Philadelphia pen show

[rajesh06]

Surprised that I see no posts related to the first pen show of 2024. Is anyone going?

[Baka1969]

I was just going to make a post. I should be going to the show this Friday. If that is the best day to go? It'll be my first pen show.  I've been to other hobby shows in years past. Just not pens. 

 

I have an injured MB 221P that has a significant crack on the section I might try to get repaired. If possible and viable. 

 

I'm also not sure how many of my pens (if any) to bring. 

 

Lastly, I'll keep within a predetermined budget for everything.

[inkstainedruth]

Not me -- I've got a conflict (other hobby) this weekend.  

I keep wondering about what the Philly show is like -- but it's the other end of the state from me (it's literally closer for me to go to DCSS -- although there's generally a scheduling conflict with it any more -- or to Baltimore/Washington (which is at a better time of the year).  And of course OPS is only about a 3-1/2 hour drive each way for me.  

Plus, I've driven on the PA Turnpike in bad weather.... 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[rajesh06]

9 hours ago, Baka1969 said:

I was just going to make a post. I should be going to the show this Friday. If that is the best day to go? It'll be my first pen show.  I've been to other hobby shows in years past. Just not pens. 

 

I have an injured MB 221P that has a significant crack on the section I might try to get repaired. If possible and viable. 

 

I'm also not sure how many of my pens (if any) to bring. 

 

Lastly, I'll keep within a predetermined budget for everything.

 

I go on Fridays - mostly because I work about 3 blocks away, so I can go on Friday without an extra trip. I was slightly disappointed last year as a few vendors didn't show up until Saturday.

 

I've only been to Philly, but I understand it's viewed as a slightly smaller-than-average show. One of these years, I'll make it to DC.

 

My only tips:

• Sign up for the nib work as soon as you get there
• Bring a loupe if you have one

[Baka1969]

47 minutes ago, rajesh06 said:

 

I go on Fridays - mostly because I work about 3 blocks away, so I can go on Friday without an extra trip. I was slightly disappointed last year as a few vendors didn't show up until Saturday.

 

I've only been to Philly, but I understand it's viewed as a slightly smaller-than-average show. One of these years, I'll make it to DC.

 

My only tips:

• Sign up for the nib work as soon as you get there
• Bring a loupe if you have one

👍

[antares1966]

+1 for bringing a loupe if possible.  That was on my Christmas wish list for this year, and Santa obliged  😁

[inkstainedruth]

Looking like the next show for me will be Baltimore/Washington in March.  Assuming I don't have a conflict that weekend, of course....

I tend to stay at a place a few blocks away, which is a lot cheaper, and which has the added advantage of being within walking distance of the kabab place that was recommended by someone on here a few years ago to someone else as being a good place to grab dinner.   And not only was the food at that place great?  I got basically three dinners out of one entree!  (It's basically a takeout place, so doesn't look like much, but the food is AMAZING.... ).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Carguy]

I wanted to come to this first pen show of the year, but not feeling 658 miles up I-95 for a weekend trip.

[inkstainedruth]

Yeah, I don't blame you -- especially when there may be bad weather all along the eastern seaboard this weekend.  

I'm already sweating the 1-1/2 to 2 hour drive on Saturday just out to Johnstown, PA and back enough as it is.  And that's only about 75 miles or so each way from where I live....  At least my husband learned to drive in the greater Albany, NY area -- last winter when we were heading east we were on a small highway and going up a hill at one point somewhere in the Laurel Highlands -- only to find a van spinning out on black ice.  I was SOOO happy he was driving, because I would have had the gut reaction to slam on the brakes and then probably would have ended up hitting the van; instead, *he* put his foot on the gas pedal and steered around it (fortunately it was a divided highway at that point, with 2 lanes each way).  Of course, shortly thereafter, after we passed the crest of the hill, he was going "OMG!" because in the rear view mirror he saw the van get creamed by a big rig truck....  And we had to pull off to the side of the road and call 911 and weren't sure exactly where we were at that point, and I'm going "Um, this is the side road we're next to....  and the accident was somewhere behind us...."

When we got to an area which was more built up, with a lot of food places and gas stations, we took a break (there were a couple of police cruisers heading the other way with their lights and sirens on, and we were looking at each and going, "Bet we know where THEY'RE headed...."  And my husband also warned some people heading west on that road about the accident as well.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Baka1969]

I just returned from the Philadelphia Pen Show. I'm glad I went today as it wasn't as busy as it will get Saturday and Sunday.  First I'll go over the not-so-great. There are no bargains. If you think going to the pen show gets you big savings? Think again. 

 

I bought a few things and paid more than I would normally because I want to support the small business community. 

 

Other than that, everything else was great. 

 

The big benefit is you get to meet a lot of terrific people and getting to see more pens than you really can't otherwise. 

 

 

Here's what I bought at the show:

 

*Platinum Carbon Black Ink

*Platinum Pigment Ink Blue

*Esterbrook Estie Rainforest with custom Journal Nib by Gena Salorino

*Custom ground left oblique italic nib for my Montblanc 146 (broad) by Gena Salorino

 

Gina was really nice. She was very patient and did an excellent job with my 146. Totally transforming the pen.

 

The overall venue wasn't that big., There were two large-ish rooms and a decent number of vendors. Maybe I'll go to the upcoming DC show?  We shall see. 

[whichwatch]

Baltimore is the first weekend in March and is a much larger show.  It is a terrific show and well worth attending.  DC in August is larger yet - the largest of all in the US.

[Baka1969]

6 minutes ago, whichwatch said:

Baltimore is the first weekend in March and is a much larger show.  It is a terrific show and well worth attending.  DC in August is larger yet - the largest of all in the US.

 

I live in DelCo and about 30 minutes away by train from the Philly show. It was worth going to since it was so close. Plus, I'm not sure my wallet could take a much larger show. lol 

[rajesh06]

I went today as well. I was in the market for a few specific items and got them. I'll be interested in the reports this weekend. This show has gotten smaller each year, and I wonder if it will go away eventually. (I hope not!)

 

Hopefully the vendors that do come out do well.

 

 

[rajesh06]

4 hours ago, Baka1969 said:

 

I just returned from the Philadelphia Pen Show. I'm glad I went today as it wasn't as busy as it will get Saturday and Sunday.  First I'll go over the not-so-great. There are no bargains. If you think going to the pen show gets you big savings? Think again. 

 

I bought a few things and paid more than I would normally because I want to support the small business community. 

 

Other than that, everything else was great. 

 

The big benefit is you get to meet a lot of terrific people and getting to see more pens than you really can't otherwise. 

 

 

*Esterbrook Estie Rainforest with custom Journal Nib by Gena Salorino

*Custom ground left oblique italic nib for my Montblanc 146 (broad) by Gena Salorino

 

 

Gina was really nice. She was very patient and did an excellent job with my 146. Totally transforming the pen.

 

The overall venue wasn't that big., There were two large-ish rooms and a decent number of vendors. Maybe I'll go to the upcoming DC show?  We shall see. 

 

That's quite a lovely pen! @Baka1969 Congrats on the purchase.

[inkstainedruth]

In my experience, the deals are to be found on the last day of pen shows -- if for no other reason that it's that much less for the various vendors to pack up.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Baka1969]

1 hour ago, rajesh06 said:

I went today as well. I was in the market for a few specific items and got them. I'll be interested in the reports this weekend. This show has gotten smaller each year, and I wonder if it will go away eventually. (I hope not!)

 

Hopefully the vendors that do come out do well.

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, rajesh06 said:

 

That's quite a lovely pen! @Baka1969 Congrats on the purchase.

Thanks!

 

There were also a few tables of those who hadn't shown up or might not. I was there from 10 am until a little before 3 pm. I did all I really wanted to there. There was a LE Visconti Homo Sapiens that I had my eye on but was more than I could justify to myself spending. Someone there mentioned using a credit card. If I can't or am unwilling to pay cash (or pay it outright) for something, particularly a luxury item, then I don't need it. 

 

There were many, many pens at the show that I would have loved to have. I just know I can't have them all. It's nice to have something out there out of reach. It give me something to strive for and desire.

 

 

39 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

In my experience, the deals are to be found on the last day of pen shows -- if for no other reason that it's that much less for the various vendors to pack up.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

You're absolutely right. Sadly, I don't have the time or opportunity to be there when they're all wrapping up. 

[inkstainedruth]

Well, at least you were able to get to the show at all.  I live on the other end of the state.... And I suspect that (given the weather today and predicted for the rest of the weekend, taking the train to Philly and back was probably not a bad idea (we're sort of sweating out the drive to Johnstown and back...  and that's normally an hour and a half to two hours each way, depending on the time and amount of traffic).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Baka1969]

23 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

Well, at least you were able to get to the show at all.  I live on the other end of the state.... And I suspect that (given the weather today and predicted for the rest of the weekend, taking the train to Philly and back was probably not a bad idea (we're sort of sweating out the drive to Johnstown and back...  and that's normally an hour and a half to two hours each way, depending on the time and amount of traffic).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

If you look at Mike Matteson's YouTube post you'll see he did a pretty complete video tour of the show. Much better than I could ever do. Taking pictures or doing videos documenting events is not my thing. I had to force myself to take the few pictures I did.