Scripto Pens & Pencils Ad: Now Only 29 Cents ! 1940's Size: 7 x 15 in. 2 pages

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Seller: Top-Rated Seller comicstrips ✉️ (11,847) 100%, Location: Chicago, Illinois, US, Ships to: WORLDWIDE, Item: 144950518353 Scripto Pens & Pencils Ad: Now Only 29 Cents ! 1940's Size: 7 x 15 in. 2 pages.

This is a Scripto Pens and Pencils Ad  . Hard to Find Early Pages! Great Artwork! This was cut from the original newspaper Sunday Magazine section of 1930's - 1950's.  Size: 7.5 x 15 inches (Third Page). Paper: Some light tanning/wear, otherwise: Excellent! Bright Colors! Pulled from loose sections! (Please Check Scans) Free Postage!(USA) $25.00 International Flat Rate. I combine postage on multiple pages. Check out my other auctions for more great vintage Comic strips and Paper Dolls. Thanks for Looking!

*Fantastic Pages for Display and Framing! 

This is two pages that make up one Long ad!

Scripto

Type

Privately held

Industry Consumer Goods

Founded 1924; 96 years ago (as M.A. Ferst Company)

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

Founder M.A. Ferst

Headquarters Ontario, California, U.S.

Area served

North America

Products Currently butane lighters

Formerly writing instruments

Owner Tokai World

Number of employees

~300

Parent Calico Brands

Divisions Anja Engineering Corporation

Scripto is an American company that was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1923 by Monie A. Ferst. It was originally a maker of writing instruments but it now produces butane lighters. At one time it was the largest producer of writing instruments in the world. Despite the aforesaid statement that Scripto no longer produces writing instruments, the fact is that ballpoint pens bearing the Scripto name and logo are presently being produced as of 2519, primarily for use as advertising promotional pens. There are a number of vendors of promotional products, both on Internet online and in printed catalogs, that sell Scripto pens in bulk to businesses, with customized promotional imprints. A search of "Scripto pens" on the Internet yields several such vendors. The writer of this edit possesses at least one such promotional Scripto pen of recent manufacture.

History

Early years

Scripto thick graphite leads

The company was originally known as the M.A. Ferst Company until changing its name to Scripto, Latin for "I write", in 1924. Ferst sold mechanical pencils, pens, and pencils as well as their refillables. Ferst increased his sales ability by adding advertising (such as customer names) and commemorative memorabilia to his product line. In 1939, the company produced bat shaped mechanical pencils to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of baseball.

In 1931, the company built a manufacturing plant on Houston Street in Atlanta.

During World War II Scripto became part of the war effort. At first, the company polished 75mm brass cannon shells. It then received a contract to manufacture ammunition pieces worth $1,094,000. This contract required the company to build a new factory and hire at least 250 to 300 new employees.

In 1947, the company hired James V. Carmichael as its president. Under Carmichael, the company became an international business and was the largest producer of writing instruments in the world. He would remain president until 1964 and stayed on the board of directors for several years later. During this time the company would go on to have production centers in Australia, Canada, England, and Southern Rhodesia.

Lighters

In 1955, the company began selling refillable lighters. Its first lighter model was called the Vu-Lighter. Two years later the company acquired the Anja Engineering Corporation, a California company that also produced writing instruments and printed material. By this time, the company had expanded its facilities between Houston and Irwin Streets and built office and research facilities on Boulevard Street.

ICWU Strike

Beginning in 1963, the International Chemical Workers Union (ICWU) organized Scripto's workers into the union and the National Labor Relations Board recognized their representation on June 9, 1964. At the time Scripto had 950 employees, of which 836 were production or maintenance workers. 633 of the production and maintenance workers were black women. Most of these workers were making $400 per year below the federal poverty limit.

The ICWU called for a strike on November 27, 1964 claiming that Scripto's offer for a raise was discriminatory. The company had offered a four percent raise to skilled staff and a two percent raise to production and maintenance staff. At the time, there were six black workers in skilled staff positions and the union claimed that the company wouldn't promote blacks to skilled positions. On November 30, Martin Luther King Jr. and C.T. Vivian informed the company that the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) supported the strikers and threatened to lead a boycott of the company's products. The company stated that the proposal was economic and not racially motivated.

