NJ Pen Club Pen-B-Q 2016 Wrap Up

Thank you to all who attended our inaugural Goldspot Pens & NJ Pen Club Pen-B-Q cookout and mini-pen show that was held last weekend on Saturday, August 27th. We appreciate everyone who was able to make it and enjoy a sunny, Jersey afternoon with us. Anyone who wasn't able to make it, but wanted to come, this post is for you! We've collected the highlights of our meet up in this convenient, bite-sized post. Enjoy!

We set up on a beautiful, low-humidity Saturday morning. Our tents pitched and our tables clothed with white linen, we were set to bring out the pens and the food!

Thanks to the support of Kenro Industries and Blueline Rediform, we had two awesome reps from each company come out to set up their own tables and show off some of the latest and greatest pens. Below is Kenro Industries' Neil L. with his spread of Aurora and Montegrappa pens with a couple of Ballast Watches to throw in some luxurious variety.

Montegrappa pens (left), Aurora Pens (right)

Jennifer R. from Rediform enthusiastically represented Lamy pens and Filofax organizers at her table. This was her first "pen meet up" experience as a sales rep and she absolutely loved it.

Filofax organizers (left) Lamy Lx, Lamy 2000 and new Scala pens (right)

So, what did Goldspot have cooking? Besides our own table of closeout special pens, we also had ink bottles you can sample and a top-secret case of Parker pens that are expected to debut fall 2016. Plus, Tom was manning the grill, flipping burgers and turning dogs for guests. A special shout-out goes to our long-time pen club members, Karen and Debbie, for bringing several summer snacks and goodies to add to our spread of food. There was a lot of food to eat!

Tom was also demonstrating the Pilot Parallel modified 6.0mm nib that writes like a folded nib. "Ooohs" and "aaahs" could be heard from the gathering of on-lookers. The pen was inked with Lamy Dark Violet.

One of the highlights of the event was the huge door prize giveaway. We received great support from our vendors, who graciously provided us with plenty of goodies to giveaway. We raffled off a Retro 51 Spaceglow, which was released back in 2010 and we would estimate is worth now about $100. We also had a Caran d'Ache Essentially Swiss ballpoint pen, several Pilot Metropolitan Retro Pop ballpoint pens, a Lamy logo ballpen, Filofax notebook, Pilot sport water bottles, totes and desk caddy organizers. We had so many prizes that everyone who attended received something!

Overall, it was a fun afternoon enjoyed by all. We're already talking about making it a bigger event next year. Perhaps this is just the beginning of a beautiful, yearly event. If you're in the NJ metro area, would you be interested in coming? Please let us know below in the comments.

#WriteitWednesday Bottom's Up!

Sorry if you missed us last week. We had missed putting the Write it Wednesday announcement on the blog. Hopefully, you'll forgive us this week, as we share a drink together. This week's #WriteitWednesday activity is to write/draw your favorite beverage. What liquid fills your soul with contentment and utter joy?

Share the pic of your entry on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #writeitwednesday and mention @goldspotpens to make sure we see it! You may also opt to e-mail us the picture at social@goldspot.com.

Deadline for entries will be Friday at 10:00am Eastern US Time. We will randomly select a winner on Friday at 12 Noon.

This Week's Prize

Our giveaway item this week is also our Weekly Dip that is the pen featured in the Write it Wednesday photo - the Aurora Style Paprika Red Rollerball Pen. (Retail Value $85) Smooth writing, Italian made writing instruments always make great give-aways!

About #WriteitWednesday

Each Wednesday, we run a new social giveaway challenge with a different giveaway prize every week. Anyone around the world with an Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or E-mail account can enter. Once the entries have been collected and the deadline has passed, we randomly select one of the entries as the winner of the giveaway and send the prize accordingly.

No purchase is necessary to enter the #writeitwednesday giveaway. Those who enter the contest via social media may have their images shared by Goldspot on this blog or on Goldspot's Social media accounts. The winner will have 1 week to contact us by e-mail to claim their prize. If the prize is unclaimed, it will be used in a future giveaway.

