The 2013 New England Pen Show in Boston was one that almost didn’t happen for us. We were a bit uncertain whether or not we’d be able to make it, and the close proximity of the Raleigh pen show had left us tired and wanting a bit of a break.
We figured we’d give it a try and head for the show, despite it being on Father’s Day weekend. It was yet another long drive for us, and after a week of persuasion from Lisa’s mom to come and visit (they live just ten minutes off the interstate) we called around 11:00 pm and said we’d be pulling in for a few hours sleep around 3:00 am. We got about three hours sleep and got back up at 6:00 am to head out on the road, but not before having a fresh cup of coffee and fresh muffins made by Lisa’s mom. We got a tour of the house, and then got back in the car and headed out.
Now the last time I was in Boston I got a ticket and almost got my car towed. This time wasn’t a whole lot better, having a grand difficulty finding the hotel, only to have accidentally gotten back on the highway with no exits and driving ten miles the wrong way before we could get off. Frustrated, we finally pulled in to the parking lot after phoning the front desk and getting exact directions. At this point, it’s an easy move to find the room and get unpacked, right? Well, no, we got a concierge cart, then had a bellman promptly drop a large box of ink on the sidewalk (nothing broke, thankfully), and then a long walk through the basement of the hotel to find the back way in. After much to do, we found our tables and started to unpack. There was no traffic, so this made it easier to spread out. Space behind the tables was very roomy so this helped a lot.
Once set up we discovered there was no real cell signal in the room. If I wanted to get a signal, I had to go up the stairs to the lobby. No signal means no credit card processing, so this just would not do. I figured we’d just pay for the wi-fi in the hotel, it couldn’t be that bad, right? How does $50 a day grab you? Oh, and I had to make my decision before 5:00 pm Friday because they weren’t going to be working over the weekend and I couldn’t get it then. I was assured I got the special rate, which was down from $150 a day. At this point, I was not so keen on this hotel being the best option for the New England Pen Show. We got the kinks worked out, paid for the wi-fi, and everything seemed to smooth out after that. We had reasonably good traffic Friday afternoon, and sold a couple of nicer, more expensive pens, so it all worked out.
After the show, we were treated to a reception with a live bluegrass band, lobster puffs, chicken-something, and all sorts of amazing food. We had some great conversations with the likes of Jim Rouse of Franklin-Christoph and Pendleton Brown, among others. We ate enough that there was no need for dinner afterwards, but we made our way to a local pub two doors down for a couple of pints of Sam Adams to finish off the day.
Saturday proved to be a busy day and one where I managed to grab myself a nice pen. I had someone want a pen on the table and they asked if I would take a nice Pelikan M600 in Blue (my favorite color) in trade. The pen was in excellent condition, and he even promised to return the next day with the original box and packaging (which he did). I couldn’t resist and the pen was in my pocket. We made a couple of other trades on Saturday as well, and I think everyone was happy with their exchanges.
Wirt and Pelikan M600 found at the 2013 New England Pen Show
Nathan Tardiff of Noodler’s Pens was present showing off some of his new Acrylic and Ebonite Konrad pens. We managed to scoop up what we could at the end of the show and it was great to finally meet Nathan, as this is the only show he attends. Those acrylic pens are so pretty the only question to ask is which one do I take? Some of them were so new, he hadn’t even given them a name just yet.
Noodler’s Acrylic Konrad Rattlesnake And Adrenaline
Noodler’s Acrylic Konrad Marbled Marianas
Noodler’s Acrylic Konrad John Mung
Noodler’s Acrylic Konrad Ghostly Lapis
Noodler’s Acrylic Konrad Forbidden City
After the show Saturday we headed up to Pendleton’s suite (Suite! We had a cruddy small room!) for a beverage and relaxed a bit. We couldn’t stay too long however, as we had dinner plans at Maggiano’s which was directly behind the hotel. There was a large group of people, including Paul Erano, Jim Baer (of J.B. Perfect Pen Flush fame), Deb Basel, and Vance Koven. This was our second time at a Maggiano’s (the first being in Atlanta a couple months ago) and the experience was pretty much the same, great food, great dessert, and a perfect way to end the day.
Sunday was one more day, with another trip to Au Bon Pain next to the hotel. I greatly enjoyed the coffee and breakfast muffins there each day! Traffic was slower, but this allowed me to scout around and find my first and only vintage find for the weekend. This time an early Paul Wirt taper cap eyedropper with overfeed and two gold filled bands on the barrel. A nice pen and my first Wirt taper cap for the collection.
Wirt Tapercap From 2013 New England Pen Show
Wirt Tapercap From 2013 New England Pen Show
As the day wound down, we packed up and headed home. Another uneventful drive back and we were once again home and in our own bed. No matter what the size of the show, we always enjoy the company of the other vendors and the folk coming through the door. It is nice to be able to interact with people we would normally otherwise only connect with online. Just another reason to get to a show!
Cheers!
Brian & Lisa