Los Angeles Pen Show Feb 2014. Booty Shots.

[Jon Szanto]

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.

[AltecGreen]

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.

Thursday always play out the same. It is usually 1/3-1/2 full with a pick up towards the end of the day. Jon, you left too early on Thursday. By 4-4:30, things were a bit more lively. We did lose a few of the regulars from back east like Paul Erano.

Excluding Sunday which has a different bent, Thursday saw more business than Friday or Saturday. I spoke to a lot of dealers and they all said Thursday was their best day. It is true that many people had not arrived or set-up on Thursday but the big money changed hands on Thursday including several large collections. I did 75% of my business on Thursday and that is unusual. In fact, I could have finished all of my pen buying business on Thursday. It was that good.

Saturday last year was a ghost town but there was more traffic this year. Sunday was still pretty busier than in many years past but probably saw a bit less of a crush than last year. This is a good thing for the dealers since they had problems keeping up last year. The distribution of traffic was better this year since it was not all concentrated on Sunday.

As for Sandy Fry, modern pens can be hit or miss in LA. LA is more vintage focused. For modern pens except Japanese pens, try the DC show or one of the other medium sized East Coast show. Many of those shows have more of a focus on current production pens. I don't really feel that pens shows are the best for modern pens in terms of prices. Often, the prices are higher than buying online. This is especially true for current production pens. However, Pen shows are great for hunting down out of production moderns or used modern pens but then prices are then determined by the laws of supply and demand. Pens shows are good for pens like a Nakaya which has fixed pricing and the ability to get the pen tuned in person.


I'll discuss more of my impression when I post my LA report tomorrow. I just finished processing the 700+ photos.

[Jon Szanto]

Thursday always play out the same. It is usually 1/3-1/2 full with a pick up towards the end of the day. Jon, you left too early on Thursday. By 4-4:30, things were a bit more lively. We did lose a few of the regulars from back east like Paul Erano.

It is true that many people had not arrived or set-up on Thursday but the big money changed hands on Thursday including several large collections. I did 75% of my business on Thursday and that is unusual. In fact, I could have finished all of my pen buying business on Thursday. It was that good.

Yeah, I sort-of knew that about Thurs, but forgot that I hadn't experienced it. Try to remember (or correct me if I'm wrong) that those "big money / large collection" things are mainly involving just a few people who are already in the know, a different kind of beast than browsing through the room. At least to me, I have felt the Thurs activity is for those who are already big players in the collection game, and I'm certainly not part of that.

We'll see what next year brings.

BTW, that totally pisses me off that Paul was there and was gone by the end of Thurs! He was one guy I wanted to hang with, but we had obligations. I'll have to write him, I really find him to be a real inspiration.

[tandaina]

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.

[Jon Szanto]

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.

Just out of curiosity, compared to what? I'm still fairly new at the pen show game and have only attended the one held in LA, but I would imagine prices, just as they do online, fluctuate up and down according to the current market. Many vendors are open to negotiation as well, and with the large supply, it is usually a good way to look for a vintage pen.

But certainly not the only way!

As a side issue, I was looking for a fairly obscure pen, of which I found precisely none at the show. Meanwhile, I had a snipe on one of the few I had seen on eBay. It went for waaaay more than I anticipated (or wanted to spend). The hunt continues...

[AltecGreen]

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.

The trick of course is that buying at a pen show is not like buying from an online store with a buy it now price. You have to haggle with some vendors and the trick is to figure out how much they have into a pen. Some dealers will always start high because they can (rarity, condition, reputation, etc.). Hunting is part of a pen show. There are bargains to be had everywhere. This is where building a relationship helps. The price I paid for a few pens were much less than if someone had asked because I have done a lot of business with the seller. Then there is patience. I have at least one pen where I outlasted the seller. He had a high price so I did not buy the pen the first two years. The third year he relented and sold it for much less because it had not moved in three years.

Another point is that many of the desirable vintage pens are sold by collectors to collectors. The pens tend to be much cleaner and in better condition than random eBay pens or pens found in the wild. Thus the pricing reflects that fact.


A final point concerns vintage European and Japanese pens. These were never really sold in the US when the pens were new. They had to have been brought into the country at some point. It is extremely rare to find such vintage pens in the wild in the US. People who go to Europe to buy vintage European or Japanese pens and bring them here for sale can command a higher price. I collect vintage Italian and Japanese pens and you see a premium on these pens because of both general scarcity and the fact the supply is limited in the US. I could travel to Italy to buy and pay a lower cost but you then have to factor in the cost of travel and other expenses.

[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!