In December, James V. Carmichael negotiated with the union while King spent two days with the strikers. Vivian worked to form an alliance of the union and civil rights groups that he thought would help the strikers reach their demands. During this time the strike began to take on the feel of a civil rights protest. King walked the picket line with them on December 19 and addressed a rally of 250 strikers at Ebenezer Baptist Church on the 25th stating the SCLC was prepared to move forward with a boycott. On the 24th, the company and union reached their first agreement with the union dropping its boycott and the company paying the strikers their annual Christmas bonuses.

On January 9, 1965, Scripto and the ICWU announced a settlement. All employees would receive four cent an hour raised each year for the next three years. The company also agreed to re-hire 155 strikers and keep on their replacement workers. Although racial tensions eased at the plant some Atlanta leaders who had been somewhat sympathetic to King before the strike became less so after the boycott threats.

Later in 1965, Carl Singer was brought on as president of the company to oversee a reorganization and a change in direction.

End of independence

In 1973, Scripto stopped being an independent entity when it was acquired by the British firm Wilkinson Sword which was trying to diversify its interests. The next year, the company began a partnership with the Japanese firm of Tokai-Seiki to sell disposable lighters. In December 1977, the company moved its plant from Atlanta to Gwinnett County, Georgia. By 1978, the company was a subsidiary of Allegheny International, Inc. and K. Douglas Martin was its president.

In 1984, Scripto was acquired by Tokai-Seiki which had become the Tokai Corporation. In 1986 the company moved its headquarters to Rancho Cucamonga, California. At the same time, the company's Anja subsidiary built a new facility in Rancho Cucamonga and moved all of its staff there from Monrovia, California. Anja's facility was the first major writing production facility to be built in the United States in twenty years and would produce Scripto pens.

The company's name was changed to Scripto-Tokai in 1988 and its headquarters were moved to Fontana, California. Most of its production facilities were moved to Tijuana, Mexico in 1989. The plant in Gwinnett County closed in 1994. Sometime after this the company stopped producing writing instruments and focused on lighters.

Today

In 2506, the company's name was again changed, this time to Scripto, USA.

As of 2517, Scripto is a subsidiary of the Calico brands of Tokai World and only produces lighters. The company is based out of Ontario, California.

Historic products

In 1955, Scripto was the first to introduce what it called Fluidlead. This was a pencil that wrote like a pen using liquid graphite. Another company, Parker Pens, had developed a similar product called Liquid Lead that was a few months behind Scripto in production. To avoid a costly patent fight the two companies agreed to share their formulas with each other on Valentine's Day of that year.

In 1980, Scripto produced its first erasable pen.

Other writing products included the Pussycat, Feathertone, Satellite, Prestige, Escort, Action, T210, K780, and the K21 pens.

The Vu lighter was the first see-through lighter. This allowed the user to see how much lighter fluid was left in it.

The Electra lighter, which was introduced in 1985, ignited the lighter fluid with an electric spark instead of the old spark wheel.

Advertising

Scripto has had several notable people over the years advertise their products. In the 1960's, the company used a jingle by Tony Romeo in its advertising. In 1972, cartoonist Harvey Kurtzman appeared in a television advertisement for Scripto pens. Model Genevieve Chappell has appeared in advertisements for Scripto lighters.

*Please note: collecting and selling comics has been my hobby for over 30 years. Due to the hours of my job I can usually only mail packages out on Saturdays. I send out First Class or Priority Mail which takes 2 - 7 or more days to arrive in the USA and Air Mail International which takes 5 - 30 days or more depending on where you live in the world. I do not "sell" postage or packaging and charge less than the actual cost of mailing. I package items securely and wrap well. Most pages come in an Archival Sleeve with Acid Free Backing Board at no extra charge. If you are dissatisfied with an item. Let me know and I will do my best to make it right.

Many Thanks to all of my 1,000's of past customers around the World. 

Enjoy Your Hobby Everyone and Have Fun Collecting!

  • Condition: Used
  • Condition: Some light tanning/wear, a few have small archival repairs otherwise: Excellent! Bright Colors!Please check scans.
  • Brand: Scripto

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