Good Pen Shops in San Diego

[Gizzo]

I've been searching through old posts and can't find anything recent regarding a good pen shop in San Diego.

 

I'm over on business mid September and staying at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in Market Street, San Diego, CA 92101 (seems ironic, as I live in Manchester, England !) I'll be looking to purchase a new pen whilst I'm out there.

 

The nuggets of information I have so far are that Warwicks in La Jolla might be worth a look or Hillcrest Stationers in the hillcrest district?

 

Are there any more that anyone would recommend?

 

Any help and advice would be most appreciated.

 

Cheers,

Irv

 

[Chthulhu]

There used to be a stationers at Seaport Village, but I don't know whether they're still there; they had dip pens and ink for certain, and I seem to remember them having some fountain pens as well, but that was a couple of years ago, before I became addicted to FPs. Seaport Village is the "rustic" shopping mall you will see looking southwest from your hotel (you could drop stones on it from there if you're in the west tower).

 

Other than that, you have the only two possibilities I know of in San Diego, also learned of from FPN. I'm thirty miles north in Escondido, and there's nothing here except John's Fifth Avenue Luggage, which I now recall also has three stores in San Diego: http://www.johnsluggage.com/stores

 

They do carry a very few FPs in the shops, but more via their Web site.

 

Addendum: It's worth looking in the shops at the hotels as well.

Edited August 28, 2009 by Chthulhu

[ToasterPastry]

Not really any good pen shops.

 

Here's what I know...

 

1. India Ink Paper in Little Italy (not many pens, some ink, staff that doesn't have a clue)

2. John's Fifth Avenue (high end pens, primarily sell luggage and leather goods)

3. Warwicks in LaJolla (not many pens, some ink; great neighborhood)

4. Gallery 9926, 9926 Maine Ave, Lakeside (Ron Meloche's place. He primarily collects pens, repairs pens; he has a large number of low-end and mid-range used pens; mainly Esterbrooks and Parker Vacumatics, but many others---the only bad part is that he is difficult to get to from downtown San Diego without a car. He's usually there in the afternoons until 6 pm. If you like talking about vintage pens, he's a great guy to go meet.)

5. There are a number of jewelers that sell pens, mainly high-end bling-pens like Cartier. You'll run across them in LaJolla when you walk the streets.

6. My house. I have a small collection of pens. They are not necessarily for sale, but I'm willing to part with many of them...for a price of one-millllion dollars.

[DrPJM1]

Went to San Diego this past X-mas and had a great time, but no pens whatsoever. Called Ron Meloche but he had no Sheaffers....

[kernando]

Went to San Diego this past X-mas and had a great time, but no pens whatsoever. Called Ron Meloche but he had no Sheaffers....

 

No Sheaffers that you collect, right? Before and after your visit, he has had a few Snorkels and a few ambered jade flat tops. Beyond that I can only remember some pencils.

[Gizzo]

Many thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I think a trip to Gallery 9926 might be in order.

 

I've only got a couple of modern pens - a Parker duofold and a Sheaffer Prelude.

 

Maybe its time to invest in a vintage pen?

 

Once again, many thanks for all your help. Much appreciated.

 

Cheers,

Irv.

[Bill]

2. John's Fifth Avenue (high end pens, primarily sell luggage and leather goods)

 

Not sure what you mean by "high end." They had Lamy Safaris (I bought the Flame) at their Fashion Valley Mall store a couple of years ago.

 

of course, there is also a Montblanc boutique in the same mall.

 

Bill

[Chthulhu]

Not sure what you mean by "high end." They had Lamy Safaris (I bought the Flame) at their Fashion Valley Mall store a couple of years ago.

 

The J5A store in the North County Faire mall in Escondido had only a few MB and Cross pens in the store, plus a few of the Sherpa wannabe shells. The woman at the counter did say, though, that they could bring in anything from the Pens4Less.com Web site for pickup at the store.

[amh210]

There are NO good Pen Shops in San Diego.

 

However, there is still plenty of fun stuff to do. If you get tired of the fun stuff and want to browse my FP collection (approaching 200 units) just let me know. Or, if you just want someone FP friendly to drink with at the bar atop the 40th floor of the Hyatt Manchester, send me a PM.

