Leadhead's Tread: 2012 Chicago Pen Show Report

I've always had a soft spot for the Chicago Pen Show.  It was the second pen show I attended more than ten years ago (second after the Ohio Show in my own back yard, of course).   It's been at the Westin O'Hare every year I've gone, and this year was no exception. 

Since I've been pretty busy at work lately, I decided to keep things simple and just take along some copies of my book, as well as a few pens and pencils for swappin'.   Rather than fill up a whole table, Michael "Ferengi" Little and I decided to split one (as he says, so I can watch his stuff while he runs around and buys everything in the room).

Last year, I just flew out and took the hotel shuttle from the airport, and they really had things down to a science (or so it seems, to an Ohio boy landing in the big city).  I drove this year (a box of books ways waaaaay more than 50 pounds), which isn't too bad if you can adjust to the idea that a hotel is going to charge you $7 a day to park in the parking lot on site. 

The hotel itself is really impressive, with a central hallway that runs the entire length of the hotel. . .

NOTE:  This article is now included in the print version of The Leadhead's Pencil Blog, available anywhere you buy books, or also from The Legendary Lead Company.

To order, here's the link:  Volume 1 at Legendary Lead Company