What Did You Buy At The Washington Dc Show?

[ArchiMark]

 

I intend to blog about my experiences at the show, but for now I'll just post pics/a list of my acquisitions. I completely blew my budget, but I got a lot of great deals -- including one pen not pictured here because it's being sent to me.

 

In order, from left to right:

 

Staedtler Initium Rosina (Blue)

Monteverde Regatta (Red and Carbon Fiber)

Monteverde Invincia Deluxe (Stainless Steel)

Monteverde Limonada (Red)

Monteverde Limonada (Yellow)

Signum Sumer

Signum Alphabet of Arrighi (Rose Gold)

Conklin Crescent (Black and Rose Gold)

Delta Capri Night (Pearlescent with little blue crescent moons)

Aurora Tu (Black and Rose Gold)

Cross Verve (Merlot)

Caran d/Ache I have no idea of the model name (Blue)

Edelberg Tachys Scope (Black and Rose Gold)

S.T. Dupont Fidelio (Coral)

Mont Blanc PoA Ramses II

Montegrappa Luxor (Blue and Silver)

David Oscarson LE World Alphabets (Amber, #14 of 20)

Montegrappa Mexican Civilizations (Bronze)

Omas St. George (Red)

Conway-Stewart Westminster (Green; #75 of 100)

Waterman Carene (Purple)

Waterman L’Etalon (Forest Green) (set with ballpoint and pencil)

Waterman L’Etalon (Gold)

Waterman Edson (Ruby)

Waterman Exception (Dark Blue)

Shirley Temple (Red with Gold design)

Unidentified manufacturer (Black with silver oriental dragon motif)

Irishozuku inks

Rhodia notebooks

Cross Jotzone notebook

 

That's some 'serious pennage' you got there, MrThoth.....

 

Well done!!!

 

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Mark

[DrDebG]

Wow! I am seriously impressed! Thank you all for sharing!

[Toll]

MrThoth, that is an amazing array of pens that you came away with! Thanks for sharing the photos.

 

 

[MrThoth]

 

 

MrThoth, that is an amazing array of pens that you came away with! Thanks for sharing the photos.

 

You're welcome. I plan to write a blog about the show to go along with the photos, but first I have to clear out some items on the to-do list and get a new website set up. Soon, hopefully.

[inkstainedruth]

Our ink is made for us by Lucas at Scribal Work Shop, not Tyler from Organics.

Thanks for correcting me. I couldn't remember for sure.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

But the best part, really, was getting to meet fellow pen afficionados.

+1 on that.

My first pen show -- DCSS two years ago -- I was sort of overwhelmed by the size and scope. This year I felt like a pro (or at least not a clueless newbie... ): "I need to talk to Person A about parts and Person B about getting sacs. I need repairs done on these specific pens so I need to go here, here, and here. Not happy about how that nib is performing and the music nib looks a bit off kilter so I need to go there, there or there. I have to see if anyone has replacement nibs for Parker 45s and if I can trade for a more "correct" cap for that English-made 51 Vac. And the Goulets are supposed to be wandering around somewhere...."

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Bklyn]

I always enjoy seeing pictures and reading about people's experiences at the various shows and shops. I sure enjoyed my time at the recent DC show! The pictures so far have been super, and I look forward to seeing more.

 

I didn't take any pictures there, but did manage to spend more than my budget. This is a feeble attempt to share some of my experience.

 

What did you buy?

 

 

First up was an inexpensive expenditure. I decided to try a couple of Franklin Christoph pads. I love their leather goods. The paper samples they had available for trial seemed pretty nice. Smooth, but not as slick as Rhodia. Same high quality and classy presentation as their leather goods. How far wrong could I go for less than $20?

 

 

http://www.fototime.com/%7BF147A7A4-787C-40FF-950C-C81F89C70711%7D/sspict/640/exp=f&modt=42233.5235190162&ssdyn=1/002.JPG

 

 

 

Next was an even cheaper expenditure. Amberlea Davis had me hooked with her discussion and scans of her Inkyman Sapphire - reportedly a really good approximation of Parker Penman Sapphire. I found some Noodlers Navajo Turquoise - at a discount no less! Into the bag it went. I didn't find any La Colour Royale, but I have ordered some and it should arrive in a couple of days.

 

 

 

http://www.fototime.com/%7B3EE8A865-AC5E-43B8-A04F-3A63D586A786%7D/sspict/640/exp=f&modt=42233.5235426968&ssdyn=1/003.JPG

 

 

 

Yes, of course the price climbed from there. I had been thinking of the new Aurora 365 but really wanted to see it in person before committing. I figured DC would be the place. It was, but barely. The 365 pieces of this Limited Edition pen have really moved! US Distributor Kenro has sold out. Most dealers have sold most of their allotment. A few at the show still had one or two available. I loved it, and so I decided to add one to the collection.

