A "new" Parker 25 from 1977.

[Milbury]

This Christmas brought a Parker 25: its packaging was opened, once, in January of 1977, so that the date could be added to the guarantee card, and then resealed with a bit of sellotape. Since then it hasn't been opened and remained unused until I found it on eBay, a couple of months ago. It's a Mark 1—flat cap-top, breather hole in the nib, recessed plastic lining in the section—but a later Mark 1, I think, as it has a brass thread in the body, rather than steel. It has a fine nib, from what I can tell by writing with it (although I've now swapped it for the definitely fine nib which came with the Mark 0, which has better ink flow). Anyway, since I've not seen this packaging anywhere else online, I thought people here might like to see it.

 

[bitflogger]

24 minutes ago, Milbury said:

This Christmas brought a Parker 25: its packaging was opened, once, in January of 1977, so that the date could be added to the guarantee card, and then resealed with a bit of sellotape. Since then it hasn't been opened and remained unused until I found it on eBay, a couple of months ago. It's a Mark 1—flat cap-top, breather hole in the nib, recessed plastic lining in the section—but a later Mark 1, I think, as it has a brass thread in the body, rather than steel. It has a fine nib, from what I can tell by writing with it (although I've now swapped it for the definitely fine nib which came with the Mark 0, which has better ink flow). Anyway, since I've not seen this packaging anywhere else online, I thought people here might like to see it.

 

Very nice! I'm jealous.

[Milbury]

8 minutes ago, bitflogger said:

Very nice! I'm jealous.

It was just one of those weird moments when eBay suddenly turns up something just when you're looking. I figured that the least I could do is share the experience by taking some decent photographs.

[bsenn]

Very nice! I've had (maybe still have) that box, but I've never seen the rest of the packaging.

 

Brian

[Milbury]

3 minutes ago, bsenn said:

Very nice! I've had (maybe still have) that box, but I've never seen the rest of the packaging.

 

Brian

Thanks, Brian. I think the plastic box was used through a few iterations of the retail packaging: I've seen it elsewhere inside a white cardboard sleeve, rather than this glorious celebration of 70s futurism. I'm guessing that there was packaging for when they were stacked in shops, and some for when they were hung on a wire 'dispenser', like this one must have been in W.H. Smith (&Sons).