New York Pen Show 2002
The Chrysler Building as seen from the Helmsley Hotel. (Donal Higgins)
I’m at a few thousand feet on the approach to New York LaGuardia, sitting port side like a kid on my first airplane ride, my face is plastered to the window. I’m thrilled as I see the Statue of Liberty standing in New York Harbor, my throat tightens, people suddenly stop talking and the plane becomes quiet. Everyone has their face pressed to the windows, and I swear it appears Lady Liberty is holding that torch higher than last year. I have one of those magnificent views of all Manhattan I’ll never forget. Slowly the plane banks north to give all the starboard side passengers the same glorious view. About 150 people are sharing the same intimate thoughts.
It’s Thursday afternoon, the New York Helmsley Hotel is only about 30 minutes from LaGuardia airport and my pulse is quickening.
I dropped my bags in my room in record time and then planted myself in the lobby lounge to mix with early arrivals and keep an eye on the nearby arrival desk in the lobby. I met Maryann and Steve Zucker who looked very calm and relaxed…on the outside. In spite of months of non-stop planning and tending to never ending details, and worrying like a mother hens, everything was in order and the final ceremony was to simply throw the doors open for the crowds on Friday morning.
Setting up the registration desk
Finally I see a familiar Irish face in the lobby wearing a 2001 NYC Pen Show cap, Donal Higgins had arrived and from that moment this was also going to be a Pentrace event.
Soon the Zuckers swept Donal, our friend Alfonso from Madrid and I away to the nearby DOCKS Oyster Bar and Seafood grill. We ate, laughed and planned, each of us calming the other, reassuring ourselves and feeling much better after a hectic day of travel. Alfonso brought a pen and watch magazine from Spain which featured a few articles he and Jimmy Cockburn had written about fountain pens. Slick and impressive, one more magazine on my subscription list.
Besides the love of hunting pens, Donal and I were also attending this show to present the new image of Pentrace to visitors and potential advertisers. The Zuckers were more than gracious to give us a good position in the main hallway so all visitors passed our tables. Donal displayed his Apple Mac iBook laptop with a scrolling presentation of Pentrace and highlighting some of the new features to the web site.
Let me tell you folks, Pentrace has arrived. We really must have looked serious as Donal and I were wearing our official Pentrace shirts with embroidered emblems, Pentrace name badges and lapel pins. The only thing missing were our Mandarin chaps because our Texas buddy Will was not there.
Steve Zucker, Donal Higgins and Len Provisor in their Pentrace Shirts (photo:Alfonso Mur)
Not only friends and fellow Pentracers were pleased to see us, but dealers and several major pen manufacturers were given presentations who are very interested to support us.
My table displayed the replica Parker DC-3 aircraft models, pens of course, and my friend Miroslav Tischler’s book on Penkala pens from Croatia.
Friday morning 5:30 am Donal and I were the first customers into the next door Deli for a quick breakfast. For New York it was remarkably quiet….until about 6:09 when a stream of people entered and street traffic outside built to a pleasant NY crescendo of horns, and swarms of people rushing about for their first or second cup of wake-me-up brew.
As we rush back to the hotel I look up at the skyscrapers and see a familiar deco building but can’t remember the name.
Dealer set ups are from 9 to 10am , so we were early and had plenty of time to plaster the walls with Pentrace Super Hero and Parker DC-3 airplane posters. Priding myself as a clever promotional guy I considered strategic placement of posters in the men’s room, but fortunately I ran out of scotch tape.
Setting out the dealer's tables
The Pen Show is on all of the third floor in a “U” shape configuration. The largest room holding about 60 of 100 exhibitors with one wall entirely floor to ceiling windows making for a brilliant display room. This is what we call “buying light”. Buyers have the best possible lighting with no dark spots in the room. In the other wing of rooms, exhibitors had spacious areas and huge windows. This configuration is different from other pen shows, and I saw an obvious benefit. This makes for more intimacy and a less crowded and quieter room.
Chris Thompson and Bill Weakley meet the public
Soon visitors started arriving, and the rooms filled with everyone wearing the new official NYC Pen Show caps donated by Krone. Guests also received a commemorative ink bottle donated by Marlen with the NYC Pen Show label. Pen World gave everyone bags with InSync and Pen World magazines.
The hunt begins
Krone, sponsor of the show, introduced a new series called Precious Metals in 925 sterling with etched, lined and barley pattern. New is the Signature LE series with deco enamel crown or subtle gemstones on cap crown and the K-Class others with brilliant colored lacquer finishes in blue, green, red and orange with a subtle “K” logo pattern on cap and barrel. Being a huge fan of sterling and clean retro deco, I believe these pens are a significant design change from Krone.
Conklin has introduced a lower priced Nozac fountain pen and roller ball without word gauge in red, pearl white and blue priced at about $175 with the same hefty octagonal barrel and cap. They really like the pearl white in particular, it is a brilliant material. Two new Limited Editions word gauge Nozacs, one an all clear demonstrator and the other a sterling silver overlay barrel with window cutout for viewing the power piston filler.
Rob Rosenberg displaying the new Conklin collection
Fountain Pen Hospital featured an exclusive Conklin Limited Edition Nozac without word gauge in a brilliant Coca Bola material. Special reviews of the Krone, Conklin and FPH pens will follow shortly.
The Fountain Pen Hospital Table
The start of the show was Friday and traffic was light until later in the afternoon, but was a good indication of the crowds yet to come on Saturday. Friday night, security was on the floor so it was convenient to leave most of our display on the tables.
Saturday morning again up before dawn, a quick deli wake-me-up and at 8am we were treated to a huge breakfast buffet of smoked salmon, rolls, bagels and refreshments for all exhibitors and early weekend guests.
I apologize if I don’t mention all the Pentracers we met, Bruce Bentzman appeared and I know he was on a mission for something special for he looked serious. Adam Frank and his daughter Hannah attended on Friday and Saturday, and I think she had just as much fun.
Rich Capellini and his daughter Alexandra were making the rounds. You recall Alexandra was ill earlier in the year and many Pentracers sent her cards and letters which absolutely were responsible for her full recovery. Alexandra was very explicit about her father’s fountain pen habits, telling Donal and I that “Daddy is always playing with his pens, filling them with ink, writing on paper, and he even is using his pens when sitting on his exercise machine!”
Part of the main floor
Saturday night we are again hosted by the Zuckers at Harry’s Restaurant, as in Harry Helmsley no less. Donal and I have a mission assignment to photograph pens from Krone and Conklin so we exit early to set up our traveling studio. Donal has brought his portable studio, including a very compact “pop-up” white nylon light tent and tripod. Small 60 watt lamps on the outside for eliminating shadows, and we begin our shooting. Actually this worked very well, the lighting was near perfect and Donal really knows his Nikon 990 and had the manual settings mastered. Immediately after shooting he was able to download to his iBook for review, and if necessary he took additional shots. These images will be used on a few pen reviews shortly.
Finally, after about 2 days of intense work and play, Donal and I get the brilliant idea to look out the window for an interesting night shot of New York. I see this familiar building again, and realize it is the incredible deco Chrysler Building, built in 1930 as the tallest building in the world from 1930-1931, designed by William van Alen. At 1046 feet this is the prima donna of all NY skyscrapers, the belle of the NY skyline and taller than the Eiffel Tower. The protruding eagle gargoyles are modeled after the hood ornaments of the 1929 Chrysler Plymouth automobile. Donal’s room is on the 28th floor, I realize the windows actually open so I raise the window completely and tell Donal to get out and take a good shot. He managed a great shot from well inside the room.
Sunday morning another quick deli wake-me-up and we jump into a cab to pay our respects to the World Trade Center site. It appears as you see in pictures and on TV, however multiply that image a hundred fold and double that again with the emotion. It was a powerful moment and we slowly walked around most of the area. All the fences and surrounding walls are covered with flags and banners from all over the world with prayers and best wishes. We each signed our names on the banners, mine with blessings from Pentracers worldwide.
Signing the banner at the WTC site (photo: Len Provisor)
Sunday the pen show was well attended and I had a nice stream of people visiting my table, sold some pens and a few Parker DC-3 airplanes.
Dov Randel from the Israel Pen Club visited and we had an interesting conversation with Glen Bowen of Pen World.
Gradually the time came to pack, and make the rush to the airport. I have to say that the hotel staff was terrific, always ready to help, and most importantly for an exhibitor…they have heavy sealing tape for boxes and were right there with carts to help moving the crates. The security staff that was hired by the Zuckers were also exceptional. Always in the background and yet very present, and assisted me several times when closing for the day or early morning set ups.
A very big “Thank You” to Maryann and Steve Zucker and to Krone for making this a memorable NYC Pen Show. I understand the Show is already being planned for 2003, and I can hardly wait, I will be there.
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