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Giveaway: Post Pen Show Bonanza

Posted on 163 Comments

Last week, Jesi, Laura and I cleaned up at the Chicago Pen Show, now it’s your turn. One lucky reader has the chance to win a whole pile of swag from some of our favorite shops and vendors.

The giveaway package includes three bottles of fountain pen ink, a notebook, stickers, our special edition Chicag-o-ring Col-o-ring and a t-shirt.

pen show giveaway

pen show giveaway

The goodies in the giveaway package are:

Special thanks to all the vendors listed above for providing the items for our giveaway.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below and tell me what US city needs a pen show or if you plan on attending a show this year. Play along and type in something. It makes reading through entries more interesting for me, okay? One entry per person.

If you have never entered a giveaway or commented on the site before, your comment must be manually approved by our highly-trained staff of monkeys before it will appear on the site. Our monkeys are underpaid and under-caffeinated so don’t stress if your comment does not appear right away. Give the moneys some time.

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Friday, May 17, 2019. All entries must be submitted on wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your actual email address in the comment form (where it says “email address”) so that I can contact you if you win. I will not sell your email address to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 7 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS first class. We are generous but we’re not made of money. US and APO/AFO only, sorry.

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163 comments

  1. Madison, WI. I won’t make it anywhere else until my son goes to college.

    1. Since moving to Maryland a few years ago I’ve gotten to go to the DC pen show for the past two years and I’m looking forward to it again. The first year I went I had no idea what to expect, but everyone was going into the little room right behind the check-in desk, so I followed.
      It was jam packed full of maybe 20 tables and 100 people and I thought “Gee, this is cool, but it’s kind of underwhelming and I thought it was the largest show?!” But I wanted to visit the ink testing room, so I went in search of the elevator and found the rest of of the vendors in the grand ballroom. It was like a fairy tale, when the clouds open and the trees make way and birds start singing and you realize you are in the enchanted lands.
      I discovered how amazing Blackstone Ink is my second year there and Sydney Harbour Blue is now my favorite ink.
      I grew up in Vermont and every once and a while I’d get to go into Boston, where I’d beeline it for the Bromfield Pen shop. I’d like to see Boston get its own pen show and I think there might be a market for it. Noodler’s Ink is based out of Massachusetts and it would be nice to bring a show to that corner of the States.

  2. I’m hoping to get over to the St. Louis one this year. I couldn’t go last year

  6. Kansas City, largely so I can go to a show, but also because…well, I would go to the show. And sadly, I don’t be attending any shows this year because none of them are in Kansas City. 🙂

    1. L.A. would be my choice- only an hour away. I want to attend a show. To see all the lovely inks, pens, and papers up close and personal would be delightful.

      1. I don’t know that he’s not, but I’m not him. I mean, unless I secretly am. But I’m not. (or am I?) (No.) [But also maybe]{But no.}

  7. Memphis, TN. I’ve gone to the Little Rock one in the past but it’s a rough day trip and I’m too cheap to get a hotel room.

    Thanks for doing this giveaway!

  8. I’m definitely attending the Colorado Pen Show and SF Pen Show this year. I live in CO and the SF show is just so much fun! See you there!

  10. Well, Portland, Maine would be great for all of us northerners, since the closest pen show is in Boston, three hours away.

    I do hope to attend the Commonwealth Pen Show this September. I keep hoping it will get bigger. At present it’s a one-day show that mostly attracts collectors of vintage pens. I want to see Shawn Newton, Franklin-Christof, and Edison Pens… and Kenro.

  11. Bring one to Austin or San Antonio! This underpaid monkey has infant twins and a toddler, so I couldn’t even travel the 4 hours to the Dallas show 🙁

  12. There should be a pen show in San Luis Obispo, CA. Check The Madonna Inn for the venue.

  13. I never knew this pentiful inky world existed until Laura shared about it on The Corner of Knit and Tea. I live near Nashville, so that would be my city of choice for a pen show. B-)

    1. Planning to move to Arizona, so yeah. Phoenix or Tucson definitely needs a pen show!

  14. Will go to Miami’s pen show. Would like more vendors to attend the Miami show! Give away items look cool.

  15. Kansas City would be a good place to have a show. I don’t know if I’d go though — it’d be too hard for me to leave the show floor.

