Parker Jotter Genuine Or Rotter!

[mushters]

HELLO All you fellow Parker fans, I have recently bought three 1954 parker jotters...............or have I ! they seem ok to me nothing to make me nervous the cap screws are brass, the the nylon bodies, have good look to them, All metal is trongly built and works very well, I Parker etc stampimg etc all loosks sharp and crisp, must admitI dont know what else to look for? Any suggestions/commentshapily accepted, I woill now attempt for the first time on this site to load 3 pics, Cheers All

Edited February 26, 2011 by mushters

[FarmBoy]

Looks fine to me.

[WendyNC]

Is there anything which makes you doubt their authenticity/age (other than price)?

[MLKirk]

Your Jotters appear to be correct "first year" Jotters. Nice. All three of your Jotters are red?

[mushters]

Hi All , and thanks for your replies, Price, I paid around $100 for the 3, and colors are the Red pictured, plus Pale Grey, and lastly a deep geenish blue, color I suppose my first reaction was "Wow Too good to be true" howevr the seller guaranteed them authentic with mony back gaurantee, I must admit I do like them a Lot, they do have a good solid feel in the hand, and write very well with a new refill!, All the Best, Paul

[watch_art]

$100 for three ballpoints??

[atypical]

Only $100 for the 3 pens?

Wow, well done!

[Tommy]

$100 for three ballpoints??

 

These first-year jotters can bring decent prices.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Parker-1st-Year-Jotter-1954-Rare-Find-Black-NOS-/220718370637?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3363d70f4d

[79spitfire]

33 bucks each? nice score!

[watch_art]

huh. learn something new every day. I'd never pay more than a few bucks for an old bp, even a jotter. but, there's no value in them to me. oh well! different strokes for different folks. Thanks for the education. Very interesting.

[AR8Jason]

Should I quit throwing them away?

 

How do you tell if they are first "first year."

 

Do other Parker ball points have much value like advertising ones from the 50s 60s?

 

I am with WACTCH_ART ... when it comes to ball points ... ho hum. Maybe I need to open my eyes a little.

[Rockyrod]

I never collected a ball point in my life until I ended up with a Sheaffer Stratowriter. I been hooked on them ever since. Good deal for the Jotters.

[MLKirk]

Watch_art and AR8Jason, you need to spend some time with me at the next Ohio Pen Show. I'd enjoy educating you on BP's, particularly Jotters. I'd also enlist the King of Jotters to help, Francis Meinhardt.

 

I'm glad you are picking something up with this thread. As a fountain pen enthusiast, it does take a little time to catch the BP bug. At least for some BP's. I have evolved into full blown addiction from simple infatuation with Jotters going back to elementary school. Admittedly, fountain pens dominated my interest all along but BP's were out there taunting me until I expanded my focus.

 

AR8Jason, so-called first year Jotters were actually sold in the first 3 or so years (1954 through about 1957) so it would probably be more accurate to call them first generation, though "first year" is the colloquial term generally used by collectors. They have trough clips, ribbed barrels made of nylon and no reinforcement ring at the end. The metal reinforcement ring was added to eliminate barrel cracking problems to those who bear down too hard on the pen when writing.

 

Notice that Mushters' red barrel is ribbed and has no metal reinforcement ring, putting it in the "first year" category. A nice specimen indeed. He did get a great deal at about $33 each. NOS, stickered examples go in the $100 range on a regular basis.

 

Regards,

[watch_art]

Yikes. That's interesting. Sorry won't be able to make to an Ohio show anytime soon. That's a bit too far for me to travel for a show. As far as ballpoint collecting goes, if I won't want to WRITE and DRAW with it, then there's no chance I'll buy it. I get pens that are fun to write and draw with, and ballpoints don't fit that need. I'm a user not a collector.

[AR8Jason]

While we are on BPs ... why do they develop a white substance on them over time? How do you prevent it, and can it be removed?

 

 

I have primarily collected Fountain Pens, Mechanical Pencils (50s back) and a lot in the Victorian dip pen and pencils area. Other more modern pens include sterling Parkers, Sheaffer white dots and some Cross.

[MLKirk]

While we are on BPs ... why do they develop a white substance on them over time? How do you prevent it, and can it be removed?

 

 

I have primarily collected Fountain Pens, Mechanical Pencils (50s back) and a lot in the Victorian dip pen and pencils area. Other more modern pens include sterling Parkers, Sheaffer white dots and some Cross.

 

Hello

 

I believe the substance is mildew, formed from storing the pens in damp places. Plastic bags are a common place they develop this mildew. Many folks just throw old ballpoints into plastic bags for easy storage. Some barrel materials seem to be more conducive to growth than others. If I find one with mildew, I simply remove it with soapy water or diluted 409 or Fantastik, wiping it down again with plain water so no chemical film is left on the surface. Then a nice polishing with a micro-fiber cloth. I think good, dry storage and an occasional wipe with a cloth will help prevent further mildew development.

 

I admit that Jotters are my undoing when it comes to ballpoints. :embarrassed_smile:

 

Regards,

[AR8Jason]

Thank you PENTIME ... I have just thrown them away when they started turning white. As you say they were in a plastic bag for easy storage. I wondered why some turned and others didn't. I will try to recover them from now on.

 

I went to an Amish auction 20 years ago where there was a large collection of ball points and pencils, mostly advertising, all laid out on a large piece of card board and held by elastic straps. Nome had the white on them. I took them off the cardboard and stored them, likely in a plastic bag, and sure enough some turned white.

[JackHenry]

https://parkerpens.net/jotter.html