Winner of our Social Giveaway of an Aurora Pen

Last week, we kicked off our latest Social giveaway because our Goldspot Newsletter giveaway prize went unclaimed. We opened up the contest to our Facebook fans and Twitter followers. After compiling the re-tweets on Twitter and the Likes on Facebook, we have randomly selected a winner...

...and the Winner is Kitty MacAlpine from Facebook. Congrats!

We have contacted the winner via Facebook to arrange shipping this new Aurora Style Rollerball ($75 retail value). 

 Thanks to everyone who entered, tweeted and Liked! We still haven't had a response from our most recent newsletter winner for April's giveaway, so there very well may be another social giveaway in early May. If you would like the first chance at our monthly giveaway, please sign up for our e-mail newsletter.

Goldspot Social Giveaway of an Aurora Style Rollerball

Lucky for you, March's newsletter giveaway prize went unclaimed!

That means everyone with a twitter or facebook account can now enter this giveaway! The odds are certainly now in your favor to win this Aurora Style Paprika Resin Rollerball Pen ($75 retail value).

Here is How to Enter (no purchase necessary) :

1. Click over to our page on Facebook or Twitter. 
2. Find the link to this giveaway post.  It should be the most recent link.
3. "Like" or Re-Tweet the link.

...and that's it! We'll keep track of all the entries and then choose a fan using a random number generator to select one lucky winner. Deadline for Entries is Wednesday, April 9th at 2p ET.

We will contact the winner directly through either Facebook or Twitter to obtain the shipping information and send out your Aurora Rollerball Pen!

Like Pens Much?

It's always fun when we have one of our sales reps in the office to show off all the pretty pens. We took a few pictures of the spread at this pen buffet. This post is drool-resistant, so feel free to view with mouth agape.

Bonus : spot the most expensive pen on the table and get a free congratulatory pat on the back.

The last photo is of some luxury lifestyle items that we are contemplating carrying in our online catalog. They certainly make some handsome, high quality items including clocks, pocketwatches and leather wallets. What do you think?

Alternatives to buying a Mont Blanc

If the snowflake matters most, then there's no replacing the need to buy a Mont Blanc.

However, if writing quality, style and value matter more, then we can certainly help you find a holiday pen gift that has a Mont Blanc "style" for hundreds of dollars less. Here are some suggestions :


Waterman Expert III

The newest generation of Expert is here. Classic cigar-shape profile, weighted brass inner barrel and classic lacquering style make this line a perfect, affordable competitor to a Mont Blanc.




Sailor 1911 Large

The Japanese-made Sailor pen is renown for high writing quality and superb gold nibs that make writing an absolute joy. Prices for the fountain pens are a bit up there ($310 Retail), but compare to a Meisterstuck large fountain pen that can cost hundreds of dollars more still, Sailor demonstrates a better value.


Waterford Marquis Metro

The Marquis Metro collection has been one of the best selections for corporate gifts to have engraved and buy in bulk. The pen is built from an inner metal barrel coated in polished lacquer and chrome trims. The accompanying gift box presents this pen extremely professionally, leaving the gift recipient wondering how much this pen must have cost. Both rollerball and ballpoint are under $50 separately at the time of this writing.


Aurora Ipsilon Resin

Classic, Italian-crafted design that pulls no punches when it comes to quality, Aurora has always been an excellent choice for pen-shoppers looking for Mont Blanc style for a much greater value (under $100 for a fountain pen in the ipsilon resin collection).


Laban Gold and Rose Gold

When it comes to imitating the luxury style of a Mont Blanc, Taiwanese pen manufacturer Laban does it the best with high quality materials like gold and sterling silver. This gold-plated edition looks gorgeous, writes just as well and is a faction of the cost to own a Mont Blanc.

Preview of Aurora's Torino 150 Special Production

 

In 2011, Italy is celebrating 150 years of unification. The entire country is going to be partying for 9 months starting in March. Aurora, Italy is the official pen-maker for this occasion. To commemorate the first "capital" of Italy, often referred to as the "cradle of Italian liberty," Aurora will release the Torino 150 in March as a special production in the same vein as the red Firenze set of pens. Featuring a cool, blue resin and sterling silver overlay on the cap, this pen collection stands out with symbols that represents rich Italian history and a level of quality that only Italian artisans in the Aurora factory can produce.

