I think most of us have bought a pen or pencil that seemed perfect. It fit the hand, wrote smoothly and easily, and had an appearance that fit the personal style and need. Then, POOF! it's gone. Sadly, through the years it's happened to me more times than I can write down. I love writing instruments, and I'm in the business of selling them, so the chances of being disappointed by the sudden disappearance of a beloved pen or pencil is relatively high.

That doesn't mean it's less frustrating. In fact, at times I've been downright irate. Luckily, I know how to track down any remaining stock of my favorites. But let's face it, sometimes they are just, well, GONE.

When we began to talk about upgrading our old website, one of the ideas we had was to take stock that was left after the manufacturer discontinued it and offer it at a reduced price in a special section. That way, if you are looking for an old friend, and you can't find it in the main category section, you can check out the Close Out section to see if it's there. 

So many people think that close out means damaged or low on shelf life. That isn't the case here. If it's damaged, we note that so you can expect both a better price and a workable item. As for shelf life, if it's dying in the box, we usually throw it out. Most of the products are simply not being manufactured anymore and they need to be used and enjoyed while they last. I personally bought a case of my favorite Apex pens when they were removed from the line. I still have a bunch, and I'm happily writing the Great American Novel with them. 

Here's a hint on how to know if your pen is going to be useful: If it's been gone for three years, it probably won't serve you for more than a couple of days. Ink separates and dries--especially the gel products. Before buying, call the manufacturer and ask when the product was discontinued. Usually they have been manufactured within 3-6 months before that, but not always. Sometimes it's just a product that never sold and has been sitting more than a year. 

Sometimes a pen will be redesigned--like the Papermate Expresso. Ten years ago it was a popular porous point pen. It came in sizes and was easy to read. Then...doom. However, the tip-- which was the popular part-- was put inside a Flair barrel and voila! The best of both worlds. 

If you can't find a pen made by Papermate, Uniball, Parker, Waterman or Sanford, give us a call and we'll try to help track it down. If it doesn't exist, we'll look for something comparable. We enjoy matching people with the pens they love. We're at 800-970-7367.