Los Angeles Pen Show Feb 2014. Booty Shots.

[tandaina]

I found the prices higher than I see say on even Rick's site (which I wouldn't call bargain pricing, you pay for Rick's expertise and it is worth it.) Perhaps haggling was expected and built in to the prices listed, but I didn't find vendors attitudes inclined toward haggling. (Mostly they'd just wave their hand toward the price tag, some even discouraged touching the pens which I found off putting.)

Granted, I'm not a big collector, I'm not well known in the pen world and likely never will be. I own perhaps 40 pens, and while some will go and some will come I'm never going to be like David here! But I'm not uneducated, I spend a lot of time watching various auction and collecting sites, reputable collectors here and on FPN, European auctions (since I lean toward German pens) and one particular pen I was interested in (which isn't rare, just not a dime a dozen) I found at the show marked $400. I'd seen it reliably online (not just on eBay as a beater) for $200 or there-abouts. When I acted surprised the vendor offered a payment plan. (really.)

I'm an introvert and a small unassuming gal without big money to throw around. That likely has an impact. I LOVED getting to sit down with Pendleton at the show and talk pens and church and get a nib ground. I loved the one vendor with just 20 or so flex pens (all inked) who encouraged sitting and playing with the pens as long as you wanted before buying (or not). But once into the bigger vendors... I guess I didn't have the right attitude (I also hate haggling, hate it with a passion. I love TRADING, but no one was interested in trading, everyone wanted money and I am just an awful haggler.)

I'd love, love, love to find a real pen swap sometime. Putting together a three way trade, and that sort of thing, that's fun! When real money gets involved the fun goes out, likely cause I just don't have wads of it!

[AltecGreen]

What show did you go to?


Sounds like did not have the experience most of us have had. This year we had many new Pen Posse members who went and they all had a blast and found good bargains. All of them are new to pen collecting and didn't have a lot of money. In LA, except for a small handful of dealers, all of them will haggle and let you touch the pens, even the big ticket pens. One of things we do is to educate these new members before going to the show and we help them at the show. I can usually find a pen at the right price if they ask me for help.

If you want a less intimidating experience, try going to the Portland one day event this summer. It's a one day event that's much more relaxed. Otherwise, come to the LA show or the SF show and we'll make sure you have a better experience.

[david i]

Verily, I had not intended to trigger the classic (but always worthwhile) "Pen Show Dynamics" conversation with my booty shot, but... all the better. Pen Booty will do that. We've had a few booty chats at FPB over the years, though not the sort of booty referenced by Todd

I shared a red-eye from LAX to Florida with long time pen bud Mike Dvoretz. Visiting family a few days. No light tent. But, I should be able to get decent shots of the majority of recent pen acquisitions, the folder full of pens in that first image being a minority of pen finds this week. And, yes, the few pens that will go to my collection (one of a kind Parker Vacumatic prototypes, for example) are worth a focused peek. I did killer buying at the show. The MB Boheme and a couple of the (no joke) five Parker modern Duofold Black/Pearl, and several of the fresh flex pen buys (think Parker Vacumatic Senior Maxima with noodle nib, a real rarity), didn't last even a few hours in my possession before finding new homes at the show.

As to how pens trade at pen shows, and as to whether/how that hoard in my first shot had anything to do with my being "connected" in the hobby-- it didn't, and I'm not so connected anyway regarding modern pens-- that will be I hope an engaging chat. After dinner and movie in Boca, I'll address some of those points.

regards

david

[pengeezer]

David,you seemed to have gained an admirer............Bessie seems to be following you
around.


John

[david i]

David,you seemed to have gained an admirer............Bessie seems to be following you
around.


John

S'okay. Used to it...

-d

[Sandy Fry]

Sandy, when you talk about pen prices, are you mainly focusing on new(er) pens, or vintage, or all? I tend to not shop for new pens there, as it is not only not my focus, but unless I *need* to try one, I'm figuring there is no way to get a better price than online.

*My* reason for going to these shows is to see things I can't see anywhere else, and that is primarily pens that are no longer in production, vintage and recent. When I'm looking at used - as they all are, save for NOS - I relish the opportunity to really examine it, and not just look at pictures of them. In this light, a pen show is irreplaceable.