  18. I had hoped to get to the Philly pen show this year but didn’t make it. I’m going to try to go in 2020 but for me Philly is a short but difficult drive. I would kinda prefer one in NJ – someone suggested Princeton and I think that would be great! Thanks for the giveaway!

  19. Columbia, SC, would be a lovely spot since I live there. Then all my money could go to pens and inks and papers rather than travel and accommodations.

  21. I’m hoping to make the Ohio Pen Show this year, but really hoping that Cleveland gets its own show someday. We have better food and beer. Cheers!

  22. Minneapolis, please. I almost made a weekend trip for the Chicago show but couldn’t get it together this time. Bother.

  23. I’m going to the second annual stl pen show again this year. Bringing a bunch of friends this time. So excited that we have such an awesome show!

  25. Minneapolis-Saint Paul! The Twin Cities haven’t had a good pen store in a while, and it would be great to have more choice in Minnesota!

  26. Kansas City! It’s a great city with a thriving arts community, super nice people, fantastic food…just to name a few. This from a former Angeleno, you’ll leave a nicer person for spending time in our fair city. As for attending a pen show, St. Louis.

  27. Anywhere in the Lehigh Valley, PA would save me the trouble of navigating the Philly streets in my big pick-up. But alas, if that doesn’t work out, I’ll be at the Philly show in Jan.

  28. Hopefully I’ll be able to attend the San Francisco show this year – I love ink testing!!

  29. I was fortunate to attend the Chicago Pen Show after missing the show for two years. It was fun and exciting with numerous vendors.

  30. Phoenix definitely needs a pen show! I think the closest is Colorado. Within striking distance, but still . . .

  31. The LA show is the one that is nearest to me but I am always out of town when it occurs. If I can suggest someplace other than my garage which would be easiest to attend…. how about Palm Springs where the clear sunlight would make those pens just glisten. It would also be super cool to go to Tranquility Base on the moon but suspect there are logistical issues with than one.

  32. Ooh, I’m definitely going to the San Francisco show this year! Although it’s not actually in SF proper. But what is, these days. (They’re technically the Santa Clara 49ers now…)

  34. I went to my first pen show in Atlanta this year!! My idea of heaven. KNOXVILLE, TN needs a pen show! There are no pen shops and yet there seems to be a vibrant East Tennessee pen community. I think it would go over very well.

  35. Oh Chicago is perfect, but it would be amazing if it were closer to the city or in a nearby suburb. Even though I as at the Chicago show this year on Friday and stayed overnight, it was kind of a bust for me. Cue violins…wah, wah, wah 🙁 What I thought were allergies became the cold from hell and I’m still recovering. We ended up going home at 6 am on Saturday. I missed all the fun!

  38. Boston – it needs a better show with more manufacturers (not just Noodlers Ink)- right now it’s a lot of used dealers and a few stores.

  40. I agree with Josh, Houston needs a pen show. They used to have one back in the ’80s. I understand that reviving the Houston show is being considered. I will not be able to make the DC show this year, but will be at Dallas as usual.

  41. I agree with Josh, Houston needs a pen show. They used to have one years ago, and I understand that there are people who are considering reviving it. I will not be able to make the DC show this year, but I will be in Dallas as usual.

  42. St. Paul, MN – Great city, great literary history, and plenty of pen love! I’d love to go to a pen show! Thanks for hosting a giveaway – I love your blog!

  43. Seattle needs a pen show! Our Pelikan Hub attracted more participants than NYC, but sadly we have no pen show.

  45. I am lucky to be near both the Baltimore and D.C. Pen Shows. I didn’t make it to the Baltimore Pen Show this year, but plan on attending the D.C. Pen Show in August.

  48. Thank you for the opportunity to win these lovely gifts! I had a fantastic time at the Atlanta Pen Show for the second time there, and am delighted that the Detroit Show is getting a reboot, expanding to three days, and already has some great new vendors lined up!

  49. i have not been to a pen show. ever.
    not likely that i will attend one this year, either.
    i don’t think i could control my spending. : )

    1. I would support a show in Indy! My former hometown and I still travel to many other conventions and events there. A great convention city.

  51. While I would love to see a local show in Tampa, I realize it “jes’ doan make no sense” so I guess I’m going to have to plan a trip at some point …

  52. Lexington or Louisville, Kentucky needs a pen show! Two good cities with growing number of conventions and travelers. There’s a great pen shop in both cities and each seems to do good and consistent business.

