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2011 DC Pen Show Report.


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#1 david i

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Posted 11 August 2011 - 08:52 PM

Glad I made it to the show. First few hours have been very active. All tables in the small pre-show room are filled. I had the best DC early-show pen hunting since starting at DC back in, oh, 2000 or so.

Grabbed my first Parker 51 "Presidential", this an English solid 18k barleycorn finish. Three Sheaffer Snorkes: nearmint Auotograph (solid gold trim, no engraving), nearmint all-Mandarin, and nearmint/mint stickered Demonstrators. Several nice 1940's Sheaffer Crest pens. The Demo Snork was found at the first table to which I strolled, admittedly groggy on four hours sleep. Nice way to start the day.

Saw a unique-in-my-experience Sheaffer military Balance, a nice discovery since one of my three show-and-kvell cases brought to the show is full of weird Balances. Time will tell if I manage to become its owner.

Oh yeah, almost forgot the oversized WASP "circuit board" pen, Deluxe (wide band) in brown, completing my color set of OS "circuit board pens".

And more of this and that...

All told, not to shabby for five hours or so on the prelim day of this major show. Negative? Blew 40% of the 5 day budget in 5 hours. No complaints though.

There is a good buzz. Very active Thursday all about. Stock market jitters don't seem to be affecting the day.

Do get down here if you can. Won't regret it.

More reports to follow, I hope

regards

David
David R. Isaacson MD. Website: VACUMANIA.com for quality old pens with full warranty.
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#2 Jiffypens

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Posted 12 August 2011 - 12:21 AM

I wish I could go, the distance is too far. Look forward to seeing what crazy pens you find this time Posted Image

#3 david i

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Posted 12 August 2011 - 03:53 PM

Friday morning goes well. The crowd survived the evening dinner/scotch/cigar scene; the bourse is noisy and busy. But, a solid gold Skyline was stolen from a table.

I've acquired two more off-catalogue Sheaffer Balances, a couple scarce color Snorkels. The icing on the cake was Eranowitz's arrival with a scarce Vacumatic set he'd acquired via a collection purchase last week. Vacumatic Imperial Signet Debutante. Brown striped set with solid gold trim throughout, the first of this set I've seen amongst zeelions of Vacs handled over the years, and one on my list of 15 or so Vac still being actively hunted. 30 seconds later it changed owners. Happy David, as they say.

We're having fun.

regards

David
David R. Isaacson MD. Website: VACUMANIA.com for quality old pens with full warranty.
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#4 Frank(Federalist Pens)

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Posted 12 August 2011 - 10:42 PM

Will see you on Saturday David!

Frank :)

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#5 david i

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Posted 13 August 2011 - 11:32 AM

Pen show continues to shape up nicely, possibly my best "buying" DC Show ever. The weather in DC has been great, also the best in my 12 years here. Dry crisp sunny days, so far none of the usual evil humidity. Pen Crowd seems really happy to be here, with nighttime chat/scotch/cigar crowd hanging until after midnight (a big deal with this tired old bunch. The days of trading pens until 2 am in the lobby are long gone). People have been mixing it up for meals; we are fortunate to have a large range of ethnic restaurants within mile of the hotel.

The pen finds have been superb. I'm somewhat sad that my find of the Presidential English Parker 51 (solid 18k Barley pattern) will never make it to the Vacumania website, traded away. I hope to shoot a rough image anyway from new owner. So it goes.

I am now the happy owner of one of the 15 or so "key pens" that had been on my Parker Vacumatic list of pens to find, to round out my personal Vac collection, an Imperial Signet Debutante set; if unfamiliar to you, no worries, pictures to follow in week or so.

Found a hoard of 40 clean Parker 51's (basic models) and a crisp window pane Heritage cap double jewel pen Some nice Balances including (thanks Bill Weakley) what is I believe the cleanest OS Ebonized Pearl I've ever seen. I picked up several off catalogue Balances to add to my collection of Balance exotica. Several nice senior Parker Duofolds popped up including streamlined pens in red and in burgundy/black. Cannot complain about the Waterman's including one of my favorite 1930's items, a red/bronze Waterman 92 set quite nice.

