The write stuff: 86-year-old to give away collection of nearly 40,000 pens

From Elvis Presley-inspired pens to alien-shaped pens — there's something for everyone in Margaret Lemm's vast collection.

The 86-year-old woman from Gore told Breakfast she had spent more than 30 years collecting pens from New Zealand and overseas.

"People used to ring me at work and say, 'oh I have some pens for you' and they would send them down to me from the North Island for me to add in my collection… they come from anywhere and everywhere."

She said the collection of around 38,000 was displayed in her garage, in alphabetical order and said many were unused.

Lemm said the time had come to part with the collection now that she was getting older.

"If someone wants to buy them, they can," she laughed. "But it's time for them to go."

She said she had been "swapping and collecting pens" from Dunedin, Timaru, Oamaru all the way to Blenhiem and could not pick a favourite.

"I had one of Elvis Presley's, which will go to one of my friends. I've also got television pens and Lotto pens."

Lemm laughed that she would still always "have a pen in my bag, no doubt".