Paul's Blog
An LA Pen Show Experience
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 him that I would consider them, and a few minutes later the young man returned with an almost empty pen case containing five or six unremarkable pens. They looked like they were the last of the pens he…
The Los Angeles Pen Show: Feb 11-14, 2010
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 and he missed the show.
Maybe it’s the break from a long winter (which starts around late November in Upstate New York), but the Los Angeles show is one of my favorites. There are one-hundred…
Trip to Lake Placid - August, 2009
The view from Route 73 just before entering Lake Placid
Paul with new puppy, Marti
Ski lifts
Welcome to Lake Placid
Sarah with Marti
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 Hockey team defeated the Soviet Union for the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics. It is also where I’ve found many beautiful pens and related items over the years, including a 14k gold Swan…
Miami Pen Show - July 17-19, 2009
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
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
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- free shuttle service to the hotel every twenty minutes or so; friendly hotel staff; spacious, comfortable, and nicely furnished rooms; and a very large ball room and surrounding areas for exhibitors and…
Going to the Chicago Pen Show
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
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 even cut out the advertisement from the paper and handed it to me. (My favorite flea market, Stan’s, closed recently and condos are being built in its place.) But my uncle was in the hospital and I…
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