The Aurora Torino 150 will be available in a piston-filling fountain pen, complete with ink window, 18kt solid gold nib and a bottle of ink included in the special edition gift box. The set is also available in a capped rollerball and a twist-action ballpen. Retail prices start at $895 for the ballpen. If you would like more information on the release of this pen and to be included on our e-mail list, please comment below and we will secure you one of the first pieces to come into the USA!

Winner of Goldspot Aurora Rollerball Giveaway

Congratulations to Michelle C., one of our Facebook Fans, for winning our New Year Giveaway for the Aurora Ipsilon rollerball. She was randomly selected amongst all of the blog comments, facebook feedback and tweets that we've received in the last week.

A big thanks goes out to everyone who entered, "tweeted" or "liked" this giveaway. Keep posted for the next giveaway, which we will be running in the next week or so. If you didn't win, but are still interested in having this pen, pick up your Aurora Ipsilon Rollerball at Goldspot.com today!

Aurora Optima Auroloide Blue Fountain Pen Review

Santa must have read my pen wish list because I had one of these Aurora Optima pens under my tree! After the initial shock, I picked my jaw up off the floor and headed to my desk for a bottle of ink.

The main draw that led me to this beauty of a writing instrument is the blue & gold design. The Marbled blue resin, combined with the solid gold trim reminds me of when I went to Capri with the sparkling blue waters matched against the warm sun. What really sealed the deal was the piston-filling mechanism and the size.

As I scribble in the handwritten sample, I've often referred to the Optima Auroloide as the more stylish, Italian version of the Pelikan Souveran 600 fountain pen. They both fill by internal piston-filling system, have solid gold nibs and are similar in dimension with the cap posted. The Optima Auroloide has much more classical style and flair than the German-made Souveran, in my humble opinion.

So, with coffee on my desk and a fully loaded Optima (with Pelikan 4001 Turquoise ink) I gave the pen a whirl, writing on my Rhodia Circa paper. The extra-fine offers a solid line, not being too dry or too thick. The line thinness is equivalent to a Pelikan m200 in fine point. There isn't that much flexibility in the gold nib, but it does write smoothly with a bit of springiness. One of the huge positives that I really enjoyed was how the cap posts on the back end while writing. The size is compact (only 6" when posted) and the weight is light enough to write cap-posted in a comfortable fashion.

The piston-filling reservoir seems to hold a ton of ink. There is a window (pictured above) that is located right before the screw threads on the black front section to show the ink level when it gets down to the very end of the fill. I will have more to report once the ink runs out on the DPF (Days Per Fill - trying to coin a new pen term here). From my "guesstimation" I would reckon to say it takes in as much as a Pelikan.

Summary:

• Writing Quality : 14ct solid gold nib writes very smoothly for an extra-fine. No flex, but only time will tell when it gets broken in. (grade A-)
• Aesthetic Quality : Could stare (and drool) at the blue marbled cap and barrel all day long. The gold trims are not often used with blue, but work so well in this design. (grade A+)
• Utility : Ink reservoir seems to hold a ton of ink. Ink view window is helpful to see when a refill is needed. Cap posts perfectly for comfortable and convenient writing (grade B+)
• Price : Available in extra-fine, fine, medium, broad and italic broad sizes for $499.95 at Goldspot.com. While there are more affordable 14ct solid gold nib fountain pens on the market, you're paying for this unique, breath-taking finish.  (grade B-)

Final Grade : A-
The Aurora Optima Auroloide is definitely one of the best Christmas presents I've ever received. Looking forward to using this pen for a long time to come and I will end up revisiting this review a few months from now to add my opinions after a longer period of usage.

New Year Giveaway - Aurora Ipsilon Rollerball

Happy New Year Pen People,

Our first giveaway of 2011 is certainly one you can't miss. We are giving away a FREE Aurora Ipsilon Black w/ Gold Trim Rollerball pen ($100 retail value). This pen has polished black lacquer cap and body finish with gold plated trims and signature Aurora clip.

Since this is such a huge giveaway, we're going to give everyone a few opportunities to win.

• "Like" or "Share" the giveaway post on Facebook
• "Re-tweet" the giveaway on Twitter (making sure @goldspotpens is in your tweet)
• Or, leave a comment on this post, answering the question, "How would I use this pen to help complete my New Years Resolutions?"