  53. I would like to attend a pen show in Phoenix and ask someone where I could get a Chicag-o-ring!

  54. I would love to see a pen show in Central Texas, either San Antonio or Austin. For those used to smaller states, the Dallas Texas is far, from central Texas. 😛

  55. The San Francisco Pen Show is not actually in San Francisco. I understand the venues in SF proper would be too expensive. However, just across the Bay is the beautiful island city of Alameda, where venues go for much cheaper. Let’s have a pen show there!

  56. Lucky me that I live close to the location of the San Francisco show, which I will be attending this August. One commenter correctly stated that the SF show is not actually in SF. It take place on what is referred to as the “SF Peninsula” which is usually NOT a cultural oasis so the pen show is a truly special event for us locals.

  57. Rockford, IL would be a great place for a pen show. I would stop at the Cracker Barrel for a treat too.

  59. I’m lucky and have both the Baltimore and DC pen shows nearby – but unlucky because they’re always on weekends I’m already busy. One of these years I’ll make it…

  60. I went to the LA Pen Show in February and plan to attend next year, but I sure hope it’ll be better organized next year. The poor vendors were all so squished. I wouldn’t mind if they held it in Anaheim either. Disneyland and pens!! How cool would that be?!!

  61. Kansas City for sure! I’d love to go to a show, but our travel budget gets used up taking our daughter to/from college, so a local show would be awesome.

  63. Seattle! I didn’t realize how good I had it going to the Ohio Pen Show until I moved here….

  64. The Seattle pen show! But it would have to be in Vancouver, Washington. Or even Vancouver, BC, but it would have to be called the Seattle pen show

  66. I love the San Francisco Pen Show. Lucky to have found it. One time, though, I would like to travel to one. Maybe DC or Atlanta?

  69. Charleston, SC (otherwise, I second Karen’s suggestion for Columbia, SC).

    I hope to go to Raleigh, NC, later this month for my first pen show ever.

    Thank you for your website – – and for sponsoring the give-away.

  72. I would love to have a pen show in Portland, OR or just up the road in Seattle. I never been to a pen show. Some day would like to attend San Francisco or Atlanta.

  74. Phoenix, AZ – we need a pen show out here. The Desert Pen Show has a nice ring to it…hmmmm

  75. NYC needs a pen show! The Long Island show, while close to me, is too small. A NYC pen show would be huge. Here’s hoping!

  76. I am excited for the Triangle Pen Show here in North Carolina. It’ll be my very first Pen Show and I cannot wait!

    Are you coming to this one?

  77. I for one would welcome a pen show in Montana, anywhere in Montana. I’d love for it to be Missoula but heck I’m not picky. Just somewhere in the darn state.

  78. Was planning on going to the SF pen show but I can’t now due to financial reasons 🙁 Hawaii is just so far from the rest of America! Would anyone be interested in going to a pen show in paradise? ☺️Thank you for the giveaway!

  79. I go to the LA Show every year but would like to go the San Francisco Show. The promoter in LA isn’t interested at all in the fountain pen community angle, which is being embraced by more and more shows including San Francisco.

  81. I would give anything if there were a pen show in Des Moines, Iowa. I know we have the fair but a stand alone pen show would be amazing. The Iowa state fair is huge and things get missed and passed over for that dam butter cow. I think the butter cow is cool, but dam what a waste of good butter. Theres a small pen shop here in Des Moine, Iowa. It’s called Quill and Nib, a quant little place that, I think, is the only one in Iowa. The closest one is in Chicago, again i think. Google maps doesn’t have Luxury Writing Instrument Boutique as a option to define a buisness. I would love to be able to save money on gas to have more money for pens.

    ありがと!

  82. Binghamton, NY needs a pen show. I’ve been waiting for one to come near enough to me to be feasible. Thanks for the chance to win some goodies!

  83. New Jersey definitely needs a show. I think Newark would be a great location for it, maybe Jersey City.

  84. Seattle! Although I would hop a train to Portland for a pen show, I’m not fussy. Toddlers prevent me from doing much more then a day trip out!

  86. I plan on attending the Colorado pen show in October with my two daughters and maybe a couple of thier friends.

  87. I would love a show here in the Pacific NW! Portland, please! We have gatherings and a tiny local show in July, but I wanna bigger one like San Francisco was this past year. You can see from previous posts that a Portland show would be popular!