My take was a bit weird: I only realized, in hindsight, that I hadn't actually attended on Thursday before. I did this year, and when we walked in just after lunch, I almost freaked - what happened? There were only about half the tables occupied, and I thought 50% of the show had gotten stuck in the snow and ice! But that was just the slowest of the trading days, and by Friday the room was full, just as in years past. Lot of good pen and parts hunting, even better conversations, a good event for me. I do note, maybe like yourself, that with a different focus comes a loss of some of that "overwhelming" nature of a first show (this was my third). I actually enjoyed it more because of that.

I buy vintage pens, and was really surprised by the prices I saw at the pen show I attended, I found them very, very high for the most part. Especially for Montblanc and Pelikan pens. Some of the smaller vendors had some good prices on more obscure brands, but I was pretty put off by the prices.

I agree with you completely. I thought the prices overall for most things were extremely high. I love vintage pens and have an affinity for Parkers and Sheaffers ( I am still new to collecting but have 3 Parker 51's, a couple of 21's and 4 or is it 5 45's and 3 or 4 Sheaffer Snorkels, a couple of touchdown fillers and a few c/c fillers ) but I found the prices for the aforementioned pens were extremely high. I would expect mint condition for those prices.

@Jon...yeah, I do most of my buying online. Definitely find pens cheaper that way. I know folks are there to make money but you would think they would not try to gouge fellow pen enthusiasts. That was what disappointed me the most. The vendors were very warm and friendly but most would not budge on their prices even for cash. Some offered a reduction of a few dollars but not enough to make it enough of a good deal for me.

I am still looking forward to the next show though. It has a great atmosphere and maybe next year I will try to attend more than just the Sunday.

David

[Jon Szanto]

It has a great atmosphere and maybe next year I will try to attend more than just the Sunday.

That explains a lot, too, David. Sunday vs. the other days is almost like two different shows. In fact, I went down to the floor at 8:00 on Sunday and only stayed about 1/2 hour after they opened the doors (10:30). Many of the vintage people don't display on Sunday, and the ones that do may have been there for a more captive crowd. The other *very* important difference is that on all the other days, you have a lot more face time with the people, can do a lot of discussing and learning, and more than likely, better deals. The price difference in the two admission fees is the very best money I've spent every year. If you take a look at the Pen Show wrap-up thread, you can see how less crowded it is on the other days.

Well, anyway, I'd just like you, and everyone else, to have a good show experience. This one has caused me to consider traveling to more shows (rather than drive two hours from home!) - way addicting!

[ChrisC]

How are the prices on modern pens? I've had my eye on various modern, pre-owned Visconti pens.

[Sandy Fry]

Altec...I am not disputing you but I found that most dealers were NOT willing to haggle, or at least not budge much on the price. Possibly they knew I was a newbie and not a seasoned collector? I went looking for a Delta Dolce Vita piston filler ( got it at a price I was happy with ) and a Visconti Opera Crystal. Only one vendor had the Opera Crystal and it was his demonstration pen which had been used a bunch of times ( caked hard ink in the reservoir ) and he offered it to me for $450 but then said he could get me a brand new one at the same price. Huh? You want me to buy a used pen for the same price as a new one? He would not budge from that price for the used one and I was not parting with the money for a new one from him as it seemed a little shady to me.

I was not disappointed with the show per say but with the overall prices. My Parker vacuumatic is in better condition than a few of the ones I was looking at and they were nearly 3 times the price!

I would be interested in your offer, if you are at the L.A. show next year, to help a newbie score a better bargain.

David

[ChrisC]

Did you see any other Visconti pens there? And yes, I agree, $450 is steep for a used Crystal, especially one that's been lightly abused.

[AltecGreen]

Altec...I am not disputing you but I found that most dealers were NOT willing to haggle, or at least not budge much on the price. Possibly they knew I was a newbie and not a seasoned collector? I went looking for a Delta Dolce Vita piston filler ( got it at a price I was happy with ) and a Visconti Opera Crystal. Only one vendor had the Opera Crystal and it was his demonstration pen which had been used a bunch of times ( caked hard ink in the reservoir ) and he offered it to me for $450 but then said he could get me a brand new one at the same price. Huh? You want me to buy a used pen for the same price as a new one? He would not budge from that price for the used one and I was not parting with the money for a new one from him as it seemed a little shady to me.

