Sharpies

[Raylenth]

I'd email SM about this but thought I might get a quicker response here. Does anyone know if there is a particular type of Sharpies that SM use at the shows? I've brought myself a set of the fine point metallic permanent Sharpies http://www.ryman.co.uk/sharpie-metallic-permanent-marker-pack-of-3 but wondered if these are the same ones as they don't seem to write exactly the same - maybe it's just because they are new though. I presume they are the same.

 

Any assistance will be greatfully recieved!

 

Thank you.

[Queen_Sindel]

That should be the ones, yes.

 

I bought new ones for my Disneyland trip last month and they were definitely different to the ones I used for Disneyland Paris in spring. At first I thought maybe the heat in California had got to them, but as you are spotting differences as well maybe something in the fabrication process changed.

[nvirtue]

They are the same ones that showmasters have on their tables. The only issue with the metallic Sharpies is that it is just so difficult to know if and when (because they will) give you bother. It is not so bad on desk photos because if the pen doesn't write very well on the photo then the guest could just sign another photo. But if you have your own personal item you want signed then it is always difficult to know what kind of metallic pen to use. You can buy the paint marker pens which tend to look great but there is a chance of failure to write or a massive splodge on your item.

Personally I tend to buy these Sharpies you have for any event that is coming up and then just throw the Sharpie away afterwards. They can dry out which is frustrating and that is why they are only really good for one or a couple of events.

The metallics look great when they come out good but it can be so frustrating at times.

[mr fagan]

I use normal pack of sharpies you can buy from staples or wh smiths. I use the retractable ones so you don't have to worry about the top of the pen being lost or left on the table especially in the rush and furore with a guest if you have multiple items. I have had some great comments from guests about being prepared for the show (by this time they have seen my set of ten assorted colour sharpies) And the colours are good too. Just wish the company would make their metallic pens retractable. My Chronicles book has been signed over the years in black blue silver gold but only the emperor has signed it in red. Basically the colour of the item determines the choice of colour of pen you use. My Neve McIntosh photo signed in berry pen on a white background really stands out and it matches the colour of the dress she was in on the pic. Hope this helps anyway.

[Raylenth]

Thanks QS and Nvirtue -they aren't writing really badly, I tried them all out on an unused gloss 8x10 and they were coming out with a bit of a thicker line at the top, a gap and a smaller line, a bit like the ink was laying to either side of the nib but were the nib was it had erased itself if tha makes sense. I may just try to break them in a bit more and i'll take a look at the paint marker ones as well.

[Raylenth]

Thanks Tony. This lookslike it could be complicated - I've looked the paint pens up and they have oil and water based ones!

[Queen_Sindel]

Paint pens are great, but they take quite a long time to dry. Or maybe it's the brand I got hold of.

[nvirtue]

I bought Letraset Metallic markers, they didn't need to have the nib pressed down or shaken. I thought they were brilliant and then I discovered that the pen would just rub off any photos or glossy items so easily.

It can be so frustrating looking for pens.

[enrohm1963]

WH Smiths do a really good Silver and Gold set of permanent sharpie type pens. Really good for darker photos.

[bonniesrg]

Wilkinson's have the triple pack of gold/silver/bronze.

[Zagreus]

Does anyone else have issues with the silver Sharpies? I bought a single silver pen from WH Smiths and it dried up after only a few uses. I then bought a couple of triple packs from ebay (gold/silver/bronze) and the silver in both packs dried up after just a couple of uses. I bought a third triple pack, and opened it the night before Comic Con, but the following day it was dried up. Not used once, opened less than 24 hours earlier. Now, I should point out that I keep all the sharpies together and the gold and bronze are absolutely fine and I'm still using the ones from the first pack I bought. I don't keep them anywhere they would dry out especially fast. Is this a known issue? Showmasters never seem to have this issue with their pens, and having a brand new pen be useless is just crazy.

