Does anyone have a report to offer from the Triangle Pen Show?

[Toll]

I am very much looking forward to a “post-pandemic” pen outing — hopefully DC — but, until then, please share thoughts, observations, or photos of this one! 

[inkstainedruth]

Yes, I'd like to hear how things went as well -- especially since I think it's the first US pen show in something like a year and a half (I couldn't go this year, although I've been a couple of times in the past -- had a family thing this weekend).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[fountainpenlady]

I attended Friday. I really went to mostly support. I had no idea what to expect. It was not necessarily the quality of those attended before. There were several vendors/sellers who were not represented. For instance, wanted specifically to purchase ink. Monteverde ink and the usual seller of it was not there. There was no social distancing. Really impossible as the set up is as usual rows of items shown on tables. Mostly Rhodia and fountain pens vintage and contemporary by certain makers and other items. There were Nibmeisters there so a perfect opportunity to get your fountain pen tuned. Winston-Salem and Chapel Hill were represented. Franklin Christophe  and Crazy Alan's Emporium. All and all, just glad I could in a small way support by attending this year's 2021 Triangle Pen Show. Atlanta canceled their Pen Show for 2021 and believe the next one is in Florida. As a result, glad that I got a chance to attend and meet people for this year's Triangle Pen Show here in North Carolina. It seemed smaller in terms of the vendors, but the warmth and camaraderie of being with others who also enjoy this passion was still present.

[Paul-in-SF]

Mike Matteson did a livestream walk-through on Friday, which you can probably find on YouTube. I didn't have any experience of this show to judge by, but there seemed like enough vendors and enough nib specialists to make it worthwhile going. 

 

Found it: 

 

 

[Frank C]

4 hours ago, Paul-in-SF said:

Mike Matteson did a livestream walk-through on Friday, which you can probably find on YouTube. I didn't have any experience of this show to judge by, but there seemed like enough vendors and enough nib specialists to make it worthwhile going.

 

Thanks for posting this. I had forgotten how much I miss pen shows.  

[Toll]

Great to see the video — thanks! And, it looked like a nice event! 

[inkstainedruth]

I've been a couple of times, but it's a really long drive from Pittsburgh to the Raleigh area.  It's well run (done by the same people who do the Ohio Pen Show) and is a nice size and pretty laid back.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[drumley]

More vendors arrived Saturday and I attended the auction Saturday night. To be honest there were more attendees than I expected. I found everything I was looking for. I'm just happy that there was a show at all this year. 

[Mr Bill]

I wasn't able to attend the show as it was a bit to far but I did watch a few videos 

and it looked like a real nice time. DC is closer and I'm looking forward to it 

especially after the videos of Mike Matteson and Troy LaPlante , Thanks men. Cheers

[Just J]

I can say I only found out about it Saturday afternoon when I stumbled upon M.Matteson's video. It in fact left me kinda P.O.'d since I've inquired prolly a dozen times about was there gonna BE a show & when, with not a single reply. I was VERY looking forward to it as I have some work that needs to be done & a couple projects I was hoping I could pull together if I could get the parts.  The icing on the cake is, due to 'conditions' it's likely the only pen show I'll ever have been able to attend. 

 

I do have one question tho for anyone who went....were the Goulets there?  

 

[kulnet]

As I understand it, the Goulets were not in attendance. However, I do believe that Drew from Goulet was present.

[peroride]

We missed this year but I like this mellow jazz video walkthrough from The Dormouse's Desk

 

[Federalist Pens]

It went very well...

It was well attended.

 

Frank

[Parker51]

Hello, I attended and participated in the Auction. The show went very well and the venue is very nice. 
Several of the vendors who attended the show indicated that it was their best show ever (in sales) topping even their previous sales records in Washington and Chicago.

Also there were many nice prizes including some expensive fountain pens. 
And no, I didn’t win anything.

There likely will be a report on the show in Pen World.

The auction was unique in that it principally included the pens of a long time Pen Show dealer and pen collector who died over the last year. It was a fitting way to liquidate many of the pens he had previously brought to pen shows for sale as well as some of his personal collection.
Terry, the show organizer did a great job and did it without his children who sometimes assist him. A few people volunteered to help a bit, but it really was Terry who deserves credit for taking the risk of holding the show and then doing it very well.

I hope to go next year as well as attend the Ohio Pen Show which Terry also organizes.

[Lee Dawson]

I went on 

Friday and loved it. Vendors and people alike wondered why it was closed at 6 instead of the advertised 7PM. Had a great time seeing so many pens and meeting people. Met the guy who owns the name to Snorkel and makes them with new bodies!! Met Crazy Allen in Chapel Hill. Also met the Grand Poobah of the Black Pen Society. He quizzed me and I passed the test! Now I am a member! Looking forward to next year now that I know what its like. (Wish I had bought more of the Rhodia pads for $10 each. Can't find that price anywhere. Met a person I have bought from before and he had the Parker 51 Dark Green i have always wanted. 

[inkstainedruth]

Is that 51 Forest Green?  When I got mine, someone on FPN told me that was the 3rd rarest color of the Aerometrics (after Plum and Cocoa).

I remember one of the years I went to the Triangle Show I ended up talking to Crazy Alan about the Lamy Dark Lilac ink at one point.  Because that's the "local" show for him, he was going home every night to check invoices, but admitted to me that he wasn't sure he'd get his shipment at ALL.  And he said he didn't understand Lamy's rationale, because the Dark Lilac Safaris were just FLYING off the shelf -- they were his best sellers EVER!

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Ron Z]

Compared to other years, it was much quieter, especially Friday and Sunday.  There were quite a few people that we usually see at Raleigh that weren't there this year.   I think that the combination of pandemic and insane gas prices put a damper on things. 

[Carguy]

I really wanted to come, but the gas prices for a 300 mile trip each way just didn’t make sense.

[Just J]

And we missed you too, Carguy. Oh and, btw if anyone hasn't noticed, this thread's tagged onto the 2021 show thread. Talk about Enduring!!  

 

Since it was my 1st, I really have nothing to compare it to. I was entertaining the thought of maybe doing a sort've essay on my adventure....But I don't even know enough about the operations here to've deduced the ongoing thread about this show would ?disappear? with its closing date. 

 

[inkstainedruth]

16 hours ago, Ron Z said:

Compared to other years, it was much quieter, especially Friday and Sunday.  There were quite a few people that we usually see at Raleigh that weren't there this year.   I think that the combination of pandemic and insane gas prices put a damper on things. 

Those definitely were both factors in my decision not to go (and I live probably 45 minutes to an hour closer than you do).

They were also factors a couple of weekends ago, when -- instead of going on a long trip for our anniversary -- my husband and I went out to the Bedford/Altoona area for the weekend, which is just a couple of hours or so east of Pittsburgh.

Maybe next year for Jamestown, VA....  Maybe a couple of years after that for the Blue Ridge Parkway.  And maybe (if I win the lottery) I can drag my husband to Europe because he's never been outside the US except to Canada....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth