Finally home from my couple weeks out of town. Chicago Pen Show (May 2013) was a great success, and I survived my two weeks of night shifts at the ol' Hospital. In fact, I inspected the first Parker hoard I've found since arriving in Parker's home town for work, which was a coincidental thing.
The Chicago Pen show is one i've attended nearly every year since 2000. It is the oldest pen show. It still has a moderately strong focus on old pens. While the show has contracted a bit since its glory days, it remains a great show for finding old pens. And, this year I sold several that now will never make it to the http://www.vacumania.com sales site, as they found new owners before I could do an update. An oversized Sheaffer Balance in Roseglow, a staggeringly lovely Mabie Todd Blackbird (English) in "Turquoise" (blue and bronze) celluloid, two lovely Chiltons I'd acquired in the Swann Auction last year, and more... all found new homes.
Discussing the charms of pen show attendance perhaps I can touch upon in later posts, but details would make this first post too long. Note that if you have not attended a pen show, you are missing something special.
I will show more detailed pictures in the days/weeks to come. Though at the show only 2.5 days, I scored some great pens for my own collection as well as a bunch for the website.
In the pics to follow, for sense of scale in the first pic at left, the Sheaffer Balance in Ebonized Pearl (black with Mother of Pearl flakes) is an oversized pen ~ 5.5 inches, and the bright yellow pen in middle of the the other image is about the same size. Others can be considered in comparison.
I invite comments and questions about the pens. Several here are quite scarce and/or quite desirable. There also are many bread-and-butter vintage pens shown. Most are in very nice condition.
I might keep as many as ten of these for my personal collection. I will offer tidbits about the pens in subsequent posts.
Look at the pics and have at it, folks... if you are so inclined
Tray A:
Tray B
regards
David