I was not disappointed with the show per say but with the overall prices. My Parker vacuumatic is in better condition than a few of the ones I was looking at and they were nearly 3 times the price!

I would be interested in your offer, if you are at the L.A. show next year, to help a newbie score a better bargain.

David

I think I understand your situation better know. The operative word is Sunday.


You are not the first person to voice these complaints about the LA show. The common denominator is Sunday. It is unfortunate but some of the vendors prey upon the attendees Sunday. In the past, I have heard complaints about the price of a pen going up between Saturday and Sunday. Also, I've heard that some dealers price their pens higher than their online prices. It is unfortunate that it soured your pen show experience.

My offer stands. Just find me at the show. The best advice is to not come on Sunday but rather the trader days.

[AltecGreen]

Did you see any other Visconti pens there? And yes, I agree, $450 is steep for a used Crystal, especially one that's been lightly abused.

There were Visconti pens but it was limited to what was brought with each dealer. You don't have much choice for new Visconti pens at LA. I didn't see a very wide selection of Visconti pens other than the latest LEs and a few Operas. Visconti has shifted much of their focus towards watches and jewelery. They also seem to no longer attend pen shows. Long Story.


Delta and Stipula are a different story. Yafa, the distributor, was the show sponsor and had a huge presence at the show. They brought a lot of inventory to re-stock their dealers at the show.

[ethernautrix]

Altec...I am not disputing you but I found that most dealers were NOT willing to haggle, or at least not budge much on the price. Possibly they knew I was a newbie and not a seasoned collector? I went looking for a Delta Dolce Vita piston filler ( got it at a price I was happy with ) and a Visconti Opera Crystal. Only one vendor had the Opera Crystal and it was his demonstration pen which had been used a bunch of times ( caked hard ink in the reservoir ) and he offered it to me for $450 but then said he could get me a brand new one at the same price. Huh? You want me to buy a used pen for the same price as a new one? He would not budge from that price for the used one and I was not parting with the money for a new one from him as it seemed a little shady to me.

I was not disappointed with the show per say but with the overall prices. My Parker vacuumatic is in better condition than a few of the ones I was looking at and they were nearly 3 times the price!

I would be interested in your offer, if you are at the L.A. show next year, to help a newbie score a better bargain.

David

I think I understand your situation better know. The operative word is Sunday.


You are not the first person to voice these complaints about the LA show. The common denominator is Sunday. It is unfortunate but some of the vendors prey upon the attendees Sunday. In the past, I have heard complaints about the price of a pen going up between Saturday and Sunday. Also, I've heard that some dealers price their pens higher than their online prices. It is unfortunate that it soured your pen show experience.

My offer stands. Just find me at the show. The best advice is to not come on Sunday but rather the trader days.

Ricky the Pen Show Sherpa! You're the best!

I think that the trader days vendors are more flexible, because everyone is a pen enthusiast even if one is new (an unfamiliar face to the vendors).

[david i]

Just to keep things interesting, I note that some of my best buys from other tables have happened on Sunday. Correlation does not always indicate causation. Too, many of the dynamics cited above involve more than one variable.

regards

david

[pengeezer]

Perhaps the vendors should remember that newbies don't necessarily NEED their pens--rather
a nice price introducing them to the hobby might make them willing to learn more about
the hobby.


John

[david i]

Perhaps the vendors should remember that newbies don't necessarily NEED their pens--rather
a nice price introducing them to the hobby might make them willing to learn more about
the hobby.


John

Not really relevant.

Supply/Demand in microeconomics is a broader process than whether a given vender needs a particular purchase from a given buyer... i mean whether a given buyer needs the pen of a given seller... I mean...

regards

david

[Farmboy]

Do note that when buying entire portfolios of pens it is easier to haggle. Thus my (and others) usual buying tactic. In other words, I would buy an entire tray of 51s just to get the one pen that I really wanted, simply because there was more opportunity for negotiation.

