I picked up extra goodies from the Chicago Stationery Fest to share with one lucky reader.
- Paper & Pencil Canvas Mini Tote (AKA “a house purse” purchased at Paper & Pencil)
- Endless Recorder STEALTH “Chicago” Notebook (donated by Retro51)
- Pouch Magazine (purchased at Paper & Pencil)
- Chicag-o-ring Special Edition Col-o-ring Ink Swatching Book (donated by me!)
- Roll of Inky Dreams Washi Tape (donated by me!)
- Stickers, postcards, event brochure with all vendors listed and assorted swag
I hope that our winner will like this little bundle of goodies as much as I do and gives you a little bit of that “I went to a Stationery Fest” without having to travel.
TO ENTER: Leave a comment below and tell me what the last pen show, pen event, meet-up or pen shop you visited. If it hasn’t happened yet, what event are you planning to attend 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 monkeys some time.
FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Friday, April 4, 2025. All entries must be submitted at 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 so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 5 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS first class is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will have to be paid by the winner. We are generous but we’re not made of money. US and APO/AFO only, sorry.
Sadly it was when I learned by the closing of Anderson Pens. It was lovely to have lunch with them but still sad.
While visiting Iowa, we ran across a teeny tiny pen store called Quill & Nib. It was wonderful seeing pens in such a random place! I would love to get back out to The Pen Place at Crown Center here in Kansas City sometime soon.
The last pen shop I visited was Dromgoole’s in Houston. Such a delight!
Hello! My name is Hannah. Long time listener, first time commenter. I’ve actually never been to a pen show before as I’m relatively new to the hobby, but I live in the Boston area and plan on attending the Commonwealth Pen Show this year! I’m looking forward to seeing nibmiesters in action and hoping to get a grind or two while I’m there. The last pen shop I visited was Bob Slate Stationer in Cambridge!
I visited Dromgoole’s in Houston. What a fabulous place!
Last pen show: Chicago Pen Show 2007-ish (I’m hoping to get to Dallas this Fall, as it’s been too long, obviously…)
Last pen meet-up: Well Appointed Zoom yesterday 😉
Last shop visited: Little Craft Place, last Friday (Dromgoole’s back in January)
Event I’m planning to attend this year: Houston/Little Craft Fest, Apr 26th
I went to Bob Slate in Boston this past weekend!(was there to watch the world figure skating championships but took the opportunity to visit some pen shops haha)
I was in Chicago a year ago and spent several hours in Atlas Stationers. No one rushed me. I wandered the aisles, perused the cases, and camped out at the table. There, I tried my pens on various paper samples and pored over the binders of ink samples. I love Atlas and I am grateful for their wonderful employees. Wish I could have been in Chicago for the Stationery Fest, instead I tried to find all the pictures of it on Instagram from 800+ miles away.
I’m excited for the Pacific Northwest Pen Show in July! I went last year, and although small, it’s a lovely show with great vendors and very well run! ✒️❤️️
My last meet-up was 2024’s Pelikan hub! It was so good to see people (& pens) in real life!
As far as I know, there are no pen shows near me but I do love to browse at my local fine stationery store, Stylus.
I went to the PNW/Portland Pen Show the last two years and it was fun. I LOVED the location the first year, but I get that maybe it wasn’t as convenient as the ‘Burbs. It’s a good afternoon, every time, talking to people about pens.
The next event I get to will be the Pelikan Hub unfortunately and that was also the last one I went to. There’s a local one that has been amazing and I’m still settling at a new job so other events aren’t entirely in the cards.
I would love to attend a Pen or Stationary fest show one day. I am relatively new in the Fountain Pen and Stationary world. I am saving up and will probably try and attend the Arkansas Pen Show next year, since I have been told it’s a good “first ” pen show, not too overwhelming.
But I do drop by my local Pen/Stationary store in Nashville, The Gentleman Stationer a couple times a month or so. I was there on the 29th, Saturday where I bought the new Lamy AL Star in Denim in Fine.
I also like to go to paper & Ink Arts in Donelson, TN.
Thanks for the having such a cool giveaway.
I’ve never had the pleasure of attending a pen show and it’s been sadly too long since I’ve been on a proper vacation (family visits can’t count right? We’re all in agreement here?) However! I do like to stop in Papier Plume every few months when I’m walking by to see if they have any new items. I hope more stationary/planner geek stores open here in New Orleans one day. There’s a exiguousness of pen and paper shops down in the Big Easy!
Unfortunately, I have never been to a pen show or pen shop, except for the tiny stationery store in my hometown. I now live in the middle of nowhere Maine and no longer have access to transportation. Thank goodness for the pen shops on the internet and Amazon, lol. The closest pen show is in Boston, which is about 7 hours away! I fantasize about attending different pen shows or shops and wish I could attend all of them.
