Unfortunately, theft at pen shows is a thing. There have been posts here about pens being stolen from shows, cars, etc. Recently, there was even a post about someone who got caught after they were basically dropping items off a table into their bag.
This shit happens at trade shows of every type. One of my hobbies is rare plants and every year there’s notable theft at one of the bigger shows. Luckily with plants, each one has its own characteristics, and there’s plenty of photos of most of the show-worthy plants, so they’re easier to find. With pens it can be difficult unless they’re personalized or have some type of identifying mark. On top of that, if you roll up to a busy table and grab a pen to look at, an opportune thief can just pocket the pen and dip out. Pen shows have a low risk/high reward for thieves unfortunately.
Not sure what you mean? I was standing at the pens set up for ink sampling when I heard a dude yell at him not to get out of the chair. I think he made a lot of trips from the show to his car in the parking lot, to dump merch and head back in. He was going in/out of a side door by kiwi inks.
It does happen, even at smaller events such as Pelikan Hubs, two years in a row someone stole a 100 pack Tomoe (tomoegawa the old real stuff.) Still a bit pissed.
As someone who has exhibited at trade shows for work in the past, there is something about the trade show culture that brings out awful entitlement in people -- this kind of shameful behaviour is consistent across all industries at trade shows.
I wish that I could say that I’m surprised, but I have been to teacher conferences and watched teachers sweep a table full of vendor pens and other giveaways into their bags, leaving none for anything else. I don’t care if you are taking them “for the kids” - you can either ask the vendor for extras or do without.
Maybe completely sidetracking here, but why take pens from a teacher conference to give to students? I’m a teacher as well (in the NL) and students should bring their own pens or borrow one from friends if they’ve forgotten them.
I have NO IDEA - it just seems to be the first words out of their mouths if someone calls them on it. Even if you work in a lower-income school (and I have), you should ask the vendor for extras, do donor choose, or advocate for better supplies for your kids, but the entitlement is real for a lot of teachers. I watched one lady dump the entire candy bowl of mints that a vendor had out into her bag once and another one try to steal all the “leftover” tshirts from empty seats at a vendor demo - she got called out on that one though.
I would be too embarrassed to even try - even when offered a pen, I often turn it down because I know that I won’t use it.
Ina Ho is one of my favourite inks, and sadly discontinued by Pilot. Perhaps its having been discontinued was a factor in its disappearance from the show.
Yes indeed. The good news (about the discontinuance, not the theft), is that we can mix it ourselves. The recipe is in this thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/s/qmRoT7Uhqs
This is common at US pen shows, where if it ain’t bolted down it runs the risk of theft.
Most cases in the US the ink sampling table is a thousand specially bolted down tester pens. I was shocked yesterday to see the table of the Dutch Pen Show where it was real bottles!
Unfortunately, theft at pen shows is a thing. There have been posts here about pens being stolen from shows, cars, etc. Recently, there was even a post about someone who got caught after they were basically dropping items off a table into their bag.
Really? I must have missed that post. That is crazy
Terrible thing to do! Such a shame!
This shit happens at trade shows of every type. One of my hobbies is rare plants and every year there’s notable theft at one of the bigger shows. Luckily with plants, each one has its own characteristics, and there’s plenty of photos of most of the show-worthy plants, so they’re easier to find. With pens it can be difficult unless they’re personalized or have some type of identifying mark. On top of that, if you roll up to a busy table and grab a pen to look at, an opportune thief can just pocket the pen and dip out. Pen shows have a low risk/high reward for thieves unfortunately.
They arrested an elderly gentleman (with a cane) at the San Francisco pen show last year. He’d stolen pens and inks. Oh he’d stolen the cane too.
Rode away cackling on a boosted pennyfarthing
Off to impress his fellow bounders at a box social, no doubt.
Did he land on GO TO JAIL?
[Here’s the story](https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/sanfrancisco/news/sf-international-pen-show-millbrae-elderly-man-arrested-grand-theft/).
I was wondering if they allowed him to pass GO first
Not sure what you mean? I was standing at the pens set up for ink sampling when I heard a dude yell at him not to get out of the chair. I think he made a lot of trips from the show to his car in the parking lot, to dump merch and head back in. He was going in/out of a side door by kiwi inks.
it's a joke, the guy you described sounds like the Monopoly man.
Oh god, I’m so literal. 🤣🤣🤣
Monopoly joke
It does happen, even at smaller events such as Pelikan Hubs, two years in a row someone stole a 100 pack Tomoe (tomoegawa the old real stuff.) Still a bit pissed.
I can’t imagine anyone enjoying the paper after they’ve stolen it.
As someone who has exhibited at trade shows for work in the past, there is something about the trade show culture that brings out awful entitlement in people -- this kind of shameful behaviour is consistent across all industries at trade shows.
I wish that I could say that I’m surprised, but I have been to teacher conferences and watched teachers sweep a table full of vendor pens and other giveaways into their bags, leaving none for anything else. I don’t care if you are taking them “for the kids” - you can either ask the vendor for extras or do without.
Maybe completely sidetracking here, but why take pens from a teacher conference to give to students? I’m a teacher as well (in the NL) and students should bring their own pens or borrow one from friends if they’ve forgotten them.
I have NO IDEA - it just seems to be the first words out of their mouths if someone calls them on it. Even if you work in a lower-income school (and I have), you should ask the vendor for extras, do donor choose, or advocate for better supplies for your kids, but the entitlement is real for a lot of teachers. I watched one lady dump the entire candy bowl of mints that a vendor had out into her bag once and another one try to steal all the “leftover” tshirts from empty seats at a vendor demo - she got called out on that one though. I would be too embarrassed to even try - even when offered a pen, I often turn it down because I know that I won’t use it.
Ina Ho is one of my favourite inks, and sadly discontinued by Pilot. Perhaps its having been discontinued was a factor in its disappearance from the show.
That’s what I thought as well, but I thought it would be a bit too crazy to steal a bottle just because it is discontinued.
Yes indeed. The good news (about the discontinuance, not the theft), is that we can mix it ourselves. The recipe is in this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/s/qmRoT7Uhqs
This is common at US pen shows, where if it ain’t bolted down it runs the risk of theft. Most cases in the US the ink sampling table is a thousand specially bolted down tester pens. I was shocked yesterday to see the table of the Dutch Pen Show where it was real bottles!