Click here to book your room at the Marriott and get the Pen Show rate.

We are delighted to be returning to the beautiful
Manhattan Beach Marriott in 2013!

To get information about this and future LA Pen Shows (and only that), drop an e-Mail to with your name and mailing address.

CLICK HERE FOR BROCHURE
AND REGISTRATION FORM

Click for photos of past L.A. Pen Shows

 

 

We have reached a contract with the Manhattan Beach Marriott and will be returning there for the LA Pen Show in 2013!  As usual, the LA Pen Show will be held on President’s Day weekend.  Be sure to keep February 14-17, 2013 on your pen show agenda so you can attend.  In fact, because Monday, February 18th is President’s Day which is a holiday, you can extend your stay and see the sites of LA or simply elect to avoid the Sunday airline fares and return home on Monday.  You might also extend your stay since the room rate in 2013 extends from February 5^th through February 23^rd.   By extending your stay, you can see sites like Venice Beach and the Santa Monica pier.  Both are just a short drive from the Manhattan Beach Marriott.  Venice Beach was ranked by ForbesTraveler.com as one of the top 10 American Boardwalks in the country to visit! Additionally, Santa Monica Pier is also nearby with arcades, a Ferris wheel, Star Wars at Playland Arcade, 200+ videogames, pinball machines and Skee-Ball!

Based upon the responses we have received, we feel we are not only one of the largest pen shows in the world; but also one of the best promoted, best run, best organized and best attended pen shows in the world.  It’s “The Show You Can’t Afford to Miss”.™

A couple of things from 2012 are carried over to the 2013 show.  There will be no “Sunday buffet meal” in 2013, so you won’t have to leave the ballroom while show attendees are buying pens.  Show attendees will have the option of grabbing a quick meal at the Marriott, at the wonderful Lido di Manhattan Beach Restaurant and Bar, or at one of the local nearby eateries.  Both the Marriott and the Lido di Manhattan Beach Restaurant are again offering discount coupons for meals during the Pen Show. The Manhattan Beach Marriott is providing a discount of 15% off the price of any meal at their restaurant during your stay this year.  The Lido Italian restaurant is joining the Marriott in also providing a 15% discount off the price of meals at their restaurant.  So, be sure to take advantage of this benefit by printing your coupons and then presenting them when you pay your bill at either of these wonderful restaurants (Note: alcohol is not included in the discount offers). 

To get the discount coupons, you can simply click the TAB at the top of the home page that reads, “L.A. Food” and it will open to a PDF file.  You can download and print as many copies as you desire.  Present the coupon when you pay your bill and the discount (not including alcohol) will be applied. Our thanks to the Marriott and to the Lido and their wonderful staffs! Please check the website from time to time to make sure you have the most current information.

Numerous vendors will again be available selling inks, new fountain pens, ball point pens and other types of writing instruments.  Vintage writing instruments are also available for sale, for restoration, for identification and for purchase.  In recent years, our tables have sold out far earlier than previous years and will surely be sold out quickly in 2013.  Make arrangements early by returning the brochure along with your payment, if you want to be sure you have a table!  It is a requirement that you sign and return the brochure along with your payment for a table.  If you don’t believe you need to make arrangements for a table early, consider the fact that we have already received payments for several tables in October, 2012.

Special features of the LA Pen Show include both seminars and rare pens for sale and exhibit.  In 2012, there were 8 seminars given by experts in various fields.  The seminars are again on Saturday and are held on an hourly basis starting in the morning.  You are welcome to attend the seminars with your paid admission to the Sunday show.  However, your paid admission to the Sunday show does not allow you to enter the trading that is held in the ballroom and foyer on any day except Sunday.  Attendance at any event other than the Sunday show and Saturday seminars requires your payment as either a “Trader” or “Table holder.” The seminar topics and the times will be listed on the web site as we near the date of the Show.

The LA Pen Show is hosted by the patrons of The Los Angeles International Pen Show. The Show may be reached by e-mail to .  It may also be reached by phone; call Boris at .   Sunday admission is $6.00 for adults if paid before February 4^th and $7.00 thereafter. 

Children under 12 will be admitted free when accompanied by a parent who pays one of the following:  (1) the “Saturday Seminar and Sunday Show only” admission fee, or (2) the “Trader" admission fee.  PLEASE NOTE:  Full details of Admission are in the brochure.  If you want to attend any part of the LA Pen Show other than the Saturday seminars, and the Sunday show, you must pay the “Trader fee".  In making your decision, remember that numerous tables and people selling pens are already in place as early as Thursday.

At the Pen Show in 2008, we included a card for guests and tables holders to give us their thoughts about the show itself; both their “Likes” and “Dislikes.”  At the Show in 2009, we included a card for guests and tables holders to give us their thoughts about our seminars; again both their “Likes” and “Dislikes.”  We wanted both sides of the coin to see if things needed to be changed.  If you want a quick overview of how we are doing, click the link that will provide a summary of the “Results Of Comment Cards”.  If you cursor down you can read the feedback both about the show itself and about our seminars.

