National pencil collectors’ group meets in Trenton [St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.]

June 30--TRENTON, Mo. -- For most people, pencils rattle around in junk drawers, scatter loosely in backpacks and shake around in the bottom of purses.

But some people collect them by the thousands, viewing each one as a different treasure with a unique history and story.

This weekend, the Ketcham Community Center at North Central Missouri College is filled with people who collect pens and pencils. Members travel from all over to attend the American Pencil Collectors Society's bi-annual convention, showcase their collections and buy, sell and trade with other members.

Some members boast thousands of writing instruments in their collections. One member, Finn Sorenson, traveled from Denmark to attend this conference. He claims a collection of more than 400,000 pens and pencils, the largest in the world. Mr. Sorenson

"It's not something you can put in one word," Mr. Sorenson said. "There is the excitement of acquiring new pens for your collection.

"What excites me about a pen or a pencil is the different kinds of designs. I was always motivated to see if I could amass the biggest collection in the world, which I did."

Mr. Sorenson's favorites are what he calls "floaty pens." Each pen has an object inside that floats up and down the body of the pen as you turn it over. He has more than 30,000 floaty pens that he describes as "very artistically made."

On Saturday, there were regular wooden pencils handed out like business cards; pencils so big it's hard to imagine a practical use; pencils made out of bullet casings; and dozens of other types. Bullet pens are a favorite of Ron Dougan, the man who organized the 26th bi-annual convention.

Some of the collectors at the convention were salesmen, construction contractors and farmers who all found something of value in a cheap, common and small utensil used in everyday life. Some collectors, such as Mr. Dougan, were drawn to the hobby by just how common pencils were.

"I just love the history of them," Mr. Dougan said. "They could have come from anywhere."

Mr. Dougan said at his insurance business in Trenton, he had a whole drawer full of pencils from businesses from across the region. In 1981, he found another pencil collector who told him about the society's convention, so he packed his collection into a cigar box and headed there. He returned home with thousands more pencils.

Mr. Dougan estimates that only 36 members were in attendance Saturday, but there are more than 200 nationally in the society. The event continues today at the Ketcham center.

Ben Lawson can be reached at [email protected].

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