 

 

http://www.fototime.com/%7BDD958F6B-40B1-410E-842B-F2E507FA93F1%7D/sspict/640/exp=f&modt=42233.5235665625&ssdyn=1/004.JPG

 

 

http://www.fototime.com/%7B650EFE25-A037-425B-9C95-0CB94DE8080A%7D/sspict/640/exp=f&modt=42233.523592963&ssdyn=1/005.JPG

 

 

 

Then there was a pure impulse buy. This little desk stand and pen caught my eye. The vintage jade color goes very well in my office, and the small size fits a spot on my desk perfectly. I don't know much about it, but hope to find out more. The name on the round part of the lever is hard to make out but appears to be "Eclipse". The diminutive pen screws into the horn, and the nib is engraved "Warranted, 14KT, USA". The seller and I guess it is circa 1930's. The pen writes beautifully, too.

 

http://www.fototime.com/%7B0D9A65FC-800C-431B-B00C-997AA6ED5084%7D/sspict/640/exp=f&modt=42233.5236208102&ssdyn=1/007.JPG

 

http://www.fototime.com/%7B61DAD74E-3197-4A7C-A303-3DC5481950D5%7D/sspict/640/exp=f&modt=42233.5236492014&ssdyn=1/008.JPG

 

http://www.fototime.com/%7BB2A918D4-3759-479F-A2FF-F4CB6DDA113A%7D/sspict/640/exp=f&modt=42233.5236734259&ssdyn=1/009.JPG

 

http://www.fototime.com/%7B3F303F54-D29B-4B62-B213-07D4446D5E8A%7D/sspict/640/exp=f&modt=42233.5236973032&ssdyn=1/010.JPG

 

 

Finally, after spending a ton of time chatting with Syd "The Wahlnut" Saperstein about his soon to be released Deco Band and fondling the display pieces, I succumbed and plunked down my deposit. From the looks of his order pad, I wasn't alone! Delivery is currently expected to be in September.

 

Now, I have to say, in the past I haven't been much of a fan of these type of "hommage" pieces, where somebody buys the rights to a name and tries to trade on that. It has happened in watches, and also in pens. Many of the new "homage" pieces have almost nothing in common with the originals. But in addition to being a heck of a nice guy, Syd is really writing a different story with his Wahl Eversharps. The prototype Deco Bands on display were terrific! The rosewood color (actually made of ebonite) caught my eye and made my knees go weak. Subtle and gorgeous! The engineering is exquisite. The large pen is heavy due to the metal vacuum filling system, but unposted (which is how I use my pens) is balanced absolutely perfectly so feels light in the hand. The #8 nib is a work of art. Instead of simple engraving, part of the metal has been milled away and given some sort of what I assume is a blasting treatment so the milled portion has a textured, "frosty" finish. Just beautiful! Wait until you see the pictures, which I understand Syd will be posting in a week or so. The small shot below is the only one I could currently find on his website. I should have taken a picture of the prototype I had so much trouble putting down! Not a cheap pen, but this baby just screamed to me to open the wallet.

 

 

http://www.fototime.com/%7B1FBFCB19-273D-4A4E-8277-C686BDE89760%7D/origpict/Deco%2520Black%2520and%2520Rosewood_zpswryueros.jpg

 

 

So that's the story of how I more than blew my budget. Let's hear yours!

 

 

 

 

All I can say is WOW. I wish I was there. You must have had a great time.

[Bklyn]

 

Why didn't I think of that gambit? I only had to give Syd a deposit for the Deco Band; the rest is due at time of shipment. So I didn't really spend​ as much as I thought, right?

Of course you didn't

[Bklyn]

I always enjoy seeing people's hauls from pen shows too, so I'll chime in! I ended up getting a Pelikan 400 tortoise with a divine flexy nib (I'm not super keen on flex so that is saying something!) and a Parker 51 cocoa. I say ended up because there were about ten other pens I was considering but--surprise, surprise--Pelikan won the day! The 400 is a nice match for my 400NN (below), don't you think?

 

IMG_1332.JPG

pelikan 400nn.JPG

 

I also got some bottles of ink--two of Callifolio and a mini Pilot Iro. in Shin Kai.

Beautiful.

Great stuff. Wish I was there.

[Bklyn]

 

The only word that comes to my mind is.... "speechless"!

Speechless indeed.

 

Perhaps you might want to store some of those pens at my house for safekeeping. (heh, heh...)

[PS104]

Yeah, I went a little nuts.

As Norman Bates said,"We all go a little mad sometimes"

 

Edited August 20, 2015 by PS104

[ac12]

I managed to stay on budget: ....

Well, I'll have retroactively blown my budget by about 300% if I follow through with the custom Edison order I came up with after talking with Brian Gray for a long time about options, but technically that money won't leave my hands until some months after the show. So for accounting purposes, I'm on budget this year!

 

Not quite.

But it also depends on the method of accounting.

 

For cash basis accounting, yes you are correct.

 

For accrual basis accounting, you need to complete the entire transaction. Since you made a commitment (contract), you also have a payable that you owe (the balance of the contract). So it is on your books as a payable/money owed.

 

However, even for cash basis, if the transaction is significant enough, I would book the liability of the amount owed.

 

Sorry, but us accountants have to book the transaction properly.

