How can I get new dried up ball pens to work again?

The biggest enemy to stored ballpoint pens is gravity. The ink runs away from the tip and allows the ball to get stuck. Pens should be stored with the point down to keep the ink at the tip and the ball turning freely. You may be able to get a pen to work again by shaking it as you would a mercury thermometer and then free the ball by scribbling on a piece of light cardboard like the cardboard used in making cereal boxes. The shaking gets the ink back down to the tip and scribbling creates friction causing heat to free the ball. You can sometimes heat the tip with a match but that is chancy as there is plastic holding the metal tip and it melts causing more problems.

SOMETIMES HEATING THE TIP WITH A MATCH OR A LIGHTER WILL WORK. HEAT UP THE TIP FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS.