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AltecGreen
August 29th, 2014, 10:58 PM
In lieu of my normal pen show report, I give you a series of pen show stories.







The basket

I was minding my own business putting out fires on Friday afternoon when I was summoned to the registration desk. At the desk was a lovely young lady from the San Mateo County/Silicon Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau who had a a special delivery. I had already received one special delivery that day when a pallet of Pen World magazines arrived for me. However, this delivery was not for me. She said that the basket was for Todd. That's weird. I took one look and it said for Todd. So I went into the main ball room and found Todd. I told him he had a package out front and he's going to love it. So this is what was awaiting him.








https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3891/15049052882_755ce53057_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oVQk81)




It's not everyday a basket of organic produce arrives for Todd. It was a fitting birthday present for Farmboy. I almost stole one of his tomatoes. I was so hungry by that point.Of course, Todd spent the next few days surviving a barrage of happy birthday singing. On Saturday night it was the Brazilian wait staff at Espestus and on Sunday, it was the pen show.


https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5563/14862925390_4e342b09f4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDonUj)









The Thank You Gift

At pen shows, it is not uncommon for people to show up with a large collection of pens that they somehow acquired through chance. A woman named Bonnie showed up on Friday with a partial list of pens she had and now wanted to get rid off. She sought advice from a number of people at the show and was smart for not bringing the pens with her and being patient. She returned on Sunday with some of the pens. I happened by after she had concluded most of her business. She was sitting with Ron Lee and they mentioned they got good info on all pens except for two. I told to pull them out so I can take a look. As soon as I saw them, I had an idea of what they were. It's not everyday you see a pair of odd looking Hakase pens. The pens screamed Hakase but they had some odd features. So I dragged Bonnie over to Andy Lambrou's table to consult with Andy. They were certainly Hakase pens from the eaarly 90's. The feature that threw both Andy and myself off were the cap bands on the pens. They had an odd cap band that neither of us recognized and a uncommon cap that a top that looks like a MB Starwalker except with the twin nib symbol of Hakase. When we asked her how she came by the pens, she said she had hosted and exchange student and the family were so grateful that they sent her five pens. I really want ot see the other three!


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3846/14863019648_911aa861cf_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDoRVs)

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3923/15026603666_009cdb8827_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oTRgKy)


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3871/14862869949_06257aef89_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDo6qr)





The Microscope

Pen Posse often just nucleates spontaneously at pen shows. It really does not take much for us to form and all kinds of wackiness ensues. After the show on Friday, the hung around while waiting for security to show up. Gale breaks out her USB microscope and starts looking at nibs. That was cool. But that got old so someone busts out a crisp new $100 note and that's when the fun begins. I guess looking at money is more interesting than looking at nibs.


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3909/15049393155_1b092e4f32_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oVS5gM)

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5579/14862733670_fb9a4cc465_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDnoUN)

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5589/14862722120_b05a7caa5f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDnktE)



The money was really more interesting.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3837/14862816037_55e634e5f1_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDnPoV)





Rainbow Coalition?

You may have heard about Paul Erano's Black Pen Society. At the show Paul was trying to entice me to join. I said, "But Paul, I'm the enemy. I am the colored pen guy." Maybe I should start my own colored pen society. However, the good names are already taken.


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3883/15049271872_d19999e089_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oVRsdG)





Road Trip


I must thank all of the Pen Posse members who stepped up to help man the registration desk. You guys rocked. Among them was Sam and Frank Fiorella who had driven to DC two weeks earlier, drove home to Arizona and then drove up to SF to be at the show and help. Wow!


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3913/15049375422_4c7f004d36_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oVRZ13)








YMCA

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3918/15049343702_37313e848d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oVRPz9)
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3900/14863147537_d648b9dba6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDpvWr)







Pen Show Dog

For some reason, I always get a good shot of Pen Show Dog. Pen Show dog has been to 3 LA Pen Shows and 3 SF Pen Shows.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3909/14862501789_bee771b272_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDmcYR)

AltecGreen
August 29th, 2014, 10:59 PM
Coffee

We were at Pen Posse the weekend before the show and goaded Mark Cohen into selling freshly roasted coffee. He spent the next week roasting away. There was quite a trade in coffee. I bought some from Mark and proceeded to re-sell it to Jonella at nibs.com. I tried to get Mark to sell his pour over coffee to the attendees.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/15049618185_911385e15e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oVTeaB)
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3847/14863028748_3f765d2179_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDoUCm)







The Pastries


This is self explanatory.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5582/14862961169_6129a4bdf6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDoyxc)

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5559/14862959359_38aae06cea_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDoxZZ)






Value Added

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3872/14862913270_52a32ba3b8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDojim)






It's a Conspiracy!

It was fate we held the pen show at this hotel.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5595/15049272645_470a62890c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oVRss2)








Be Careful What You Wish For!

I ended up on Saturday wandering over to the Nakaya display at nibs.com. Pen Posse member Mikey was there and lamenting that he would buy a Nakaya except he cannot use a twist cap at work. I reached over and grabed one of the new sand blasted briar wood Nakaya pens and pull the slip cap off right in front of him then handed him the pen. An hour later I see him leaving the show with Nakaya box in hand. OPM!

Here's Mikey's pen on Sunday
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3899/14862886150_1c6667d284_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDobeL)

orfew
August 29th, 2014, 11:47 PM
Great stories and great photos. Thanks very much for posting this.

Jon Szanto
August 30th, 2014, 12:08 AM
Thanks, Ricky, I knew you'd come through! :)

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb204/EnvoyC/resource/clap_welles.gif

AltecGreen
August 30th, 2014, 09:19 AM
Thanks, Ricky, I knew you'd come through! :)



This is not really a show report and certainly much smaller than my normal write-ups.

Jon Szanto
August 30th, 2014, 10:42 AM
Thanks, Ricky, I knew you'd come through! :)



This is not really a show report and certainly much smaller than my normal write-ups.

I'm aware of that. Nonetheless, a little of your perspective and eye is better than none.