Most Common / Popular Ballpoint Of The 1950S?

[shadeone]

I started another topic on mechanical pencils with this regard, but it got me thinking about ballpoints...

What was the definitive ballpoint pen of the early 1950s when they were first starting to become a big thing? I'm talking after the Reynolds Rocket failure, but before the Jotter in 1954. BIC didnt even enter the American market until 1958.
So what would have been the pen that you saw everywhere in lets say mid 1952? Im guessing one of the Eversharp or Papermate models? I know Scripto was agressive with their advertising in these years and in my other thread on pencils, they seem to have been the front-runner in terms of mechanical pencils, but were their ballpoints incredibly common as well?

[pajaro]

There were a lot of cheap no name ballpoints. They were most common.

 

Lindy was pretty common.

[qvxb]

An interesting post about the early 1950s Paper Mate Deluxe can be found at the URL below.

 

http://penshotsandthoughts.blogspot.com/2015/06/early-history-of-paper-mate-part-2.html

[shadeone]

Nice! That's exactly what I was looking for!
Stumbled across this page with a good Papermate chronology as well:
https://munsonpens.wordpress.com/category/paper-mate-pens/

Too bad there isnt any Deluxe Papermates on the 'bay at the moment :-/

Edited December 4, 2015 by shadeone

[Zookie]

Hi there!

This is a great thread, lets keep it going!

I find myself collecting more and more ballpoints (don't use them much though), but am finding it difficult to find nice ones without advertising.

The most interesting for me are the "space age" designs.

I recently found a Scripto Satellite that I've been restoring. The cosmetics aren't too difficult, but getting it to write with the original refill is another matter.

[shadeone]

Zookie, I just obtained a Scripto Satellite as well! In that awesome "SeaFoam Green" that was oh-so-popular back then.
No refill inside though, so if you find anything that works as a replacement, let me know and I'll do the same!
The metal on mine is very dull, any suggestions as to a good polishing method?

[Zookie]

I've tried, and am still trying, different polishes on the metal. So far nothing. I'll keep trying.

As soon as the grandkids leave, I'll post some shots of the pen and refill.

Doug

[shadeone]

Nice! Here's mine with a couple other scripto ball pens:

 

And my first version papermate:

[Forsooth]

The Parker T-ball Jotter was popular. Introduced in mid-1950s.

[martinbir]

The BIC Cristal was introduced in December 1950. In the age of expensive pens this was to be a pen as cheap as a pencil and, like a pencil, you simply threw it away once used up. A truly revolutionary concept and a remarkable piece if industrial design celebrating its 65th anniversary.

 

I wouldn't mind a small wager that BICs were the biggest seller of the decade!

[shadeone]

Technically you are correct, but I guess I should have clarified "the US in the 1950s".
Bic didn't enter the US market until 1958.

[Zookie]

Here's an old advertisment that you might enjoy!

 

 

 

Collecting old ballpoints (even though they get little use) is FUN!

 

 

[Zookie]

By the way, I love the look of those Scripto pens and the two tone 50s colors.

I wonder if they came in pink/black?

[shadeone]

Nice!
I havent seen pink on any of the 50s pens except for the "Papermate Lady Capri"...

Papermate had a "Tu-Tone" with red and black in 1955 though!:
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img633/1250/auQyyC.jpg

[Zookie]

Here is a shot of my Satellite and another favorite of mine, an Eversharp "Big E". The Eversharp is from the early 60s, but I'm pretty sure that the design is from the late 50s, before Parker bought them out.

 

 

 

 

[Stephen2020]

I noticed a lot of 40s ballpoints had the same sort of conical refill front end as Bic Crystal, I wonder if they made a disposable version of an earlier pen?

 

I used to have a Paper Mate Tu-Tone, NOS with the original Paper Mate price sticker on. I put it on ebay hoping to get around £20, unfortunately I got a shockingly bad £1.20.

[shadeone]

I'm starting to think Papermate might be the winner here.
They seem to be one of the few companies that expanded their advertising to places other than just magazine and newspaper ads. They have a few television commercials if you look around youtube... I also found these matchbooks:

http://imageshack.com/a/img907/5587/e1DMie.jpg


On that note, if anyone knows where to get a nice Papermate Deluxe or Tu-Tone, let me know!

Edited December 10, 2015 by shadeone

[qvxb]

Ballpoint pens were expensive in the 1950s. Below is a table showing the suggested prices of some pens the year they were introduced and what they would cost today. I wasn't able to finds date for the Paper Mate 98 so I used 1959. The cost today was determined with the CPI Inflation Calculator. http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl

 

Pen. Date Cost ($). Cost Today ($)

 

Parker Jotter 1954 2.95 26.08

 

Paper Mate

Deluxe 1951 1.69 15.46

 

Paper Mate 98 1959 0.98 8.01

[Stephen2020]

This is something I would like to know, the dates of the 98, the two versions of the two button type. The first ones with plastic buttons and the second type with the metal buttons

[shadeone]

This is something I would like to know, the dates of the 98, the two versions of the two button type. The first ones with plastic buttons and the second type with the metal buttons

I cant seem to find any ads featuring the plastic buttoned 98...

The first ad I have in my archive with the more angluar top and the metal buttons is september of 1961 though.