About Vintage Collectible Ballpoint Pens

Ballpoint pens were invented in the 1940s, although earlier efforts to design them dated back to the 1800s. By the 1950s they'd become standard technology, displacing the traditional fountain pen. Ballpoint pens dispense their ink via the rolling action of a small metal sphere or ball at the tip, rather than a nib.

At the end of World War Two, Eversharp produced one of the first commercial ballpoint pens, called the Eversharp CA for capillary action. Reynolds followed suit with a ballpoint pen called the Reynolds Rocket. These two pens were sold for the same price as high-end fountain pens, and both failed because they had problems with leaking...

Just when it seemed the prospects for ballpoint pens were dim, around 1950, Marcel Bich pioneered a very inexpensive ballpoint, the Bic Crystal. It was a self-contained disposable ballpoint pen that became the genesis of the Bic pen company.

Suddenly, every major pen company (Sheaffer, Parker, etc.) that wanted to survive had to come out with a ballpoint pen. Thereafter, ballpoints came in two varieties: inexpensive writing instruments and higher-end fashion statements and gift items (e.g. Cross and Parker ballpoints).

About our sources | Got something to add?

▼ Continue reading

Post an Event

Upcoming Events

See all 8 Pens events


Interviews & Articles

An Interview With Vintage Fountain Pen Collector Jim Mamoulides

When I got my first job out of college, I did what a lot of people do: I ran out and bought myself a Montblanc pen … [more]

Guest Column: Collecting The Parker 51, A Classic Vintage Pen

The Parker "51," produced by the Parker Pen Company, is considered by many collectors to be the best pen ever made.… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Parker51.com

Parker51.com

Ernesto Soler's extensive homage to one of the most popular pens ever produced, the Parker "51," introduced in 1941… [read review or visit site]

Penhero.com

Penhero.com

Jim Mamoulides' vintage and modern pen-cyclopedia. Start at the main gallery, featuring detailed articles (with pho… [read review or visit site]

1001 Ink Bottles

1001 Ink Bottles

This site has lots of great photos and descriptions of rare vintage ink bottles. In particular, check out the Water… [read review or visit site]


Got a site to suggest? Let us know.




Clubs & Associations: Pens


Discussion Forums: Pens


Other Great Reference Sites: Pens

Are we missing one? Tell us.

