This is the stuff of eBay. These are BRAND NEW Bic Cristal SOFT ballpoint pens with fresh, creamy ink. I have no idea where they were made, possibly prototype Bic Cristal pens that were never mass produced.
First of all, these are FUN to use! The hexagonal barrel feels nostalgic in your hand because it was designed by inventor Marcel Bich in 1950 to mimic the look and feel of a pencil. He dropped the "H" from his name because it sounded too much like a French cussword, hired the top designers, artists and advertising pros, and sold the first disposable dependable ballpoint pen in 1953.
In Journalism School (CARLETON), we were taught that if alien visitors came to observe how technologically advanced we are, they would not need to examine a smartphone or computer. They could tell from the incredible precision involved in engineering the metal ball in a Bic Cristal pen.
THE INK IS CREAMY and LUXURIOUS
So these nostalgic blasts from the past will take you back to your youth. Anytime you pick one up and marvel at its simplicity, whatever you write becomes magical. They even perked me up when I signed into the Los Angeles Mens Central Jail. (It only happened twice, okay???)
The real reason I collect 40-year-old BIC pens and retrofit them with brand new BIC cartridge refills is because - like all antiques - they make you feel young again by recreating moments from your youth.
These rare specimens have been heat-sealed in 3 mil. plastic sleeves and are guaranteed factory-fresh until you cut them open.
UPDATE.... UPDATE.... UPDATE.... I've just been informed by my Bic friends in the U.K. that these rich inks are indeed available in various European centers.
So they're not really rare, just never available in the U.S... unless you order from me.
No ghastly gouging International Shipping rates or customs fees/tariffs.
