You’ve seen these: the pens with a fluid reservoir in the top half, in which floats a bus, building or animal that represents the tourist attraction or locality best.  These pens are available at many tourist attractions and souvenir shops, and they are a lot of fun. The back of the fluid reservoir is decorated with the location and the floating item is usually iconic. A pen for the Everglades would show a swamp and the float would be an alligator. A pen for New York City would show the skyline and the float could be the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, a subway car or the “I (heart) NY” emblem. The pen for the Grand Canyon would show the canyon and the float might be a hawk drifting in air currents over it.

Commercial entities have gotten in on the act, and now have give-away floatie pens.

Whatever the background or the float, these pens are fun. Collecting them is fun, and in the grand scheme of things, they are not expensive. From the gift shop, these run from $3 to $6. A lot for a pen, but these are floatie pens! They are also available after-market on Ebay and other after-market locations: second-hand stores, flea markets, etc.

Unlike snowglobes, these pens do not seem to lose fluid. My pens all still have a full reservoir. How 50-60 years may effect them I cannot say, as they have not been in existence that long. But I have had some of mine for at least 15 years and there is no sign of evaporation yet. In connection to that, buy pens in which there are no air bubbles, if there is a choice. Unlike snow globes, air is not needed or desirable.

* * * Consider collecting beanie kids for fun (and maybe profit someday). * * *

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