We always try to have something special on exhibit.  The Show in 2009 featured rare pens on exhibit dating from 1900 thru 1920 and in some instances were the only versions known to exist.  One could only speculate on the values, but it would be accurate to say that most people never had a chance to see such a display before the LA Pen Show.  Click to see Photos of SOME of the items that were on Exhibit in 2008 and/or 2009

For those who are traveling to attend and need overnight lodging, special rates have again been arranged at $132/night(+tax).  In making the reservation, you should advise the Hotel that you are requesting the "Pen Show" rate.  If you want to secure this special rate, you have to book your room reservation on or before the cutoff date of January 29, 2013.  If, for any reason you did not get the Pen Show room rate, please be sure to drop us an email (to ) as soon as possible with your name, date of arrival and date of departure and we'll see what can be done to secure the Pen Show rate.

For many years, The LA Pen Show has been sponsored in part by our friends at MonteVerde, Delta, and Conklin.  We are delighted that they will be with us again at our 25^th Show in 2013!  With their support, show attendance has increased every year.  In appreciation of their sponsorship, and so that you can see their products, we encourage you to visit MonteVerde / Delta / Conklin at Yafa.com.  At the 2013 show these sponsors will again be providing some great prizes! 

If everything above hasn't enticed you to attend the LA Pen Show, there are many other reasons to make the trip to Los Angeles!  The Manhattan Beach Marriot is a beautiful hotel.  If you plan on making a road trip, you can see some wonderful sites along the way; as evidenced by a yearly trip made by Sam and Frank Fiorella, dear friends of the LA Pen Show at Pendemonium.com.  On the other hand, the flights to and from LA usually present some incredible views.  While in LA; stay over (or come early) and take in the beauty of Los Angeles.  The sights encompass nearly everything a person might desire; including movie studios, Disneyland, wonderful scenery, incredible views at night, a great skyline, icons from the past, Rodeo Drive, Santa Monica and views of the ocean that everyone can appreciate!  When we departed LA, we also found a wonderful place to eat near Los Angeles International Airport - The Proud Bird.  The lunch buffet is very reasonable and there seemed to be no type of food that wasn't available.  We feasted on shrimp, smoked salmon, fajitas, fruits, salads, deserts and more than we can even remember.  The establishment is interesting because of the large number of planes on display on the grounds there.  Adding to the atmosphere are original photos of many of the great pilots and some of the ladies involved with them; specifically, Marilyn Monroe.

What is a “Trader” and what does it allow you to do?  “Traders” may attend every day the Show is open; from Thursday through Sunday and attend the seminars on Saturday.  It allows you to take ½ a table on a space available basis to display and/or market items for sale from Thursday through Saturday but does not require you to do so.  It does NOT allow for any table space on Sunday.  If you’re a true pen lover it’s a wonderful way to get to know people, attend the seminars and buy the pens you want before the crowd arrives on Sunday.  Simply put, it’s a great opportunity for the new collector or pen enthusiast.

By registering as either a “Trader” or “Table Holder” you agree that you have read and agree to the terms of the LA Pen Show set forth herein and on the brochure, and you will not display or offer for sale merchandise with a trademark that is either (a) used without the explicit approval of the trademark owner or (b) not manufactured by the trademark owner; and further that your failure to comply with these terms may result in you being required to leave the Show and/or remove the items not in compliance.  In order to become a trader or a table holder, you must legibly fill out and return the brochure along with your payment. 

Please note that placement and use of all posters and banners must be approved by both the LA Pen Show and the hotel.

A special feature of the LA Pen Show are seminars.  The seminars will be held on Saturday, February 16, are approximately 50 minutes in length, and will be held on an hourly basis starting in the morning.  You are welcome to attend with your paid admission to the Show. 

Start	time	-	Who	-	Title	Description
10:00	a.m.	-	Susan Wirth	-	Why Some Fountain Pens Can make Anyone's Writing Look Good	Susan shows how and why using a fountain pen gives you a quality of the written line is something that you can't get any other way.  Learn about the use of different nibs; italic, flexible, superfine and more!
11:00	a.m.	-	Fred Krinke	-	The History of the Golden Rule Pen Co.	Fred Krinke, owner of The Fountain Pen Shop in Southern California, talks about the history of this little known pen company.
12:00	p.m.	-	John Mottishaw	-	What makes a nib flexible and why are they controversial.	Nib expert John Mottishaw discusses flexible nibs, with examples demonstrated.
1:00	p.m.	-	Chris Odgers	-	The Art of the Desk Set	Many pen collectors think of fountain pen desk sets as large, plain slabs of marble or onyx, but there's much more to them than that.  Find out how much more at this seminar.
2:00;	p.m.	-	Osman Sumer	-	Repairing German Pens	Learn the basics of repairing various makes of German pens.
3:00	p.m.	-	Michael Kovacs	-	The Art of Personal Letter Writing.	A brief history, how to improve one's writing, examples of great letters, and some basic stationary making techniques.
4:00	p.m.	-	Sam Fiorella	-	Think Ink	A civilized open discussion about fountain pen inks.  Unravel the mystery of fountain pen ink.  Drawings for free bottles of ink during the presentation!