I attended the Philadelphia Pen Show earlier this year and it was great! My first pen show ever was the DC Pen Supershow last year and you can imagine the knowing smiles (and outright laughs) when I told the vendors in Philly that my first experience with pen shows was DC. I have lovely memories from both of them and hope to attend Chicago Stationery Fest next year.
The last pen meet-up I attended was the Pelikan hub for my tiny town this fall. However, the art supply store in town does carry a small selection of fountain pens and lots of beautiful journals, which I browse every month or two.
Looking forward the NW pen show. Jet Pen to purchase a Kaweco Sport Yellow with a broad nib
The last meetup (actually, my only meetup) was the Pelikan hub last September. But I’m going to California at the end of May and have a pen/stationery store scoped out! (And I’m also likely going to Wonderfair in Lawrence, KS, later this week….)
Great giveaway. I missed it last year but this year I plan to attend the SF International Pen Show.
The last pen show I went to was the California Pen Show, which was a great event… wish I could have made it to Chicago!
I went to my first pen show this year! I went to the California Pen show and it was AMAZING! When my wallet recovers, I’ll hit my second show.
On Saturday, March 29, I visited my local stationery purveyor, Joe Crace, aka The Gentleman Stationer. He’s been expanding the selection and includes inks, pencils, paper, as well as pens of all kinds. We discussed the new folding converter.
I hope to attend the Chicago Stationery Fest next year.
The last pen show I went to was the DC Pen Show in 2019 (I think). I bought my first Benu there. I went to Flax Pen To Paper earlier this year when visiting friends in LA and that store is always fun. I even convinced my non FP friends to each buy a TWSBI and some ink. Gotta share the pen hobby!
I’ve been to the St. Louis Pen show the past two years. In fact, last year my friend got her First Fountain pen so that she could sign her books.
I’ve never been to a pen show but it is on my bucket list! (Colorado seems to be the closest.) I’m just afraid to meet people/sellers because other than an initial “hi!” (If I have the courage), I’m unable to have conversations or really express how much I like their stuff. I just stutter a lot :/
That said, I do go to a pen club! It’s a pretty quiet event, due to the above, but it is fun!
Bryanna, pen people tend to be introverts so they all understand. And remember, you have a built in topic of conversation— a shared love of pens!
I didn’t get to go to last year’s Chicago Pen Show, nor the Pelikan Hub. But I’m going to the Chicago Pen Show this year and I’m so excited! I keep telling myself I have to stick to my budget. Yeah, right.
I love the giveaway toys…um, tools! The great tools. What fun!
The last pen show I went to was the PNW pen show. This was the second year for this show and it was exiting to see how it’s growing as it continues… looking forward to seeing everyone again this year at the show!
I’ve never been to a pen show, but I’ve watched lots of videos of Japan’s shops! They are amazing, and it would be cool to visit one (or many!).
My last pen show was Chicago 2022. Thankfully, I’m planning to go to Dallas Pen Show later this year, and really looking forward to it!
Never been to a Pen show before and I don’t think I’ll be able to go to one this year ; I hope to attend the CA Pen Show and/ or SF Pen Show in the future.
I was at Pen Place at Crown Center just a couple of weeks ago! We stopped in after lunch as part of our KC-mini-cation for Spring Break. Had a great conversation with the guy who was there and got my wife drooling over some future gift ideas. As we walked past the store on the way into lunch, there was a teenage boy walking with his mom the other direction. He saw the shop and asked, loudly enough for me to hear, “Does anyone actually use fountain pens?” While passing, I turned to him and said, “Yes, lots of us do!” utterly embarrassing my own teenage daughter in the process. 🙂
I recently moved from Ventura Ca and would visit a small wonderful shop called B’Z Paperie that had a great selection of pens. I did purchase a Lamy pen which I still love and use
I’ll have to find a new store in my new city.
I went to the Arkansas show and then butler stationery and the gentleman stationer after that.
last pen show… San Francisco. A long time ago. I would love to visit another but it just has not worked out.
I’ve never been to a pen show before. I’m hoping to be able to go to a Pelikan Hub meet this year. The dates have never worked out for me previously.
Linda, I’ve never been to a pen show either, but I agree with you – I would LOVE to go to Japan just to visit one (or many) of the incredible pen/stationery shops. How would anyone stick to a budget while shopping there, LOL?
The last pen show I was able to attend was the 2022 St Louis pen show, and I had the privilege of attending your ink class! 🙂 It was a delight, and having met previously at other pen shows, late night restaurant chatting with you, Laura, Jesi, and others, is always fun.