  88. We’re planning to do the Triangle pen show, Washington DC, and probably Ohio. Would love to see a pen shown someplace warm and sunny during the winter months, Orlando? It has good airfares, lots of hotels, and pretty good attractions for the days before and after… Besides we can go to Universal and find out which pen Harry Potter uses… I also agree with the Seattle suggestion noted earlier in these comments.

  89. Lancaster PA needs a pen show. 500,000 people in the county and a convention center in the heart of Amish country.

    efcg@msn.com

  91. I’ve already been to Baltimore this year, but may be making it to DC as well(kiddo got hooked at her first show and can’t wait to go to another).

  92. I used to live in Tampa, which needs a pen show. I now live in Central Arkansas, which is blessed with Vanness and a March pen show!

  93. Austin, TX needs a pen show! I’m planning to attend Dallas in a September.

    Thanks for all you do! Love the blog!

  94. St. Louis! I’m going this year, for my first pen show, and I’m thankful it’s in my city so I can attend!

  95. Chicago! Attended this year. It was a lot of fun –even though it was in Hoffman Estates lol!

  96. I think Brockton, MA should have a pen show. It would bring something different to the city.

  97. I stick to my home show, which is the LA Pen Show, but I wish I could make it to SF this year. But it’s always the weekend before or after school starts, not ideal for a teacher.

  99. Still considering DC pen show this year. Wish their website was better. Thanks!

  100. Denver! We are fortunate to have a show and a fun community here. Looking forward to going to the October show. Come join!

  102. Atlanta, GA definitely needs a pen show! It would be so fun to attend one!

  103. We have a good pen show each year in Cary, North Carolina: the Triangle Pen Show. But I think a Fall season show in the western, mountainous part of the state, such as Asheville, would be nice, too.

  105. Raleigh, NC has the Triangle Pen Show. I’ll be attending! I would love to go back and visit the Chicago-area. I was born there and grew up in the NW suburbs. Maybe another year!

  106. I live where I’m close enough to commute to both the Baltimore and DC pen shows. So I’m really looking forward to August. However, I would love to be able to attend the other ones like SF, Toronto, Ohio…and I heard Tokyo is awesome. I would love to see one in NYC, and not the Long Island one at Hofstra.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

  107. I really enjoyed getting to talk to all of you in Chicag-o (see what I did there?!) – it was my first show ever and I may have gone overboard on my purchases but I wouldn’t do it any differently. Other than maybe try to be more outgoing in chatting with all the pen celebrities I met – as an introvert attending on my own, that was a bit challenging. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and wish I had a show closer to me I could regularly attend! I lucked out I had a work trip that week in Chicago and was able to extend my stay.

  108. I’m trying to think of convenience, but I’m not in one place long enough to make it convenient, so how about an extravaganza that changes venues every year?

  111. Rochester, NY ! I have never attended a show, but the photos always show everyone having a great time and having so many pens in one spot would be a dream.

  112. One day, when my kids are bigger and my budget is looser, I’d love to go to the Arkansas pen show.

  115. What a great prize set. Boston has a pen show, but it needs a better one!

  116. Planning on going to the Denver Pen show again this year, but it really needs a boost!

  118. I will be at the Denver Pen show this OCT! HUZZAH!!!! Hope it keeps getting bigger every year!

  119. I live in DC and will be attending the DC show this year! It will be my first show, so I am pumped! Maybe DC should just have two shows? Haha. Thanks for the giveaway. I love the Graf notebook simply because of my last name. I have been meaning to pick one up for a bit.

  120. I went to my first show at BWI this year. I’m really looking forward to the DC show too. There’s so much cool stuff I want to try out in person. But I’m definitely excited for the Franklin-Christoph prototypes.

  121. I went to the SF pen show for the first time last year. I can hardly wait to go again this year. I am saving my pennies!!

  122. I’ve only been collecting pens for two years so attending the LA Pen Show was a major eye-opener the last two times. My friends in Knoxville lament that they’d like to see one there. It’s a pretty town and quite hip these days.

  124. I’m not going to any pen shows this year, as I’m still trying to pay off some medical bills. So for a city that should have a pen show, and one that I would attend no matter what, my vote goes to New Orleans. Local pen shop Papier Plume attends shows all over the country (I know because I’ve seen them as far away as Chicago); NOLA has a fountain pen club and hosts a Pelikan Hub; and most importantly it’s a known convention town. There are places to stay ranging from $50 Airbnbs to fancy hotels, there’s no shortage of potential venues, and it’s a tourist city with lots of other things to do while you’re there.

