Seaside Themed Desk Pen Set.

[PaulS]

kitsch - an art form that appeals to the popular or uncultivated taste - which is probablyt a fair comment - but often winning fans in posterity (that's my bit), although if I wasn't a pen collector I wouldn't buy this - with or without the pens. ......... but I'm curious as to its origins - and it did come without the pens, unfortunately.

Date wise probably from somewhere in the '50s or early '60s - but does anyone know any more exact details about this lump - possibly country of origin and perhaps maker? I can't see any marks, and bearing in mind the material it's in very good condition.

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi Paul, et al,

 

I cannot tell you anything specific, but being a Jersey Boy, (by way of NY), and being pretty familiar with the Shore, I can tell you these ocean themed knick-knacks were sold in every trinket shop and variety store down the coast.

 

They weren't made by Sheaffer or the like; rather from no-name manufacturers based in the orient, (Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, etc., depending on the respective era); who also made the same thing in paper weights, snow globes, etc., etc.

 

The pens would be included, (typically cheap ball-points that wrote poorly). Depending on which decade they were sold in, the price varied from $1.98 to $5.98... I can recall seeing this - or ones similar to it - in places like Della's 5&10 in Cape May or as one of the available prizes in any of the shooting galleries up and down the Wildwood boardwalk well into the '80s. You would even run into these kind of things at the local K-marts down the shore... no personal interest to me at the time... just a photographic memory... and a lot of time spent down there in the summer months.

 

I think you have one of the earlier variants... you can see the epoxy has ambered considerably... when that was new; it would had been clear or a soft aqua/turquoise color.

 

Sorry I cannot say much regarding its current value, but those things were made in such quantities and over such an extended period of time... based on my personal experience... I don't know if it would be worth much today, especially without the original pens and the heavy ambering.

 

If my wife Kelly were still around, (May His Perpetual Light shine upon her), she probably could have given you a dissertation on it... she was heavy into collectables and antiques... she even got me into patent medicine bottles for a while... not too many weekends went by that weren't spent driving to the hinterlands of Cape May, Cumberland, Salem, Atlantic and Ocean Counties in South Jersey, looking for lost and forgotten treasures.

 

Too bad I didn't have the fp bug back then... I probably overlooked some real treasures lurking in the rubble of lost civilizations. South Jersey is a great place for old bottle collectors... they had quite a significant glass industry down there at one time.

 

Be well and enjoy life.

 

 

- Anthony

[PaulS]

thanks for your interesting reply Anthony - as you saw, I did start out with the word kitsch, which it very clearly is. Time was I'd have walked past an item like this, but knowing how some once cheap and nasty period pieces suddenly become desirable, I thought I'd give it a home - with a sort of 'you never know, this could be worth some shekels" notion.

I seem to remember that certain Colibri table lighters were made with this epoxy/acrylic type base containing small fish, which are now quite collectible.

You've depressed me , suggesting that the contents would have been biros, rather than f.ps. - I found a nice Sheaffer marble based desk set recently, together with its pen, so mistakenly assumed this one might also have had f.ps.

In fact I think the amber may have been deliberate - possibly attempting to replicate the sandy bottom of the bay - it covers the bottom fifth or quarter of the block only - the remainder is still a very clear epoxy/acrylic, so possibly hasn't deteriorated as might be thought ............ probably my photography at fault.

Never mind, it is most definitely pen related so I shall keep for the time being of a reminder of the lack of good taste that we enjoyed in our youth.

 

I also did some dump digging some decades ago - unfortunately, I think all the dumps had been done by the time I got to them - and like you I wasn't collecting pens at that time - it was books and early glass. I hate to think of the pens that I must have disregarded - they'd be worth thousands now

[DipIt]

It exposes my roots but I find it charming. Maybe a platinum "carbon" desk pen or some such would fit? I think Anthony gave a good assessment. I live on the left coast USA and recall seeing things like this in coastal gift shops even into the 1960's.

[pajaro]

I lived most of my life in coastal parts of Florida, and Gulf Breeze had a great shell shop with similar items. I like this type of desk base. Here in Michigan I won't find anything nice like that. It's a touristÿ item. Just seeing that picture brought up pleasant memories of beaches. I like desk pens and bases, andI like a nice base like that more than the usual cliche bases. Nice find! Thanks for sharing it.

[PaulS]

thanks for those comments - at least it appears to confirm my original suggestion of date, and Anthony's comment that most similarly styled pieces of tourist/seaside gifts originated in the Far East is no doubt correct - they were also sold here in the U.K. and as a youngster I remember seeing them in my own seaside home town, in the 1950s. I will keep an eye out for something suitable - but not 'Sheaffer or the like'.

[ParkerDuofold]

thanks for your interesting reply Anthony - as you saw, I did start out with the word kitsch, which it very clearly is. Time was I'd have walked past an item like this, but knowing how some once cheap and nasty period pieces suddenly become desirable, I thought I'd give it a home - with a sort of 'you never know, this could be worth some shekels" notion.

I seem to remember that certain Colibri table lighters were made with this epoxy/acrylic type base containing small fish, which are now quite collectible.

You've depressed me , suggesting that the contents would have been biros, rather than f.ps. - I found a nice Sheaffer marble based desk set recently, together with its pen, so mistakenly assumed this one might also have had f.ps.

In fact I think the amber may have been deliberate - possibly attempting to replicate the sandy bottom of the bay - it covers the bottom fifth or quarter of the block only - the remainder is still a very clear epoxy/acrylic, so possibly hasn't deteriorated as might be thought ............ probably my photography at fault.

Never mind, it is most definitely pen related so I shall keep for the time being of a reminder of the lack of good taste that we enjoyed in our youth.

 

I also did some dump digging some decades ago - unfortunately, I think all the dumps had been done by the time I got to them - and like you I wasn't collecting pens at that time - it was books and early glass. I hate to think of the pens that I must have disregarded - they'd be worth thousands now

Hi Paul,

 

I wouldn't worry about classifying it... if it strikes a chord in you, that's all that counts... whether it's a $2 souvenir ash tray from Brighton or a Ming vase... all that matters is that it resonates with you.

 

That stand could be worth a fortune... as I said, I really do not know, but knowing how many of those things were knocked out... I had my doubts... but stranger things have happened... I've actually been wrong before.

 

I guess your lighting is off or something... because from your pic, it does look like universal ambering is going on there. Don't sweat it... I'm a valedictorian graduate of the school of "black and what" photography.

 

I think Dipit's idea is a good one... I'd get a couple of those Pilot or Platinum desk pens and enjoy it for what it is.

 

Yeah, I know... well, there's no point in crying over our yesterday's and what we messed up or missed out on... all we can do is look forward to tomorrow... when we'll have new things to cry about that we messed up today... or something like that.

 

Be well and enjoy life... and enjoy that pen rest.

 

 

- Anthony