What Do You Take To A Pen Show?

[MightyEighth]

What sort of things do you take with you to a pen show, aside from $$ that is? I'd like to get some well-honed ideas for my first venture to a show since wading into this hobby.

 

I'm figuring on a loupe or two and some different papers for testing pens and inks, and perhaps a pouch for holding pens I might buy, but after that I'm wondering what's worth lugging around. Should I take a few pens to do comparisons between what I have and what I might want? A rule or a caliper to measure pens?

 

Thanks,

Marc

[FarmBoy]

empty slotter boxes and cash

[corgicoupe]

A list of pens you are really interested in acquiring so that you don't end up buying something on impulse.

[Parker51]

Something to map where you find something you are interested in and note who is selling it as well as what it is and at what price. This can help you get what you want at a better price if it is a more common item or pen, but don't hesitate to make that purchase if the price seems really good, because it likely will be gone later.

Yes, paper to test, as well as ink. Most will let you dip and test, though not all,,especially if the pen is vintage and new old stock. And many, but not all will let you fill a pen and try it, typically from their ink supply, but again not all, so, ask first.

And you might want to take something to take pictures of what you find interesting to refresh your memory, as it is unlikely that you can or will buy everything you find interesting, and it can help later, either when searching somewhere else, or at a later pen show.

[inkstainedruth]

If you're only buying pens or inks, all the suggestions so far have been good. If you're looking to have pens repaired, it helps to have something to bring them in (sleeves/wraps/etc) that might be *different* from what you bring for buying pens (just to keep track of things). Which means you're also going to need a bag, backpack, etc. to hold things after you buy them (some shows do give out tote bags, with admission, which is nice). I have a basket with a handle, but some people might feel silly walking around with them. (If you see a woman at a pen show with glasses, carrying a basket and a purse and likely wearing some sort of hat, odds are good that it's me.... )

Oh, and bring comfortable shoes to wear -- you'll be walking and standing a LOT. For some shows, I bring one of those little lunchbags which holds a freezer pack, and bring something for lunch (hotel restaurants get expensive), and will duck out and eat lunch in the car, or go back up to my room because there's likely a freezer section in the room fridge to re-chill it if you end up skipping lunch... My first show, I went on zero sleep after flying back from Spokane Washington, with an extended layover in Denver in bad weather. By the time I got my luggage, hauled it back to where my car was parked (I couldn't find where the parking lot shuttle pick up was), and drove home, it was 1:30 AM. I had to then had to repack from 2 suitcases down to 1, by which point it was 3:30 AM. No point in trying to get to sleep at that point, since I had to pick up my rider at 5:30 AM for the roughly 5 hour drive from Pittsburgh to the DC area (we ate breakfast on the PA Turnpike at one of the rest areas). I spent most of the rest of the day on caffeine and adrenaline. Went down the hotel pool in the early evening, went back to the room and washed my hair, and was pretty much dead by 10:30 PM. Because I had to get up in time to get breakfast and make Richard Binder's class by 8:30 Sunday morning. And since I had taken a day out of my vacation to stay home and sign up for the class online, I was NOT MISSING IT!

I always make sure I have a little notebook to keep track of what I've seen and which table it was at (especially if I'm on the hunt for some specific pen). If you write down every table at which you saw pen X, what nib it had, the condition it was in, and how much it was) it's easier to comparison shop: "So and so had a blue Striped Duofold for $ and it has an OF semi flex nib on it -- he's in the middle of the first row on the left in the large ballroom...."

Plus, you get to use your FP(s)....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[pajaro]

Reads like a true ordeal. Torquemada's pen show, or Torquemada en la hoguera. Not much fun, more like going to a trade show with a mission to bring back technology stuff and leads. Bring lots of money. Thankfully there are none near me.

[Greenie]

A pen show is not an ordeal ! Just wander the aisles and take in the sights. Meet the people. I am all about the impulse purchases and go with no plan at all. To me, going with a list takes the fun out of it.

 

What you should bring:

 

Comfortable shoes.

A bag with a shoulder strap.

A case for the pens you buy.

Your loupe if you like using it.

I like the idea of jotting down the location and price pens you want to go back and look at again, but I never do this. I figure that if it is not still on my mind after walking around, I don't want it badly enough to matter.