Edited August 20, 2015 by ac12

[FarmBoy]

 

Not quite.

But it also depends on the method of accounting.

 

For cash basis accounting, yes you are correct.

 

For accrual basis accounting, you need to complete the entire transaction. Since you made a commitment (contract), you also have a payable that you owe (the balance of the contract). So it is on your books as a payable/money owed.

 

However, even for cash basis, if the transaction is significant enough, I would book the liability of the amount owed.

 

Sorry, but us accountants have to book the transaction properly.

Your boss would want me to jump in and ask if you spend your show budget a few weeks before the show, does it count as your show budget?

If it matters, I no longer have a budget, I just buy. Makes rationalization much easier if rationalization becomes necessary. The important thing to remember is that you rarely regret the pen you buy and after a few weeks you rarely remember the pen you buy; you remember the ones you didn't buy for years.

 

FB

[da vinci]

Your boss would want me to jump in and ask if you spend your show budget a few weeks before the show, does it count as your show budget?

 

If it matters, I no longer have a budget, I just buy. Makes rationalization much easier if rationalization becomes necessary. The important thing to remember is that you rarely regret the pen you buy and after a few weeks you rarely remember the pen you buy; you remember the ones you didn't buy for years.

 

FB

Wise words indeed

[penultress]

This was my 3rd DC show and it was a blast this year! It was great spending a little time with Lisa Vanness, Brad & Jeff from Nockco, Shawn Newton, Richard Binder, Mike Masuyama, Pierre Miller of Desiderata Pens, Paul Erano, The Andersons and the fabulous pen friends I've made over the years! I did manage to spend a little money as well!

 

Lots of ink: KWZI Honey Gold, Grey Plum and Brown Pink, Visconti Blue in the original glass bottle, Private Reserve Plum (tired of buying samples!), Bung Box O. Sunset and Imperial Purple.

 

Empty OMAS ink bottle

 

Pens: My first Franklin Christoph - a model 19 prototype with a medium italic nib, Desiderata pen in new model called Procession with a 0.8mm italic, but as Pierre says, his pens and feeds are best suited for flex nibs and a Krone pen named Martinique with an 18K nib.

 

Paper: A set of Nockco memo pads - they didn't bring that many so I grabbed one! and Bung Box memo pad.

 

I did not have a budget going into this show. If I would have purchased from Sarj, then yes, I would have blown my budget! One day ...

 

 

 

 

[penultress]

whichwatch - That's an amazing Aurora! So far I only have a modern 88, which I love. Thank you for mentioning Noodler's La Couleur Purple. It's beautiful!

 

Paloma32 - I was wondering what you ended up with! I'd really like to try your flexy Pelikan!

 

MrThoth - What beautiful pens! There are no words ...

 

inkstainedruth - We were also at the auction. Wish we had a chance to meet. I believe there was an opportunity for you to attend one of the Big Apple Pen Club meetings? The next meeting is posted under Clubs, Meetings forum!

[whichwatch]

whichwatch - That's an amazing Aurora! So far I only have a modern 88, which I love. Thank you for mentioning Noodler's La Couleur Purple. It's beautiful!

 

 

 

Thanks.

 

I have just received my bottle of La Couleur Royale and realize one of the best things about trying Amberlea's Inkmyn Sapphire is... finding La Couleur Royale. What a beautiful ink!

[MarcShiman]

I am collecting pens from the 20's - 40's from New York City and New Jersey. At this show I told myself I'd be focused - and for the first time I was actually focused. When people at tables asked me what I was looking for, I could actually say!

 

Usually, I buy pens I like. Even if I have a plan.

 

So, I started with Swans. I've been a big buyer of Mabie Todd pens, and I had a table with a big white swan on the end. But I really didn't have many Swan pens for sale, I'm still collecting.

 

First the Swans:

 

 

These are Swans I found from table to table.

 

On Sunday, I split a collection with another big Swan collector at the show. This was my portion of it.

 

 

Then came the Diamond Points. I wasn't even really going to buy any of these, but Rick Krantz whet my appetite with the first one, then Ron Zorn delivered two of them (the next two from the left) that had been in repair. At the end of Sunday, on my last round, I found four more:

 

 

Finally, one evening during the show I bid on a pen on Ebay. I know, it doesn't really count - but its such a cool pen:

 

[inkstainedruth]

I believe there was an opportunity for you to attend one of the Big Apple Pen Club meetings? The next meeting is posted under Clubs, Meetings forum!

Sadly, that's unlikely. NYC is a an 8-9 hour drive from Southwestern PA. I'm generally only there during holiday seasons (and then mostly dealing with family stuff, although I do try to get down to FPH if I have time).

So you got a bottle of KWZI Honey? I should have snagged one when I saw it on Saturday -- by Sunday morning there was just a faint memory (and of course Grey Plum had sold out pretty much instantaneously... ).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[AAAndrew]

MarcShiman: Oh, man, do I have major pen envy! Those MT's and the Diamond Points!! Amazing collection! (I think my keyboard just ran out of exclamation points)

Edited August 21, 2015 by AAAndrew