Unanticipated OCD

[MisterBoll]

Now..................who puts their pens in alphabetical order?

[cedargirl]

I hate losing anything, so I do keep close track of them. They live in my office - the ones in use in a pen cup on my messy desk and those not in use in pen cases. Though I do occasionally forget to take a few travelers out of my briefcase for a few days and my heart does a leap until I remember where they are.

Though I have noticed a few strange patterns creeping in lately. I have a couple of hinged pen cases that take 30/48 pens - the other day I rotated all of the pens in the top half so that their clips were angled 45 degrees to the left and all of the pens in the bottom had their clips facing 45 degrees to the right. I also have a couple of soft zipped cases that take 48 pens - and, like mango pudding, the zip has to close to the top.

And I keep my pens grouped in the cases by manufacturer; and was trying to keep the vintage pens in chronological order (on year of manufacture). Though my Parkers seem to prefer numeric order, then age order - oh, hang on, where I have multiples, I also sorted then from Fine to Broad running left to right. Hmmm, is OCD contagious? Can I catch it from my pens?

[VertOlive]

Well, perhaps this is not so much OCD as it is "Attention Surplus Disorder"......

Just realized my pens are in order by where they would appear on the color spectrum....yikes!

[Ally46]

I have absolutely no idea, apart from the fact that they are in one of several skips somewhere in the attic. I bring them out now and again and then have to check if they need any repairs since the last time I repaired or restored them. And the boxes have to be put back in the skip in order. The main consolation is that while I have no idea where a particular pen is, I usually have to look at my entire collection to find it. And of course, the pen knows where it is.

[DrChumley]

Now..................who puts their pens in alphabetical order?

Well, I switch back and forth between lining them up in the cases from longest to shortest or from favorite to least favorite. I haven't made it to alphabetical yet. Although I could see lining them up by color...

[JustDaveyB]

Pelikans, I sort by size M1000 --> M300 then by value to me within size. Bexleys by age, Waterman Prefaces by Alphabetic, Lamys, Sailors, Auroras and Pilots - random. But my pens either live in a Penvelope Six if they are inked ups\ or in one of four zipper cases if they are waiting for their next turn. I know exactly where my pens are at all times....

[kaisnowbird]

I keep most of my pens in their original boxes and stack them in a bigger box. There is no particular order of stacking, except the empty ones (whose pens are currently inked and in my daily carry) stay on top.

I do know where each of my pen is.

[79spitfire]

Darnit, Now I'm wondering where that Parker 45 is, it's not sitting here on the desk.....

Oh, and I have OCD and CRS... and yea it sucks...

[Paul-H]

It is an acknowledged fact that most collectors and I mean collectors of anything not just pens have OCD to some degree, that what makes them such good collectors.

And like all Mental Illnesses most sufferers will not acknowledge their illness.

Or you might just have an addictive personality

All those who now claim they are not OCD will obviously Be OCD and everyone will now know who they are

Paul

[79spitfire]

I still can't find that Parker....

I think I lost it in the hardware store parking lot Friday, I wonder if I should drive back and look.... It's the ink as much as the pen, it had Parker Penman Sapphire in it!!

[cees achterberg]

I guess my wife is right when she says that OCD stands for fOuntainpen Collector Disorder ....

[steveH]

Now..................who puts their pens in alphabetical order?

Which alphabetical order?

By maker, or model name, or color/maker/model, color/model/maker, nib type/size, ink maker/color currently loaded, ... ?
Does a 1934 Sheaffer Balance with an Eversharp fine flex nib belong with Sheaffer, or Eversharp, or Frankenpens?

You need to be more specific.

[ndw76]

I don't have OCD, but none of my pens are ever allowed to come into contact with another pen. Each must be securely stored in its own space. And pens of the same manufacturer must be stored side by side. Otherwise they get lonely.

[kaisnowbird]

Well, given that my pens are totally in order, at best I have an OCO - obsessive compulsive order. Certainly not a disorder!

[VertOlive]

Oh! you'll hate this, ndw76: I took two pens to work today and put each of them in the finger of a thick glove for safer transport! They were touching a little, but at least I knew which pen was in what finger of the glove.

Time to buy a pen case....

[tandaina]

I group mine by brand, then geography (all the Germans are together) and within brand by model/size/color.

And it isn't OCD. It is CDO, in alphabetical order, the way it should be!

[ndw76]

Oh! you'll hate this, ndw76: I took two pens to work today and put each of them in the finger of a thick glove for safer transport! They were touching a little, but at least I knew which pen was in what finger of the glove.

Time to buy a pen case....

Oh the inhumanity!
I feel like I can't breath...
Need to buy something from eBay to make everything ok.




Ok, a Conway Stewart Dinkie 560 pen and pencil set are on their way here.
I feel better now.

[BikerBabe]

Now..................who puts their pens in alphabetical order?

I do.
My pen collection is stored in good sturdy plastic boxes in alphabetical order with labels on the box, that way I can easily find any pen I might need.
Same goes with my everyday pens in my carrying cigar case.

[jacksterp]

They are where I last left them. As long as I can remember that, I know where they are...

[I like mango pudding]

Now..................who puts their pens in alphabetical order?

not in alphabetical order but in numerical order. Starting with MB 144, then 145, 146, 149. I even have a space for the 147.