If you are looking for a pen to put into regular use, bring your favorite ink and favorite paper to see how it performs for how you will use it.

And bring your curiosity. Look at pens you aren't familiar with an ask questions. I love seeing things that are new to me, or seeing iconic pens that I have only seen in books or on line.

[mitto]

I would take nothing except $$$$$$

[AAAndrew]

good advise so far.

 

I bring a pen roll with empty slots, and any pens I may want to trade, find out more about, or get repaired, a notebook of good paper (I like the Black n' Red notebooks), a pen or two for writing (in my shirt pocket), and my iPad. I carry these in a shoulder bag (small messenger type) that is easily pushed out of the way. Big backpacks can really get awkward in crowded aisles.

 

And cash money. By keeping to cash, I can sometimes get a slightly better deal, and it keeps me limited to what I decide ahead of time that I want to spend.

[TheRealMikeDr]

You've pretty much got it covered with the good advice so far.

 

My biggest lesson from my first pen show was to bring a little ink - not every vendor will have ink handy if you want to dip test a pen. Of course dip-testing is only done if you're nearly certain you want to buy the pen and only after you ask if it's okay.

 

Bring your favourite paper and a pen as a reference for comparing - in the excitement of the moment you may misjudge a pen's writing characteristics so a solid reference is helpful. Have fun - most of the vendors (not all) will be willing to engage you in conversation and you can learn a lot from many of them. That's the hidden bonus from attending a show.

[chromantic]

Ninja'd by mitto - take money.

[Inkling13]

I'd say a list of what you know you want, and a mountain of cold, hard cash. Everything can be had with enough money, trouble is to work in a budget.

[mitto]

Ninja'd by mitto - take money.

...lot of money.

[MightyEighth]

Thank you all for the great input. I'll feel much better equipped heading into the Baltimore show in a few weeks.

 

- Marc

[AAAndrew]

You're going to have fun!

 

A few basic pen show rules:

1. Keep eyes open, and ask questions.
2. Be respectful of the seller's pens. Always ask if you can touch before you do. Some people are so handsy without asking!
3. If you're not sure if you pull or unscrew, ask before trying.
4. If you want to get a repair done at a show, go there first and get on the list.
5. If you're looking for a specific pen, or even a specific type of pen, ask everyone. You never know who's carrying what around with them.
6. I like to bring pens I don't particularly like anymore and do some trades. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Graciously accept both conditions.

I'm sure there are others people could mention.

[Kelly G]

I have only been to one pen show, so take this for what it is worth.

You've been given great advice. I would add that you need to closely check the show's website if you wish to get repairs or nib work done. Some vendors provide for a pre-show sign up to reserve a repair time. The Colorado show had a sign-up sheet for nib work at the check-in desk (separate line) with limited time slots available each day - Andrew is right, go there first and early.

 

I didn't worry about taking any ink; there is plenty for sale!

I did take more pens for nib work than there were available time slots - sometimes you can get two done in one slot.

 

What I enjoyed most was visiting with other pen people - especially those that hang around these and other boards and even one or two that are luminaries in the hobby. Pen people are generous with their time and conversation - have fun!

[ASCIIaardvark]

What I enjoyed most was visiting with other pen people

 

I've come to pen-shows from geek-cons, where the vendor-room is only part of the experience.

 

So in addition to the money/trade-pens/empty-case for shopping, I bring sharing things for the after-hours socialization time:

• pens of mine interesting enough to share (odd nib/shape/material)
• ink travel case - I'm paranoid about running dry, but give away samples too
• "trying friends' pens" notebook - for trying pens, but also for answering questions about pens I don't own writing charactaristics
• something goofy to wear. I saw someone with an ink-sample bandoleer at SF 2017, SBREBrown has a suit of some pretty loud stationary material.

[sidthecat]

My life savings.

[Bookman]

A mule is helpful—someone to help carry purchases so your hands are always free and maybe make a trip to the car to drop off the first wave of items. Mrs. Bookman attends these things far more for me than for herself, and so she mules for me at pen shows and I do the job at quilt shows.

[mitto]

I would rather go to the show with a beautifully decorated Tanga.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanga_(carriage)