Following a much appreciated vacation jaunt down to Boca Raton (had lunch with fellow New Yorkers Mike and Ava Dvoretz),  your writer enjoyed a  winter bargain and took the  $50 Air Tran shuttle up to Philadelphia Friday morning Jan 21.  Already quite windy out, the weather started getting rough, and his tiny cab was tossed. Still, by noon he'd arrived at the Wyndham Franklin Plaza, just two  hours late for the start of the Philadelphia Pen Show.

This year, the show occurred under the aegis of new  owner Bertram's Inkwell, the baton having been passed- following several excellent shows- by Geoff and Bernie of Berliner Pens.  Bert and Jim from Bertram's both were present, and clearly took their new obligation seriously but with good cheer.  Jim, though, needs not to serenade us with songs over the loudspeaker. My head still hurts :-)  Was nice to see Geoff and Bernie enjoying the show in the role of dealers instead of as show hosts. Didn't take them long to scarf up a nice vintage pen from my table.

Your writer spent most of the show dealing in vintage  pens and doing pen photography, so his exposure to the milieu of the Bourse is somewhat limited; this review reflects that. Still, more is present to apen show than just the dealer room- though of course that is a large part of the experience.

People attend penshows for many reasons. Most prevalent is the desire to see many pens in one place and to have the opportunity to procure a few.  Serious collectors view the show as a valued educational experience.  More senior and networked collectors appreciate the chance to get together with old friends.

The Philadelphia Pen Show, one of the larger regional shows, allowed all these goals to be met. Great pens were prevalent. Good food was readily available. The company of fellow collectors was excellent. I even had a nice lunch with my old friend, Huntz.

For those who wish to buy or sell pens, two key requirements exist: good viewing space and good lighting.  This show provided both.  Your writer has atteneded upwards of 25 shows, so the simple act of visiting a show is less novel than it once was. Still, he appreciates a good show scene. As always, the lighting was excellent. The Ball Room had recently been redecorated and provided a pleasant environment. Our Show Hosts upped the ante significantly by providing 8-FOOT TABLES to each table holder.  Tables could thus hold many pens AND the occasional portable photolab so hack-amateur photogs could shoot pens and sell pens without rearranging the space. The good lighting and large tables  made for a terrific pen show experience.
 
 

Vintage collectors enjoy debating the fine points of their chosen collectable. When that already heady subject gives way to discussions about internet pen boards, feelings can grow intense.  From Left to Right, this writer, Ron Zorn, Richard Binder, and Daniel Kircheimer take a physical approach to conveying salient points.

Evenings in the hotel lobby (cold cold cold this time) contribute to the pen show experience. This writer sold more pens whilst lounging around the lobby Saturday night, than he  had all day Friday in the bourse. go figure.

But, the storm and local football play-offs took their toll on the Sunday scene. Customers were a bit more scarce, but those who showed up were very motivated. Pen dealers and hobbyist table-holders took in the scene with good cheer. Serious pen shmooze, such as often is not possible on Sunday,  characterized the day.  Those of us doing pen photography had ample opportunity.

On the whole, this was a very nice pen show. People hunting pens found them. People trying to sell pens sold some. Dinners with pen friends added charm, and lobby shmooze at night was vigorous.  Those of us who attended forgive those who chickened out :-) 

 Modern dealers were nicely represented, and one could dig through a cornucopia of ink and of other supplies.

Your writer added two Parker Vacumatic pens to his collection and was happy to extract a stickered perfect Sheaffer Ebonized Pearl Balance set from the evil Penstop. 

Holding penshows in the Northeast in winter carries some risk. But, this approach also allows for an affordable show experience for table holders and for the viewing public. 

Too busy to shoot pics around the show, we shall have to defer  the list of names and pics of faces to other reviewers. Or, if anyone wishes to send a few pics, this review can be modified next week.

All you collectors who've not been to a penshow?  Do consider going. The Show represents a rare chance for the new collector to experience high-density pendom, to meet fellow collectors and to party with pen friends.

In particular, a hearty thanks to The Bertram's team (did i say that already?). May this be the beginning of a long run of great shows.  Now, time to start prepping for LA in three weeks. Yeep!

-david