For many, they are picked up and disposed of without a moment’s thought.
But for one avid collector in Moray, the world of complimentary pens branded with company names holds fascination.
Steven Hodgson from Elgin has now amassed nearly 4,000 pieces for his collection from around the world.
The 60-year-old started stashing them away about 20 years ago when ill-health forced him into retirement from his job as an electrician.
The former tradesman now takes any opportunity to visit stalls and displays offering up the freebies.
On Saturday he travelled to Inverness for a job fair, the kind of event that is a “goldmine” for anyone looking for pens bearing all manner of slogans from dozens of firms.
The Territorial Army veteran has even been known to organise overnight stays after events in Glasgow, specifically to tour hotels and banks the following morning to hunt for more unique items.
Mr Hodgson also sends off correspondence to firms across the country asking them to send him a pen to add to his collection – a tactic that has helped him snap up 460 during the last year alone.
He said: “I got a couple of pens roughly 20 years ago and it all started from there.
“I started looking out for ones with different designs and I kept getting more and more.”
The collection also has historical importance too, as some of the pens bear the slogans and emblems of companies that no longer exist.
Among his vast collection, which is stashed away in plastic boxes, Mr Hodgson has “one or two” which stand out as favourites.
One recent addition from a company called Mems he singles out due to it having a “full body” and another from the world famous Beefeater Gin brand due it having “quite a nice design”.
He added: “Not a lot of people think about them, but when you look at them they come in all different designs and sizes.
“Not all of them look as cheap as others, some of them have quite a full body. There’s no one type that fits them all.”