 

Andy

[ToasterPastry]

If you're around San Diego on the second Saturday in September (12), I'll pick you up and take you to Gallery 9926 myself. We have a pen collectors meeting in Lakeside that lasts about 3 hours. It starts at 11 am. Otherwise, I can meet you and Andy downtown. Another collector works downtown, and he may be able to make it as well. PM me.

[Chthulhu]

If you're around San Diego on the second Saturday in September (12), I'll pick you up and take you to Gallery 9926 myself. We have a pen collectors meeting in Lakeside that lasts about 3 hours. It starts at 11 am. Otherwise, I can meet you and Andy downtown. Another collector works downtown, and he may be able to make it as well. PM me.

 

Is this gathering open to others in the area as well? Lakeside is maybe 30 minutes' drive for me ...

[Bill]

...If you get tired of the fun stuff and want to browse my FP collection (approaching 200 units) just let me know. Or, if you just want someone FP friendly to drink with at the bar atop the 40th floor of the Hyatt Manchester, send me a PM.

 

Don't pass up this invitation! While on business in S.D. two years ago, I had the honor of meeting Andy and his lovely wife for dinner. Great folks. And I'm not sure which impressed me most, Andy's fine collection or his wife's fine calligraphy.

 

Bill

[ToasterPastry]

The monthly meeting in San Diego (at Lakeside) is open to all. I live in Rancho Bernardo. It occurs on the second Saturday of every month, starting at 11 am. It usually goes to about 2 or 3 pm. Some people leave earlier, some later. There is not too much commerce involved. But money and pens have changed hands on occasion. It's largely a show-and-tell. Typically there are about 3 to 4 people in attendance, sometimes 6 to 8. It's at Ron Meloche's place in Lakeside.

 

There is a quarterly meeting in Los Angeles which is made up of the super-collectors, guys that have been collecting vintage pens for decades. It is very difficult to walk out of this meeting without buying or trading a pen. Typically there are about 12 to 15 people in attendance. It meets at various locations.

 

There is another group up in Orange and Los Angeles Counties that have met three times through the FPN. Their activities are well-documented on this board. They are primarily a social group, but I hear rumor that there is some commerce involved. It meets at various locations.

[Chthulhu]

The monthly meeting in San Diego (at Lakeside) is open to all. I live in Rancho Bernardo. It occurs on the second Saturday of every month, starting at 11 am. It usually goes to about 2 or 3 pm. Some people leave earlier, some later. There is not too much commerce involved. But money and pens have changed hands on occasion. It's largely a show-and-tell. Typically there are about 3 to 4 people in attendance, sometimes 6 to 8. It's at Ron Meloche's place in Lakeside.

 

Thank you! I will try to make it down; I have Ron's Web site bookmarked for the location. :-)

[amh210]

...If you get tired of the fun stuff and want to browse my FP collection (approaching 200 units) just let me know. Or, if you just want someone FP friendly to drink with at the bar atop the 40th floor of the Hyatt Manchester, send me a PM.

 

Don't pass up this invitation! While on business in S.D. two years ago, I had the honor of meeting Andy and his lovely wife for dinner. Great folks. And I'm not sure which impressed me most, Andy's fine collection or his wife's fine calligraphy.

 

Bill

 

Oh my; Bill you are far to kind! SWMBO will certainly blush

[penmanila]

i'll be in san diego myself for a couple of weeks in late october to visit my married daughter who lives in little italy, and to give a reading and a writing workshop for a group of writers there called san diego writers, ink. would love to meet up for coffee or wine with some of you folks to swap vintage pen stories (have about 200+ pens in my collection--about 60 of them parker vacs).

 

i've had some luck finding vintage pens in the antique shops of nearby ocean beach--a nice waterman patrician (the big one) being the best of them not much downtown, though

[ToasterPastry]

Butch, next time you are in town, please give me a call. It's easiest to just PM me in advance. We can get together.

[nvbrennan]

Does the monthly Lakeside meeting still happen? I'm moving to Escondido from New Zealand at the end of June and am interested in meeting up with other FPNers.

[ToasterPastry]

Does the monthly Lakeside meeting still happen? I'm moving to Escondido from New Zealand at the end of June and am interested in meeting up with other FPNers.

 

Yes. There is one next week. The membership has grown a bit since December.