This is Little Beeper from 'Tiny Toon Adventures'.
Everyone who clicked this already knows this character, so...
Pencil!
The featured pencil is the 'Red Streak' by Eagle Pencil Co.
This pencil was given to me as a thank-you by an eBayer who I gave some listing advice to. Specifically, I made a (presently) unlisted video for the seller, in which I went over some of the pencils they wanted to auction ...of which, the featured pencil was one.
I find this unusual, as its owner seemed rather fond of it, but I'm not going to complain. I accepted with grace and propriety ...and now I feature it here. :3
So... is the 'Red Streak' rare; is it a valuable pencil?
My answer, as an advanced collector of several years, is this,
Heck if I know! ^^
Fact is, it's not easy to determine how many of a particular pencil model there is in the world. Additionally, just because something could be described as 'rare' doesn't mean there's any demand for it.
Why would there be low demand among collectors for a rare pencil?
Well, there might be a demand if potential buyers knew the pencil (or any given pencil) existed. But, alas, many pencils are undocumented; there is no comprehensive list or catalogue of pencils.
Some collectors list what they have (such as Bob Truby), but all collections will have many, many, MANY gaps (I have mystery pencils even Truby hadn't seen before, per his own words). And, of course, it's very possible for anyone to own a pencil they know nothing about.
These are the facts I can give about the Eagle 'Red Streak'
1. It's from Eagle. Eagle is among the most desirable American pencil brands (so it has collector value).
2. It's old! ...but how old?
First, let's look into the name: 'Red Streak'. This name and graphic design were trademarked by Eagle Pencil Co. in 1936,
"REGISTERED: Sep 15, 1936 ...THE TRADE-MARK CONSISTS OF THE WORDS "RED STREAK" AND A RED STREAK EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF A LEAD PENCIL OF CONTRASTING COLOR"
That seems to describe our pencil perfectly. Could ours be a first edition?
The thing about trademarks (in America) is they effectively last forever, so long as that which is trademarked remains in use. It's unknown to me how long Eagle continued to make 'Red Streak' pencils, and/or whether the design of those pencils changed over time.
What I can say is this particular specimen isn't a ration-era, WWII variant, as its ferrule is metallic (likely aluminum, as my magnet didn't stick to it).
Additionally, the ferrule is a smooth cylinder which very closely resembles those used by the 'Ad-Tip' pencils of the late 40's though most of the 1950's. I have never (knowingly) observed a smooth metal/metallic ferrule made pre-WWII, though I cannot say none exist.
So, is our pencil pre or post WWII?
The pre-WWII trademark information is compelling, because it describes the overall appearance of the pencil very well. Even so, the ferrule infers a post-WWII manufacture.
If I were to guess, I'd say this particular pencil was made sometime in the late 40s or early 1950s, based in its ferrule. If this were a 1930's pencil, the ferrule would've been (in all likelihood) textured; smooth ferrules were a mid-century thing. As for the trademark description, it's possible Eagle continued to make the 'Red Streak' for many years without much variation. That is, a 50's model could look mostly identical to a 30's original, so there's nothing absolute one can derive from the trademark description alone (all we know is the model was introduced in 1936).
This, again, is why I give precedence to the ferrule ...but what do I know?