  125. Well, I’ve already gone to the only pen show that’s close enough that I don’t have to break the bank to attend. What’s the fun in spending all your hard earned cash on travel expenses before you even get to the show? Anyway, every March, I go to the Arkansas Pen Show in Little Rock. The Vanness table is always a favorite!

  129. NEW ORLEANS sounds fun 🙂 Being in Fort Worth, the DFW event is a ritual I look forward to yearly 🙂

  131. I’m sure I’ll go to the SF Pen Show again this year. What about Albuquerque? It has so many “Q”s, and would look so fancy!

  133. I would love to see one in Morgantown, WV. I don’t live there, and it’s not a huge city, I know, but:
    It’s a not unreasonable drive from a number of large cities, like Pittsburgh, DC, Baltimore, and Columbus; it’s a university town, so lots of amenities; and the weather’s decent.

    I’ve only ever been to the Atlanta Pen Show, and I’ve driven there each time. There is nothing in Morgantown that compares to the … excitement of driving into or through Atlanta. The heat wouldn’t compare either.

    Honestly though, I’m moving north later this year, not to Morgantown, but near enough that I’d save enough money on travel expenses to be able to afford more pen goodies!

  134. San Diego needs a pen show. Even though there is one every year in Los Angeles, the drive up there isn’t always the best due to LA traffic and the occasional dreary weather conditions. I wasn’t able to attend the 2019 LA pen show due to work and had considered attending the San Francisco pen show but something else got in the way. Guess I’ll have to live vicariously through IG pen show posts in 2019.

  135. I plan on attending the Atlanta pen show but it already happened this year so now next year.

  136. New Orleans needs a pen show. Or Houston. I have to drive to Dallas now if I want to go to one (that’s 7 hours for me). I went to St. Louis last year because my parents live there, but I don’t think that’s possible for this year (a 14 hour drive).

  137. I’m planning to go to the Boston pen show this September. Last year I had something else going on, I think I was out of town that weekend? I missed it, and was very sad. So this year! Boston!

  138. I’m going to Triangle this year! I missed Atlanta because it was the same weekend as another con, so Triangle will be my only show.

    1. Minneapolis used to have a show, but it stopped years ago. You are aware of the PENS club & Fountain Pen Recycler in the Minneapolis metro, I hope?!

  142. I’m in DC. There’s already a pen show (or two or three) here … but I need to drag myself to one rather than live vicariously through everybody else!

  143. Minneapolis needs a pen show. (Or maybe they already have one and I just haven’t found it yet, I don’t know.)

  144. Baltimore for sure – it’s fifteen minutes from my house 🙂 I will absolutely go again next year and maybe I’ll branch out and go to DC too!

  145. San Diego, CA – we don’t even have a pen store!

    …which I guess makes it even less likely that we’d get a pen show, but we have beaches and a big convention center, so, maybe? Do we have one and I’m just not in the know?

  146. It would be awesome to have a pen show in Phoenix, especially in the spring time during spring training baseball season.

  147. I would love one in central Oregon, or even Portland I might be able to attend! Thanks for offering a giveaway. The shirt is especially awesome!

  148. The city of San Francisco, meaning within the city limits. Sure, there is a “San Francisco” show, but it’s held 30 miles away in Redwood City…there’s no BART stop in Redwood City, and a 30 mile drive in this area can take over 2 hours because Redwood City is in the FANG vortex (FANG = Facebook, Apple, Netflix, Google headquarters — there is traffic within a 70 mile radius of those companies).

    So I’d love to be able to jump on a cable car and hit a pen show within 20 minutes of leaving my home or office. Because Redwood City =\= San Francisco.

    And thanks for the generous giveaway!

  149. I live in Chicago, and yet for the last three years the weekend of the pen show is the weekend that my father in law visits. I still haven’t gotten to go 🙁

  150. The metro Detroit area has a pen show I’m planning on attending this fall. It would be really cool if we had more vendors or got some pen-show-exclusive stuff, but it’s relatively small.

  151. Would love a show in Birmingham Alabama. Haven’t been to one yet, so have to live vicariously through others. Cheers to all!

  153. Well, until there is a pen show just around the corner from where I live, I will look forward to seeing you in SF! 🙂

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