Most people just want a pen that works. There are others who want more subtlety from a writing experience...and then there are those, like 33 year old Michele Smith of Abingdon, for whom the addiction goes further. Michele loves pens with movement and has spent the last 21 years assembling a wonderful collection of so-called floaty pens. 

Michele has over 2,000 almost mint water/oil or float pens, which contain an object that moves up and down when you tilt the pen upside down. Many come from the Netherlands and the United States and contain ships or planes that travel down the pen's barrel. One features a naughty Betty Boop who's bathing suit comes off when you turn her upside down, while another, one of Michele's favourites has inside a plastic salamander that remains stationary, while the sand surrounding it moves through the pen. 

Michele was 12 years old when she wanted to bring home a souvenir from her visit to the German Phantasieland. That souvenir was a 'moving' pen. That was the start of her collection. Now, almost her entire house stands in token of her pens. The mantel shows a mini-exposition of about 30 special samples. 'Most people just want a pen that writes' says Michele, 'but for me those moving pictures are fascinating'. 

"Nowadays, I use the Internet a lot," she explains. 
"You can buy the silliest pens. You have to draw the line somewhere and I considered  $20 for a pen where Monica Lewinsky crawls on her knees to Clinton much too expensive! Some floaty pens are bad quality, too. These are often Chinese and I don't buy those, either, as the pictures fade, the pens don't write well and they often leak....."

Since Michele discovered the Internet, she has not only doubled her collection, but she has also made a lot of new friends and has a scrapbook album filled with downloaded pictures and email from fellow collectors and their collections. 

Michele now plans a Millennium trip to America . Is it time to visit all those other collectors from far away? She laughs: "I would like to, but this is going to be a real holiday."

What's the betting she comes home with a few more pens for her collection carefully swaddled in her suitcase?

Join the gang

Thinking of starting your own 'floaty pen' collection? A few helpful collector's terms are listed below:

Anatomy 

• Float Portion... the window portion that houses the floating object
• Barrel... the portion that houses the refill
• Band or Belly Band ... metal band that separates the barrel from the float portion 
• Clip... metal piece that allows the pen to clip to a shirt pocket 
• Tip... small plastic tip positioned at the top of the pen 
• Corrugated tip... found at the bottom of the pen. Retracts/extends the ballpoint 
• Floater... the moving object or image that actually floats within the pen 
• Caption Panel... the back panel, or outside panel of the pen that includes the caption, a company name or message 
• Picture Panel... the front panel where the picture is found or object is viewed 
• Window... the clear area that allows you to view the scene or object inside the pen 
• Foreground... images placed on the front inside of the window 
• Background... or wallpaper found behind the moving object 

• Classic Retractable... in a typical float pen, the ballpoint is exposed by twisting a corrugated tip found at the bottom of the pens' barrel. 
• Clicker style... press the button at the top of the pen to extend/retract the ballpoint 
• Key chain pen... ballpoint does not retract. Point slips into a plastic cap for cover.  This item is also found suspended from a necklace cord. 
• Twist N Click... Twist the barrel and the ballpoint clicks into position 
• Mechanical pencil... chrome tip at bottom (old version) 

• Photoramic ®... (a registered trademark of American manufacturer Eskesen) 
• The moving image within the pen is made of a photo slide material and placed in a track that allows it to glide down the barrel. 
• Conceal/Reveal... an image is visible, but with the tip of the hand, sections...
• or even the entire image seems to disappear! Tip N Strips are a clear example. 
• Object... pens which have an object(s) floating freely inside the barrel. Confetti, 
• beads, plastic charms, shells, and other natural materials are commonly used. 
• Glitter... usually have a clear window with glitter as the moving object. 
• Some are very plain and simple, others include graphics, or the glitter floats over a background panel. 

Other Float Products: these items are harder to find 

• Bottle opener... metal opener with float portion as handle 
• Key chains... the float portion of a pen is suspended from key chain ring 
• Letter opener... clear plastic blade with handle as float portion 
• Lighter... 1998 Scripto lighter incorporating the float portion of a pen. 
• Pen necklace ... float portion of pen suspended on neck cord 
• Pen & Ruler combo... float pen snaps into portion of plastic ruler 
• Screw drivers... metal blade with float portion utilised as handle 
• Tooth brushes.... handle is the float portion