I should add that according to some, I am hoarding certain pen models and parts, thus my experiences may not apply.

[Jon Szanto]

I should add that according to some, I am hoarding certain pen models and parts, thus my experiences may not apply.

I think you are hoarding Ziplock baggies.

[Sandy Fry]

I will definitely try to attend other days next year. Getting the time off is the hard part...especially weekends. Luckily I had Saturday and Sunday off but I work nights and had a double shift Friday so slept until 3pm Saturday.

As I said, not so much disappointed in the show but in some of the outrageous prices. I do not have the funds to be a serious collector as such but I had about $1000 saved for my 50th birthday ( 2 weeks ago ) and thought I would treat myself to a couple of more expensive pens than I am used to buying but most of the pens I liked I could get much cheaper online.

@Altec...will definitely try to find you next year even if it is just to try and gain a little knowledge from you.

@Chris C...did not see many Visconti's other than a bunch of ballpoints and the Crystal I wanted was obviously well used. The vendor said he was an authorized Visconti dealer and could get me a new Crystal at the same price as the used one. Thought that was a bit fishy and declined his offer.

Thanks guys/gals.

David

[david i]

So that was David's impulse buy. I am still waiting to see the pictures of the stuff he was hunting for!

And awwwaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaay we go...

In the first image at start of thread we saw an on-the-fly shot of a collection I bought there in one fell swoop, along with a couple overflow pens. A few had already gone to new homes.



Here are pens I bought as individual clusters during the show. Some nice stuff here, some fairly advanced, targeting my usual 1920's-1940's USA focus. I'll offer some clues and descriptions. Feel free to ask questions and to make observations.
s

1. Victor Telescoping pen
2. Wahl-Eversharp late 1920's-or-so Rosewood HR Flat Top made for the Gregg Writing School. Besides the plaque on top do you see the tell?
3. Wahl-Eversharp 1940's made for Gregg Writing School. Besides the plaque on top do you see the tell?
4. A near modern pen and a rare addition to my collection (i keep few modern pens), Stipula Etruria OS 991 10th anniversary edition, complete with original box, etc
5. Moore "A"series probably early 1940's, small 70-A. Killer plastic not well shown in image.
6. Sheaffer 1940's all gold-filled pen, 1920's. Noodle Flex nib
7. Sheaffer 1920's Coral (pure orange in this case, not the generally recognized vintage "Coral") flat-top, off catalogue d/t bandless cap and chrome trim. Rare pen.
8. Sheaffer Balance Deluxe Premier, off-catalogue (lined wide cap-band) oversized set in striated Marine Green celluloid. Near Mint pen
9. Sheaffer PFM II (Pen For Men II), the fat Snorkel-pen from ~ 1960. Green. Nearmint
10. Sheaffer Balance Admiral in striated Gray Pearl with particularly clean cap trim
11. Sheaffer Balance Canadian with quite scarce canadian-only cli. In fact, I first observed this clip after writing my PENnant article (you should subscribe to PENnant) about Canadian Sheaffer Balance. Must give Paul a short addendum one of these days.
12. Sheaffer Balance oversized (Premier) in jet black.
13. Sheaffer Balance Admiral (standard girth long pen, non-WHite Dot) with Cadillac logo
14. Standard size Wahl-Eversharp Skyline, slightly better model with striped celluloid cap
15. Wahl-Eversharp Skyline, oversized set-- the Executive Skyline--. I own two other colors. In ten years hunting I saw my first brown Executive at the LA Pen Show. Then managed to find another an hour later. Yeah, baby...
16. Wahl-Evesharp Skyline in Modern Stripe ("Moire") celluloid. Originally a lower-price model, these are very popular today. This one is clean with nice flexy nib.
17. Wahl-Eversharp Skyline all gold-filled in a better pattern, chevron.
18. Modern-ish Sheaffer Legacy all brushed-gold filled. Thrown in to a big buy for $10 (heck, the gold nib assembly likely is worth $90) by owner who wanted to be rid of it, as it has a company logon on cap.

I will post the better tray a little later.



regards

David