Noodler's Giveaway Result + Shipping Before Xmas

We had, hands-down, our most fun and interactive giveaway yet. A few weeks ago, we announced our new, bulletproof Noodler's Revolution Blue ink. To celebrate, we hosted a giveaway on this blog and our social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter. The theme was to let your "pen war cries" against the digital age fly.

The responses we received were creative, funny and encouraging. The pen community came out in force and represented big time! We randomly picked one of the few hundred entries. The winner is.....

Sot Yuxin

Please e-mail tom@goldspot.com directly with your information to claim your prize.

Thanks to everyone for participating in the giveaway!

Holiday Shipping Schedule

Now, on to business. Christmas Eve is upon us, which is the last possible day to either receive a USPS package or UPS express shipment. Here is a schedule leading up to Christmas Eve and how much our "Get it by Xmas" shipping will cost.

For the remainder of today, Thursday, December 18th, you can take advantage of our Free Shipping Day promotion where there is no minimum to get free shipping with your order. That means any refill or pen ships with $0 shipping charge. This party ends at 11:59pm.

Once Friday, the 19th comes, we are offering a special "Get it by XMAS" shipping method. Simply add any "Quick Ship" items to your cart and select the "Get it by XMAS" shipping method during checkout. We guarantee that your order will be expedited for shipment and we will try our best to get them to you on or before December 24th.

The "Quick Ship" items are available for immediate shipping, but sometimes inventory can run out quicker than our website can be updated. If this is the case, we will contact you as soon as possible to make alternative arrangements or give you the option to cancel. Although our engraving team is fast at work, churning out scores of engraved pens and gifts every day this month, if you select engraving on your order at this time, it may add an additional day to the shipping time. Visit our website for more details about our shipping schedule.

You will still be able to get free shipping on your order of $49 or more, but there is no guarantee that the economy shipping would be able to make the delivery prior to Christmas.

As always, call, chat or e-mail if you have a question or need help with placing your order. Happy Holidays!

Introducing Economy Shipping & FREE Shipping

We're always looking to offer our pen customers more value for their purchase. There's no denying that shipping rates have gone up with all carriers (UPS, US Post, FedEx & DHL). Instead of passing on the costs to our customers, we are offering more flexibility with our shipping options by offering tiered levels of domestic shipping.

Of course, we still have our Refills Only shipping rate, which starts at $3.25. This does not include bottled inks, but covers a wide array of small ink cartridges and other refills that can be sent by US First Class mail. Filofax paper inserts are also considered refills.

If you're like most people who are buying for themselves and want to get the cheapest shipping regardless if it takes a little longer to receive, we now offer Economy Level (3-10 business days). Starting at $5.95, a whole dollar less than our previous "UPS Ground" rate, Economy will offer our customers the ability to purchase less expensive items (other than refills) and save on shipping. Starting today, you can get your order with Free Economy Shipping for a new low order minimum of $50 or more. Make sure your order totals $50 or more, we're shipping to a US address and you enter the promo code JULYELEVEN during checkout. Offer is subject to change or cancellation without notice.

The next level is Standard (2-6 business days), which is a better option for those who are buying gifts for events that are a few weeks away. Standard starts at $7.95 for the first five items.

For quicker turnarounds and time-critical orders, we have Expedited (1-3 business days) service. Starting at $16.95, this level gives your order the urgency to make it in time.

Lastly, we have the mission-critical, pull-out-the-stops Next Business Day Express option for the customers that "need it yesterday." Next Business Day starts at $29.95 (option : Saturday Delivery - $44.95). It is always preferred if you can get in touch with our customer service department when you place your order to ensure that your order gets delivered by your need-by date (we affectionately call it the "pen in-hand" date). Sometimes circumstances beyond our control can prevent us from processing orders from the website that are placed after 11AM for same day shipping. It is best for everyone if you let us know you need your order to go out the same day it was placed. This way, we can ensure that it will be done!

Check the updated shipping table below for a summary of the new shipping tiers that Goldspot offers.

If you are viewing this post 10 years in the future when the price of gasoline has rocketed to $50 per gallon and we have resorted to sending packages by pigeon couriers, needless to say we are not going to honor these prices. Kindly note that prices do change and we may not be able to honor the rates shown on this page in six months, a year, two years and so forth. We will update you when we do decide to send Pelikan pens by flying Pelicans.

Send our Troops a Gift to Write Home About

Our US servicemen and women work hard and sacrifice so much for us overseas. Through the United States Postal Service, we are able to provide the same standard shipping & ground rates to APO & FPO addresses as we would with any domestic US address. That means we can ship pens and other accessories by US Priority Mail starting at $6.95, with refills going by US First Class starting at $3.25. Both starting rates are for the first five items of the order. We will also honor free shipping promotion codes that usually apply to continental US - on orders that are placed with an APO/FPO address.

Priority mail may not show up as an option on the list of shipping methods when checking out. If this happens, simply select UPS ground for the same price and we will ensure the package is sent properly.