Unfortunately I’ve never been able to attend a pen show but I live vicariously through your posts!
Last pen show: Chicago – 2007
Pen meet-up: Well Appointed Desk Zoom last Sunday
Pen shop visited: Little Craft Place last Friday & Dromgoole’s in January
Event are you planning to attend this year? Houston/Little Craft Fest Apr 26 & (hopefully!) Dallas Pen Show this fall
(resubmitting, because I think one of the monkeys roundfiled my first attempt…)
What a cool goody bag, thanks for the chance to win it! Man – I don’t travel a lot because I have livestock, but there is a local fiber festival I’m thinking about going to later this month, and a lot of fiber festivals now have some stationary options because they’ve realized there’s a perceptible overlap between Fiber Folk and Pen/Ink/Paper Folk. Actually, it’s how I found y’all in the first place – I was looking for vendors of the Laine Knitting Notes book and found y’all’s review of it and have been a fervent reader ever since.
Well, I would love to enter your contest; unfortunately, I live in Canada which is not included in the fine print. I have never been to a pen show but I think I would enjoy one. Many decades ago my grade 9 math teacher was a died in the wool fountain pen user and had many of us using fountain pens for a while in high school. Eventually I went back to a ball point as there was too much mess and too much time spent taking care of the fountain pen. My wife usually uses a fountain pen for any notes that she plans to keep. These days I actually use a very old school dip pen with interchangeable nibs for calligraphy and other writing when I want to slow down and really take my time to enjoy the process of writing. I am usually more concerned with the product of writing. It is nice sometimes to be more concerned with the process. I used to own the nib holder that my mother used as a child at school in the 1930’s and 1940’s; but unfortunately, someone stole the briefcase it was kept in. Hopefully you and your underpaid and undercaffeinated approval monkeys enjoy reading my post.
Bruce
Last pen show was the California Pen Show in Torrance; next pen show is the SF Pen Show.
My first pen show was last year’s show in Denver Colorado. I got a kakuno fountain pen that I still love to use, temporarily shelving my lamy and Mont Blanc! I got little notebooks and a paper sampler. Next time, I’ll get ink.
I have yet to make it to a pen show. The closest to me would be the Chicago show, but the one closest to my heart (and hometown) would be the Atlanta pen show. The ATL show would give me a reason to go back home for a few days.
Sf pen show 2019, too long ago!
I went to the Baltimore pen show last year and I’m hoping to go to the DC Pen Show this summer. It will be my first time at that show, and my third pen show ever!
The Triangle Pen Show in North Carolina was the last show. I finally purchased a Franklin-Christophe pen. It was so nice to see all the pens in person. I miss being in Chicago. If I was still living there I would go to all the shows and shops. Maybe I will be able to visit again some day.
My last pen and stationery event was one of our local Seattle Pen Club meetings. We have a fantastic assortment of newbies to vintage pen collectors, and we’re constantly adding new members. It’s always exciting to hear how people have come to the hobby.
Last pen show: Ohio Pen Show Nov 2024. Last pen shop: Atlas, last month! (And I bought enough that you’d think I’d been to a pen show!)
The last pen shop I visited was Yoseka Stationery in Brooklyn NY- I have never attended a stationery fest or meet up and I hope to do so very soon! Thanks for the giveaway.
The last place I shopped for pens was Reprographics Imaging and Art Supplies in Crystal Lake IL. They have a nice selection.
The last pen show I went to was in Atlanta before Covid. I have had a lot going on in my life and have not been able to go back.
Chicago native, I would LOVE this! My last pen show was the DC super show last August.
My last pen show was San Francisco, but I’m looking forward to Chicago in May.
My first and only pen show was the Chicago Pen Show in 2014. My last in person meetup with my pen friends was the 2024 Pelikan Hub in KC.
I’ve had a cold that felt like it was lasting 100 days, but wasn’t really that long. Last night, I sneezed 8 times or so, and am so hoping it isn’t another cold like poor Ana got. A tote, with fun stuff inside, would be just what the make believe doctor ordered.
My last meet-up was our WAD Patreon virtual meeting last Sunday! I really enjoy our discussions. And I Iove the idea of a house purse!
I’ve never been to any meetups or pen shows, but the last pen store I’ve been to is Pen Place. It’s the only store I’ve visited aside from Anderson Pens once many years ago during a Chicago trip (still so sad that they’ve shut down, a great business). I feel incredibly lucky to have a great pen store in reasonable driving distance, even though I buy online quite a lot. Just something about seeing all those pens in person, getting to test them out, and being in the company of kind folks who also love fountain pens.
I’d love to go to a pen show, though. I’ve heard good things about the SF Pen Show… maybe some day!