One neat item (first for me) was an italian pen in a basket-weave pattern plastic with very flexible nib, brand possibly Lorino, I'm told a sub-brand for Aurora.

Fun show.

regards

David
David R. Isaacson MD. Website: VACUMANIA.com for quality old pens with full warranty.
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#6 david i

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Posted 13 August 2011 - 11:13 PM

Well, I'm now running on fumes, strange state for someone on vacation ;)

Two nights with 4 then 5 hours sleep. 10+ hour adrenaline runs each day in show, scampering about to make good finds, wheeling and dealing, answering questions, show-n-kvelling and the like.

There has been noise at this show. As before, good "buzz", milling and jostling people, a presence that gives hope for the hobby. People are selling old pens and finding new-to-them old pens. I certainly am.

I had constructive dealings with a pen acquaintance from whom I've bought pens each year here. He had several folders laden with type-sorted pens. I spotted a case of 40 Parker 51's (like the 300-ish in the pipeline for this winter's massive update were not enough), mostly Aeros in clean shape at first peek. I examined ten at random, all with clean undinged caps, nice plastic, good nibs, most working and/or restored. I asked "how much for the 51's". After hearing that it depended on the color, nib grade, etc, I grinned and said, "No, I mean how much for THE 51's. All of 'em, I mean". Five minutes later I strolled off with the latest 51 hoard. Happy David... or something.

I did sell a bunch of pens from the website and after receiving back a restored package of Snorks from Martin Ferguson (I'd brought about 20 with me, my last year's hunting the rare color pens), I managed to sell 20 Mandarin, Fiesta, Peacock, all-Perwinkle pens in a twenty minute binge with a pen friend who likes the rare Snork colors. BOOM, as they say. As with the parting ways with my only English barley-pattern Parker 51 Presidential (18k) 18 hours after purchase, I'm a bit saddened I won't be able to have my Snorkel update at the website show 20 rare color Snorks, but hey... hafta keep things moving.

I've picked up a bunch of grand pens individually, from my usual 1920-1960 zone of interest. Waterman 0545 (metal overlay gold-filled Waterman 54) crispy creme condition with coat of arms of some sort at top and with broad stub flex English Waterman nib comes to mind. The Lapis Blue Swan Eternal 44 essentially in mint condition was a charmer.

I added two pens to my personal collection besides the stunning Parker Vacumatic Imperial Debutante set that Eranowitz found last month and brought to the show. I grabbed a truly mint "perfect jade" (to go with my collection of jade celluloid) Parker Duofold Senior streamlined pen and the best I've seen Black/Pearl Wahl Equi-poised oversized pen.

I'm spent, physically though not quite financially as sales about covered purchases. This has been my best "buying" show at DC in 6-8 years and one of my best "selling" DC shows in years as well.

The pen community/hobby culture thing is in full tilt with evening down time, tales of pen finds and of course show-n-kvell. One well known Chilton collector brought a couple hundred Chiltons and Crockers, resulting in multi-hour discussion at midnite in the lobby. It gave us chance to see in concentrated fashion what most collectors outside this setting could not see in a lifetime collecting.

We've eaten well. The hotel rooms are crisp and pleasant.

This is proving to be a great show.

regards

David
David R. Isaacson MD. Website: VACUMANIA.com for quality old pens with full warranty.
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#7 Pedro

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Posted 17 August 2011 - 08:09 PM

The DC Pen show was not only a big disappointment but a complete waste of time. At the show I only got a few OS Balance pens: a Grey Striated Vac-Fill with matching pencil from a ship somewhere, a Carmine Striated lever-fill, another Carmine Striated in Vac-Fill, a boring Black lever-fill with an equally boring platinum-masked stub nib, and one of those little useless Blue/Black thin pens with matching color between the cap and the barrel. ;) Best part was when I gave David a hard time before his show and tell!
Pedro
Looking for a Sheaffer OS Balance with a Stub nib and other OS Oddities.




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