A couple quick tips about addressing for APO / FPO addresses:

• Use the service member's full name - mail must be addressed to someone specific.
• Include the Unit and APO / FPO - (Air/Army Post Office or Fleet Post Office) with nine-digit zip code (if one is assigned)
• Example :
  Seaman Joseph Doe
  USCGC Hamilton
  FPO AP 96667-3931

Pictured in this post are the Visconti Rembrandt pens available in Red, Ivory and Blue. If you need any assistance placing an order that is being shipped to an APO / FPO address, please feel free to give us a call during our office hours at 800-963-PENS.

Last Minute Pen Gift Ideas

Sorry for the recent lack of posts. The Holidays have made us all busy elves in the fine-writing department of Santa's workshop. We're picking, packing, taking orders and making sure that everyone gets a great gift for their loved ones. With that in mind, there is only 4 business days left before Christmas Eve, but it still is not too late to find that last-minute gift. Our best suggestion is to order this weekend and select from thousands of pens, leather organizers and accessories that have the "Snowflake Tag" (see graphic on right). Since we take orders from the internet and by phone, sometimes the inventory does not update quick enough to show that the item has run out-of-stock for the moment. The good news is, we will be making personal phone calls to people who may have ordered an out-of-stock pen to see if there are any alternative color choice or point sizes you would not mind switching for. Many of our diligent customers have called us ahead of time to ask if the item is in-stock for immediate shipping before placing their order. Here are a few last-minute gift suggestions that we have plenty of units in-stock: Waterford Arista Cranberry Polished ballpoint pens The Cranberry color is a great Holiday hue. Sold with a presentable Waterford blue gift box. Other colors may be found on the Waterford Arista Page. Pelikan Technixx Fountain Pen Pelikan is well-known for their high-quality fountain pens, and here is your chance to own or gift one at a special closeout price. The solid aluminum body gives the pen a quality of "heft" that is seen in higher priced models. Few available colors and modes at the Pelikan Technixx page. Parker Insignia Pencils & Ballpoint Pens An oldie but goodie, the Parker Insignia compacts Parker writing quality into a slim, sturdy frame. Fan of mechanical pencils? We have several colors of the Insignia .5mm mechanical pencils at closeout prices. $19.95 for a pencil or ballpoint, $39.95 for selected sets, all styles available on our Parker Insignia page. Plus, we have hundreds of the hottest styles available for immediate shipping. On a sidenote : Many folks have been eagerly awaiting the Lamy Dialog 3. Last word from Lamy is that they are shipping our first batch of backorders starting Monday, the 21st. Hopefully, we will be able to receive the shipment before Christmas so we can send them out to those who have been patiently waiting.

Goldspot Shipping Information for the Holiday Season

Hey Pen Lovers, Shopping online during the holiday season usually means nervously waiting by the front door for your package to arrive. We here at Goldspot Pens know that everyone has a deadline in the month of December. Whether you need your order to arrive on Christmas Eve or a week before for your company's holiday party, here is some helpful information on our shipping schedule this month. First, and most importantly, if you have a rush order that needs to be delivered, engraved and/or giftwrapped ASAP, please give us a quick call at 1-800-963-7367 once you have placed your order to make us aware of your timetable. We will be able to check stock and verify a more accurate delivery date than the website estimates. We offer UPS Next Day, 2-Day Air and 3-day (business days) shipping, which are available at an additional cost. Cut-Off Dates for delivery by December 25th These dates vary by shipping speed. Each delivery service varies in price. More information regarding our shipping prices can be found on our shipping & services information page. We take into consideration the US Postal Service Holiday Shipping Cut-Off Dates to provide these deadlines for customers shipping by US First Class, Priority and Express Mail Service.

• US Domestic First Class Mail orders should be made by Friday, December 18th to ensure delivery by the 25th.
• US Domestic Priority Mail orders should be made by Friday, December 18th to ensure delivery by the 25th.
• Priority Mail order for Military addresses (except for zip 093) should be made by Thursday, December 10th.
• International Express Mail Service orders to most countries (except in Africa and Central & South America) should be made by December 16th.
• International Priority Mail orders to most countries (except in Africa and Central & South America) should be made by December 10th.

With UPS service (domestic US only), you can afford to "cut it closer" to your deadline, but please keep in mind that most of our orders are processed and shipped within 48 hours of confirmation. We do need time to process and pack every order. If you need a rush order, always call before or right after placing your order.

• UPS Ground orders for delivery addresses on the West Coast should be placed by Wednesday, December 16th.
• UPS Ground orders for delivery addresses in the Mid-West should be placed by Friday, December 18th.
• UPS Ground orders for delivery addresses East of the Mississippi should be placed by Sunday, December 20th.
• UPS 3-Day orders (anywhere in US, except AK & HI) should be placed by Sunday, December 20th.
• UPS 2-Day orders (anywhere in US, except AK & HI) should be placed by Monday, December 21st.
• UPS Next Day Overnight orders (anywhere in US, except AK & HI) should be placed by Tuesday, December 22nd.

If your order has engraving, please expect an extended delay of 2 to 3 business days extra due to high volume. The Goldspot Elves are working overtime to get your order shipped correctly and on-time. Our best recommendation is to make things easier for all of us and place your mission critical orders now.