I emailed Sharpie customer service asking whether this was a known problem, but they were no help at all and just said "if you have a problem with one of our items, take it up with the seller you got it from." I wasn't asking for a refund, just whether this was known to them and if silver pens need to be cared for differently, but they seemed to take this defensive attitude in their reply. So that's four silver sharpies bought and probably less than ten autographs in total by them, so I've given up using them. As was said earlier, when you're getting your own item signed, you need to know it's going to do the job. Plus the embarassment of it failing with a celebrity is not something you want to have happen over and over.

[Queen_Sindel]

*raises hand*

 

And I thought I was doing something wrong.

[Narlth]

I have this problem with silver ones too! I have two and neither of them have ever worked, and now one of my gold ones has given up and I haven't used it very much.

[Raylenth]

After an extensive search around where I live, well 3 shops, I can't find any so I've ordered a paint pen on line and will report on what it's like when I get it!

[Raylenth]

Well I can report that the Gold Sharpie paint pen is completely useless and will be going in the bin. Held and used as a pen it leave a mild impression of ink on a picture but not in a nice way, it looks like it's running out, it starts firmish and runs out very quickly, not what you want for a nice bold signature. Held upright and with the nib firmly pushed down the paint does flow out, flowing too strongly though leaving solid lines of paint that are thick and runny and sludge brown rather than gold.

 

I did manage to get one good gold coloured line but I really wouldn't take it to a signing as it's more hassle than it's worth.

[showmasters]

we pay out literally £1000s on pens a year its just incredible :-0

 

they do dry up but the sharpies are the best and we have seen over the years they make and do not fade so we feel its best to pay the money for them and we do not use other pens

 

jason

[TerraHawk]

we pay out literally £1000s on pens a year its just incredible :-0

 

they do dry up but the sharpies are the best and we have seen over the years they make and do not fade so we feel its best to pay the money for them and we do not use other pens

 

jason

You should tell the guests not to press down so hard with the silver and gold pens, they'd last longer and the result look better then.

[showmasters]

You can tell people lots of thing but getting them to listen is another thing intierlay :-)

 

One or two guests have even been know to take pens home with them

 

its a bleed that happens and part of the costs but it dose really add up :-/

 

jason

[keithporter23]

From memory, the gold and silver Sharpies must be stored a certain way. I think i read somewhere when the pens are not in use, they should always be stored vertically with the nib down, to stop them drying out.

 

I highly recommend the paint pens if you can track them down; they give a great contrast, especially on a dark writing surface.

[Raylenth]

Maybe I just got a dud paint pen or should give it a few more goes to see if the problem work out. I have stored them all nib down to stop them drying.

[D4vem88]

In the summer Billy Dee Williams used a silver sharpie on my Star Wars poster and it was starting to dry up, his response was "this pen is crap". Pretty much summed it up. We got there in the end though.

My own personal silver sharpie wasn't very good as soon as I got it out the pack, I thought maybe that's just how it was.

[GinfromGA]

From memory, the gold and silver Sharpies must be stored a certain way. I think i read somewhere when the pens are not in use, they should always be stored vertically with the nib down, to stop them drying out.

 

I highly recommend the paint pens if you can track them down; they give a great contrast, especially on a dark writing surface.

We store our metallic Sharpies nib-down and have never had a problem - I think we've had our set for a year.

 

Paint pens can splodge; we had a photograph ruined at LFCC this summer when the guest used a gold paint pen (not ours, she just used the pen she was holding after signing a framed print) - she pressed down on the photo, which left a splodge....Unfortunately, we had already had the photo signed by another guest at an earlier con, so it was now pretty worthless 😞

 

SM pit boss Ally was brilliant, though; we spoke to the crew member who was working with the guest (can't remember her name - might have been Kate), who sent us to Ally. They arranged for us to get a new picture signed - not the same one, but we are glad that it was sorted 😀

 

Paint pens are good on glass, metal, wood, plastic etc, but not the best on photos....