Top eBay Auctions  Help | Get weekly Ballpoint Pens email

Sorted by        
Montblanc Meisterstuck Charles Dickens Set Buy it Now$1,025 Ends in 19 hours 8 bids 7 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstuck Agatha Ballpoint Sealed Box Buy it Now$860.00 Ends in 22 hours 6 bids 18 watchers
Montblanc 1924 Ltd Anniversary 146 Fountain Pen M Rare$830.00 Ends Thursday 3 bids 21 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstuck Marcel Proust Ballpoint Buy it Now$710.01 Ends in 22 hours 7 bids 19 watchers
New Mont Blanc Ingrid Bergman La Donna F/p (m) 104905$629.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 5 watchers
Montblanc Marcel Proust Ball Point Pen$510.10 Ends in 22 hours 6 bids 34 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstuck Solitaire Nikolai Ball Point$495.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 10 watchers
Mont Blanc Ernest Hemingway Collectible Ball Point Pen$445.00 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 11 watchers
Montblanc Ramses Ii Ballpoint Lapis Lazuli Silver Gold$400.00 Ends Tuesday 13 bids 28 watchers
Montblanc Czar Nikolai Ballpoint Pen {not The Mozart}$360.00 Ends Sunday 9 bids 15 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstuck Voltaire Mechanical Pencil Buy it Now$350.00 Ends in 22 hours 7 bids 10 watchers
Cartier Gold Millennium Perpetual Calendar Clock Pen $311.00 Ends Tuesday 9 bids 20 watchers
Cartier - Constellation Limited Edition Ballpoint Pen$305.00 Ends Monday 2 bids 5 watchers
St Dupont Pen & Pencil$280.00 Ends in 10 hours 1 bid
Montblanc Ramses Ii Roller Ball Buy it Now$260.05 Ends in 21 hours 3 bids 10 watchers
Original Montblanc Meisterstuck 925 S Silver Pen$250.00 Ends Monday 8 bids 11 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstuck Solitare Silver Ag 925$250.00 Ends in 23 hours 1 bid 9 watchers
Montblanc 75th Anniversary 164 Ballpoint Pen Brand New$247.50 Ends Monday 9 bids 7 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstuck Ballpoint Sterling Silver Cap$237.50 Ends in 2 hours 4 bids 13 watchers
Must De Cartier Silver Ballpoint Pen From 1989 Rare$232.75 Ends in 6 hours 21 bids 13 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstuck Classique Pen Set In Box Buy it Now$227.50 Ends Thursday 3 bids 6 watchers
Montblanc Solitaire Solid 925 Silver Ballpoint Pen Rare$226.74 Ends Thursday 15 bids 49 watchers
Authentic Montblanc Meisterstuck Pen & Mech. Pencil Set$220.27 Ends in 3 hours 15 bids 24 watchers
Montblanc Stainless Steel Ii Meisterstuck Pen Mint!!$214.64 Ends in 4 hours 10 bids 12 watchers
Mont Blanc Meisterstruck Sterling Silver Pen .925$213.50 Ends Monday 14 bids 13 watchers
Must De Cartier 18k Gold +blue Rollerball Pen 1988 +box$207.22 Ends in 6 hours 18 bids 24 watchers
Louis Cartier Limited Edition Silver Ballpoint Pen 1999$205.72 Ends Thursday 21 bids 22 watchers
Brand New! Montblanc Starwalker Dou?? Ballpoint$200.00 Ends Tuesday 17 bids 13 watchers
Omas "360 African Ebony, 925 Silver" Roller Ball Rb Pen$198.21 Ends in 2 hours 14 bids 19 watchers
Montblanc Mont Blanc Boheme Noir Black Ballpoint Bp Pen$180.00 Ends in 11 hours 4 bids 14 watchers
Montblanc Miguel De Cervantes Limited Mint In Box $170.00 Ends in 19 hours 7 bids 8 watchers
Montblanc Starwalker Ball Point Pen New Mont Blanc $162.50 Ends Tuesday 9 bids 15 watchers
Montblanc Meisterst??ck Roller Ball Brand New Mont Blanc$152.70 Ends in 51 mins 14 bids 12 watchers
Mont Blanc Matching Ballpoint Pen And Pencil Set$152.50 Ends Thursday 3 bids 8 watchers
Nice Montblanc Boheme Green Jewel Pen$152.50 Ends in 5 hours 4 bids 21 watchers
St Dupont Olympio Diamond Heads-pallad. Fountain Pen -m$152.50 Ends Saturday 12 bids 19 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstucke Doue Pen$150.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 6 watchers
New Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Bordeaux Ball Point Pen$134.49 Ends Thursday 6 bids 6 watchers
Visconti Wall Street Fountain Pen In Green, M(new!!!)$133.61 Ends Tuesday 8 bids 20 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstuck 161 Le Grand Ballpoint Pen$132.50 Ends in 6 hours 9 bids 18 watchers
Must De Cartier Ltd Edition 18k Gold Ballpoint Pen$130.64 Ends Thursday 14 bids 22 watchers
Older Montblanc Meisterstuck W.germany Ball Point Pen$128.50 Ends in 4 hours 14 bids 12 watchers
Montblanc Mont Blanc Starwalker Pen Vr3143429 Blue$127.50 Ends in 4 hours 6 bids 45 watchers
New Montblanc Meisterstuck Black Ballpoint Model 164 $127.50 Ends Wednesday 12 bids 12 watchers
Montblanc Meisterstuck Pen Mint Condition$125.00 Ends Saturday 1 bid 4 watchers
Montblanc Bordeaux Retired Classique Ballpoint Pen- Nib$125.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 5 watchers
Large Montblanc Meisterstuck Ballpoint Ball Pen.$123.13 Ends in 1 hour 14 bids 27 watchers
Louis Vuitton Ballpoint - Very Nice - Excellent$113.61 Ends Friday 2 bids 9 watchers
Vintage Must De Cartier Ballpoint Pen $113.50 Ends in 3 hours 5 bids 8 watchers
Brand New Meisterstuck Mont Blanc 14k Gold$113.50 Ends in 17 hours 2 bids 3 watchers
Parker Sterling Silver Duofold Ball Pen-nice!$112.50 Ends Wednesday 13 bids 11 watchers
Montblanc 88 Ballpoint Pen Goldplated$110.00 Ends in 16 mins 5 bids 6 watchers
Must De Cartier 18k Gold Ballpoint Pen From 1984 Rare$106.61 Ends Sunday 8 bids 10 watchers
18k Yellow G.f. Mont Blanc Meisterstruck Ballpoint Pen$106.50 Ends Thursday 4 bids 14 watchers
New In Box Mont Blanc Montblanc Starwalker Felt Pen $103.50 Ends Saturday 5 bids 5 watchers
Parker Duofold Check Green Ball Point Pen "no Reserve"$103.50 Ends Monday 15 bids 7 watchers
Mont Blanc Platinum Generation Ballpoint 13419 Pen *new$102.71 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 13 watchers

»» Get our weekly Ballpoint Pens email
Right now on eBay