Congdon And Crome Closing :(

[Liamtyr]

I found out this weekend that our local pen store Congdon and Crome is closing in about 2 weeks.

I am incredibly upset by this, since they have been a fixture in the community for 109 years. So sad to see a legacy pen store fold like this. I went in this weekend for a last look around and picked up which is probably my last FP purchase from this great retailer. I grabbed a Conklin and stocked up on inks. They were basically giving everything away for 30% off or more since they don't want to be left with stock. Anyway, if there are any other local FPNers in the south bay or peninsula you might want to make a trip over there this weekend since i think they close their doors right after the 4th weekend. I may go back there again this weekend to say goodbye to some of the really nice employees.

[cellmatrix]

Yeah, I noticed that also, too bad. Its been a great resource for us in the Palo Alto area. I went in earlier to buy a few things and wish them well.

[Uncle Red]

That's sad to hear.

[ParkerBeta]

I work nearby but had never been to it. I went in there today -- bad mistake, as I came out with a Graf von Faber-Castell Intuition Ivory with an M nib! [Last one they had, too.] Seems (er, seemed) like a good store, with an extremely knowledgeable assistant. Too bad they're closing down.

[ac12]

Went there on Tues, and missed a Lamy 2000 by about 30 minutes. drat.

Oh well.

[Liamtyr]

I think i'll be heading over there in the next few days to buy out their stock of J Herbin. Beat me to it if you want some ink.

[ac12]

Their paper stock has been decimated.

Not much left.

[ac12]

40% off, but no paper left, well some Ampad pads, and a few other rough feeling pads. Upstairs is almost empty of stuff for us FPers.

Some pens and ink. But not much selection left for inks.

Lisa said they will probably be open till mid-Aug, as end of July is next week, and she did not feel that they were ready to close up.

But who knows what the boss will say.

[rochester21]

Some people feel sorry, others are preoccupied with grabbing the last items in stock at discount(i would do both, to be honest). Stories like this repeat all over the world, and it`s not just about pens.

 

Capitalism leads in time to the elimination of small business, which in turn leads to less competition and diversity among products and services. This process may not be very obvious for some people, but records do show that the number of companies has been steadily decreasing in the US(just an example) in the last 50 years, and this is an ongoing process. I once read a book by an american author about this, but i forgot the title.

Of course, one could say that stores are just replaced by online stores, but it will be the same story in a different medium- the internet. Currently the internet is still in a intermediary phase.

Edited July 27, 2013 by rochester21

[ac12]

It is sad when a store closes.

A problem with pens, for me, is that I have to feel them in my hand. I have small hands and fingers, and the larger and even many of the medium size pens are not comfortable for me, and the only way to tell is to hold it. Measured grip and barrel diameters would help, but the pictures in most adds/listings are of no help.