Paul's Pens

Raleigh Pen Show (2010)

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:38:40 -0400

Road trips and pen shows go hand in hand for me. Given a choice, I’d rather drive than fly to a pen show. Flights are a hassle. Early arrival at the airport, flight connections (there are few direct flights from Albany), and getting to the hotel by cab or airport shuttle usually adds up to a few hours difference between flying and driving. Besides, a ten to twelve hour drive doesn’t seem all…

An LA Pen Show Experience

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:44:58 -0500

Not all pen show experiences end on a positive note. Sometimes, collectors are not willing to meet in the middle to make a transaction happen. Consider the following, for example:

On Sunday at the LA show, a younger man wanted to purchase a pen in my display case. But he didn’t have enough money.

“I have some pens for a partial trade,” he said, “but they’re not too good.”

I told…

The Los Angeles Pen Show: Feb 11-14, 2010

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:42:29 -0500

Flying anywhere from Upstate New York in February is always a little risky, and I was lucky David Isaacson called me the evening before the big snow storm to update my flight plans. Thanks to David, I got the last seat on a plane to Charlotte instead of flying out of Philadelphia which received two feet of snow in the surrounding area. Unfortunately, David’s flight out of Syracuse was cancelled…

Trip to Lake Placid - August, 2009

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:30:30 -0400

With the first sunny day in weeks, my daughter Sarah and I decided to take our new puppy, Marti, for a ride to Lake Placid- a two hour plus trip to what is New York State’s High Peak’s Region in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. You may recall Lake Placid hosted the Winter Olympics in the 1930s and in 1980. It is famous for its rustic beauty and history, and it is where the American Olympic…

Miami Pen Show - July 17-19, 2009

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:33:30 -0400

I will have a booth at the Miami Pen Show, at the Biltmore Hotel, in Coral Gables. The Biltmore is a fantastic venue and I look forward to being there every year. Of course, I will have an exciting selection of vintage pens offered for sale. If you're in the area, I look forward to seeing you there.

Raleigh Pen Show - 2009

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:30:14 -0400

I'll be at the Raleigh Pen Show, which runs from June 11th through the 14th this year. It is being held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, in Cary, NC. This is a great show, and if you're in the area, you should try to attend. For more information, see their website at www.raleighpenshow.com.

The Chicago Pen Show May 1-3, 2009

Wed, 06 May 2009 23:39:51 -0400

The Chicago Pen Show is always the first weekend in May. It is the oldest and one of the largest international pen shows held annually at the Weston O’Hare Hotel minutes away from the airport. Collectors start arriving Wednesday, the last week of April, to do as much pre-show buying, selling, and trading as they possibly can. The Western O’Hare is well suited for a large international show-…

Going to the Chicago Pen Show

Fri, 01 May 2009 11:11:12 -0400

I'm at the Chicago Pen Show this weekend and will have a lot of great pens with me. So, stop by my booth if you're at the show and say hello.

A Drive to the Stormville Airport Flea Market

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:17:58 -0400

I had put off the decision to go- or not to go- long enough. Stormville, NY is famous for antiques and collectables. It is located in rural (lower) Upstate NY, which meant I had to travel about two hours south to get there. It also meant I hardly consider Stormville Upstate, being much closer to Larchmont than it is to Lake Placid. Still, my wife had given me the go ahead earlier. She had…