If you do one of each action, it will count as an entry. So, you have a maximum of 3 possible entries to this giveaway. Entries will be accepted until 11:59PM Eastern Time, Wednesday, January 12th. We will randomly select the winner on Thursday and announce it here on the blog. Good luck and get clickin'!

3 Pens on My Wishlist

Dear Santa,

I've been a good little boy who likes pens. Really, really nice pens. You may have to call on your elves from Italy and Japan to help out making these.

Namiki Pilot Vanishing Point Blue Carbonesque Fountain Pen in Fine Point - The Japanese-made Pilot Vanishing point is compulsory in any fountain pen fanatics collection like a Lamy Safari or Pelikan would be. I mean, who else makes a click-top, retractable fountain pen with a gold nib and still under $200 retail? The blue carbonesque is a finish that you don't see everyday, which makes it distinctly part of this series. Convenience and the writing experience of a fountain pen - what else can a boy ask for?

Aurora Optima Auroloide Blue w/ gold trim Fountain Pen in Extra-Fine Point -This is one of those pens that would be on my "if I had the money.." or "hit the lotto" scenarios. The Optima is one of the few piston-filling fountain pens that has such a great, classic style about it. Blue and Gold is such a classy, yet underutilized color combination. The size and weight are perfect for daily writing. The large 14kt solid gold nib is also a pleasure to write with, even if you leave it inked in a desk for weeks, so I've been told.

Visconti Rembrandt Eco Roller in Blue - "Another blue pen?" remarks Santa. Yes! Blue is a staple of my collection thus far. The Eco Roller uses a rollerball front section, but fills like a fountain pen by ink cartridge or converter (included). The blue is a magnificent dark tone with plenty of variations, almost like it was painted on a canvas. The magnetic cap is truly convenient, plus I can put my initials on top of the cap with the Visconti My Pen System.

Going to need to ask for a pen case with all of these, too. Maybe next year  ;)

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Goldspot Pens

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone! I grabbed a few green pens from our stock room to take this picture. From left to right, we've got the ACME Crayon in lime, Pelikan Souveran 600, Aurora Ipsilon Resin, Lamy AL-Star, Caran d'Ache Metal ballpoint pen and Laban Germana Rubber. The poorly written (I'll admit I'm no calligrapher) greeting on top was done with Noodler's Forest Green Ink. By the way, today is a great day to be a fan of ours on Facebook or to follow us on Twitter. We're running a special promotion for St. Patrick's Day ONLY. Join up to find the promotion code.

Weekend Pen Spotlight

This weekend's spotlight is brought to you by the new Visconti Homo Sapiens Collection: This is a great chance to own a truly one-of-a-kind pen that features world-class Italian craftsmanship and innovation. The fountain pen features an exclusive 23kt solid palladium 'dreamtouch' nib available in a wide array of sizes (extra-fine, fine, medium, broad, double-broad and 1.3mm stub). We've seen this pen demo'ed at the Philadelphia Pen Show and the flex that the palladium nib provides is amazing. The power-filler quickly draws up a large supply of ink into the internal reservoir. This series could be considered as valuable as a limited edition, but is designed to be an everyday writer and priced to own. We are now taking pre-orders on a first-come, first-serve basis for early April delivery. -- Bleubug talks about retractable fountain pens, notably the Aurora 98 and the Pilot Vanishing Point. There should definitely be more retractable fountain pens on the market. Fountain pen aficionados would know that the Lamy Dialog 3 came out last year to quite a severe degree of demand, despite its $300 price tag. Apparently, Colorado Pen Direct has a hatred for Mommy Bloggers. This goes to show you that treating someone poorly, customer or not, has consequences for a business' image on the internet. The Pen Addict gives the Tombow Air Press ballpoint pen a mixed review. The whole "write-anywhere and everywhere" ability of the Tombow (and Fisher pens, to be honest) is a nice novelty, but the quality of the writing tends not to be as smooth and easy as a normal ballpoint or gel ink. Personally, I don't find myself in a situation where I have to write upside-down, under water or atop Mount Everest. German pen collector's club visits the Pelikan factory in Hanover.