business gave out a free advertising fountain pen, I'd hang on to it. Or a dip pen, but how likely is that?
    "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly."
    G.K. Chesterton

  12. #10
    Senior Member Fermata's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Posts
    488
    Thanks
    187
    Thanked 598 Times in 298 Posts
    Rep Power
    8

    Default Re: What to do with all these free pens


  13. #11
    Senior Member Yazeh's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Montreal, Canada
    Posts
    8,351
    Thanks
    9,827
    Thanked 6,082 Times in 2,212 Posts
    Rep Power
    14

    Default Re: What to do with all these free pens

    Quote Originally Posted by Fermata View Post
    Thanks for the link. Had a good chuckle

  14. The Following User Says Thank You to Yazeh For This Useful Post:

    Fermata (January 17th, 2021)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •