These days too busy is good, right?
If so, I'm good, but no time to recount my adventures major and minor.
But I have been buying a ton of pens. Many are on the site, many are not.
Here's a listing of some of the new arrivals as noted on the webiste. If anything interests you, give me a shout at rickpropas@comcast.net:
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The last few weeks have brought us a ton of pens, from new Pelikans (including a couple of black 100s) to a whole trove of Parkers, mostly not yet up on the site. Heading the list is a first year Parker 51set double jewel (of course) in black with the really uncommon wavy lined caps. Next is an extraordinary full size burgundy Parker Vacuum Filler, complete and correct with excellent colour. Not far behind is a sterling silver lined capped Nassau double jewel 51, along with a double jewel dove gray and alloy 51, and a gold filled black double jewel. The same lot of pens brought aerometric 51s in forest and plum as well as regular colours. It was a ton of pens. Heaven only knows when I’ll get these on the site.
In addition, there is a very fine selection of Pelikans, perhaps our best ever, up on the site. Check it out!
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Next semester brings a reduced teaching load, some of that time will get taken up by Bonhams and some (I hope) by writing, but my great hope is to be able to grow the offerings on the site.
Stay tuned.
The PENguin Blog
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Washington DC 2009 SuperShow
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Some images of previous DC Shows taken from the show website.
These are the pens I brought home from the show. Over the next few weeks they will get loaded onto the site. Among the more notable of them are a yellow binde Pelikan 100, lizard Pelikan 101N, a tortoise 100N, a burgundy 140 set, nearly mint, in the pouch, a seagreen 400 set, an M605 in blue and so on. Among the more notable Parkers were Vacuum Fillers in silver stubby and in crystal and an ever-popular Premier.
These, however, are mine. The weekend yielded up two of the pens on my short list, an OMAS Paragon T2 Limited Edition and a bakelite Parker 28. I also scored a lovely Parker 25 1/2 and a delightful Italian nesun nome.
It was a rockin' weekend.
And next week, back to school. While I shall be happy to see colleagues again and meet new students, it will be the most difficult year in my career as a result of the severe budgetary cutbacks, pay cuts, furloughs, student dismissals, the lot.
The Washington Pen Show usually comes toward the end of my pen show year, after Portland and before Columbus. This year, because of our stay in England, it kicked off a short, modified year for me.
Along with Los Angeles, Washington is arguably the largest show in the world. If you are unfamiliar with it and/or interested in learning more, just follow this link to the show’s wildly eclectic website: http://www.pencentral.com/
This was my first show in nine months and it was great to see old friends and meet some new people, most notably Brian and Andrea Gray of Edison Pens, with whom I placed an order.
The show, itself was most excellent in every respect. I was able to put quite a few excellent pens into peoples’ hands and got to meet a couple of people whom I have been selling pens to, in person. I found more good pens, both for myself and for the website than I ever recall at any single show, and I had a great time.
My Washington show went on a day longer, as the Board of Directors of the pen Collectors met on Monday in retreat. It was a productive day in which we were able to assess the work of the last few years, define some mid-course corrections and chart our direction into the future.
It was a grand weekend.
Because of space considerations and baggage restrictions I did not bring along my camera, but in truth, images do not tell the story of a pen show, it really is more than a roomful of pens and people. I am presenting below a couple of images from previous shows taken from the show website and I am showing off my haul of pens, both for others and myself.
Enjoy!
Some images of previous DC Shows taken from the show website.
These are the pens I brought home from the show. Over the next few weeks they will get loaded onto the site. Among the more notable of them are a yellow binde Pelikan 100, lizard Pelikan 101N, a tortoise 100N, a burgundy 140 set, nearly mint, in the pouch, a seagreen 400 set, an M605 in blue and so on. Among the more notable Parkers were Vacuum Fillers in silver stubby and in crystal and an ever-popular Premier.
These, however, are mine. The weekend yielded up two of the pens on my short list, an OMAS Paragon T2 Limited Edition and a bakelite Parker 28. I also scored a lovely Parker 25 1/2 and a delightful Italian nesun nome.
It was a rockin' weekend.
And next week, back to school. While I shall be happy to see colleagues again and meet new students, it will be the most difficult year in my career as a result of the severe budgetary cutbacks, pay cuts, furloughs, student dismissals, the lot.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Playing Around With the Camera
We're in the middle of another update on the site and to break the boredom, I'm playing around with some images that will shortly go up on the Gallery feature of the website. Thought I'd post them here first, with captions for those for whom they are not immediately recogniseable. (Does anyone but pen folk still read this?)
Pelikan 400NN, this took heavy photoshopping to come out even as well as it did. Maybe it was the black background, since I've had it easier shooting other transparent pens.
The 1964 Parker 75 Spanish Treasure Fleet started the mania for Limited Editions. The pen is made from salvaged Spanish silver, taken from the Anocha, an unfortunate Spanish Galleon caught and sunk by the Brits off Florida.
The OMAS Nishiji-Nuri, sprinkled with gold dust, another challenge to depict.
These Parker Senior Duofolds in the rare Mandarin colour are one of the highlights of the collection. Not only are they rare, but they are flawless, even the imprints are crisp and proud. I've used them a few times, not often though.
Parker 75 bicentennial, in pewter.
Pelikan 700/750, all 14 Karat gold pen and pencil. They are not a set, however, as the guilloche patterns do not match and the pencil is earlier than the pen, regular 750, 700NN.
Looking at it here, the rainbow capped 61s did not turn out so well. Capturing the stripes in the drawn metal is another challenge.
I think I did it better with these rainbow Parker 75s
The ne plus ultra of later Parker Vacumatics, made for less than a year in 1937, the so-called Vac Band. The Band featured the words Parker Vacumatic in high relief and turned out to be too expensive to manufacture. I need to do a close-up of the bands.
Pelikan 400NN, this took heavy photoshopping to come out even as well as it did. Maybe it was the black background, since I've had it easier shooting other transparent pens.
The 1964 Parker 75 Spanish Treasure Fleet started the mania for Limited Editions. The pen is made from salvaged Spanish silver, taken from the Anocha, an unfortunate Spanish Galleon caught and sunk by the Brits off Florida.
The OMAS Nishiji-Nuri, sprinkled with gold dust, another challenge to depict.
These Parker Senior Duofolds in the rare Mandarin colour are one of the highlights of the collection. Not only are they rare, but they are flawless, even the imprints are crisp and proud. I've used them a few times, not often though.
Parker 75 bicentennial, in pewter.
Pelikan 700/750, all 14 Karat gold pen and pencil. They are not a set, however, as the guilloche patterns do not match and the pencil is earlier than the pen, regular 750, 700NN.
Looking at it here, the rainbow capped 61s did not turn out so well. Capturing the stripes in the drawn metal is another challenge.
I think I did it better with these rainbow Parker 75s
The ne plus ultra of later Parker Vacumatics, made for less than a year in 1937, the so-called Vac Band. The Band featured the words Parker Vacumatic in high relief and turned out to be too expensive to manufacture. I need to do a close-up of the bands.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
A Tease
As many of you know, my daughter Anna (also known as research assistant and web designer) and I are writing the catalogue for the next big Bonhams Pen Auction in New York City tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, 2009, just following this year's blockbuster New York Pen Show.
Just to tantalise, here is an advance peek at two of the pens that will be among approximately two hundred lots.
Part of OMAS's Exploration series, this 18 K white gold overlay pen celebrates the moon exploration. Only 69 of these were made, and the packaging is almost as spectacular as the pen.
In 1997 OMAS offered a series they called Legni Pregiati (precious woods), made of a series of rare and beautiful woods. I have one of them in my collection. Some lucky bidder will walk away with the entire series, number 8 of 500.
And here are a few more:
You can find out a bit more about the sale at The New York Pen Show website
Stay tuned for more information.
Just to tantalise, here is an advance peek at two of the pens that will be among approximately two hundred lots.
Part of OMAS's Exploration series, this 18 K white gold overlay pen celebrates the moon exploration. Only 69 of these were made, and the packaging is almost as spectacular as the pen.
In 1997 OMAS offered a series they called Legni Pregiati (precious woods), made of a series of rare and beautiful woods. I have one of them in my collection. Some lucky bidder will walk away with the entire series, number 8 of 500.And here are a few more:
You can find out a bit more about the sale at The New York Pen Show websiteStay tuned for more information.
Monday, July 6, 2009
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