Stationery Galore at California Pen Show 2025
Another pen show in the books!
The year is still feeling rocky and uncertain, but I was relieved to find that I can detach from current events and fully enjoy the friendship and joy of stationery during the weekend at the California Pen Show. Just like last year, the show is held at the Marriott Torrance Redondo Beach, a large and spacious venue compared to its inaugural year (I’m honestly triggered by this word as of late…).
I flew into town at noon, only slightly scarred by the bumpy ride on the way down. Despite the threatening rainstorm in the forecast, my friend Jackie and I raced downtown to meet fellow stationery friends for a hearty pork broth and rice at Jinsol Gukbap. This year the show allowed vendors to set up on Thursday evening, so I knew I had to fuel up for some heavy lifting and arrangement work. After an hour of transporting 20+ heavy boxes into the ballroom, our team celebrated our efforts with a satisfying dinner at Otafuku, known for its soba and fried goods. Spoiler alert, I revisited most of the restaurants I enjoyed last year at the California Pen Show because I missed them so much.
Throughout the weekend, I mostly worked behind the PLOTTER USA booth, occasionally helping out my colleagues at TRAVELER’S COMPANY USA. We took up five tables like last year in the same U-shaped orientation, which became our little fort where we sneaked bites of onigiri and sips of milk tea (delicious Herchalou) between helping out fellow stationery lovers pick out a planner or notebook.
Friday and Saturday were busy as expected, and the ballroom got warm at some point. However, Sunday surprised me because we continue to get a constant stream of customers through the afternoon even though Sundays are typically quite slow. It seems that the enthusiasm for stationery is growing each year.
Although we’re typically kept busy throughout the weekend, I still managed to find them to sneak away and explore the ballroom and visit some anticipated vendors. I’m pleased to see that more and more paper and stationery vendors are participating in the “pen” show — They provide a great balance to the selection of pens, vintage and new.
My favorite table is Paper Treats and the lovely owner Mai. She is local to the city and always brings the most amazing selection of stationery goods, ranging from indie Japanese artists to mainstream stickers, and this time even handmade washi cards by her mother (who insisted she is still young at heart).
I am particularly enamored by the feature artist she is highlighting: Rira Rira Hanko, who mostly illustrates a whimsical old man in various scenarios. It was here that couldn’t resist taking home the Paper Message tear-away calendar (which she still has plenty of stock of). There are so many fun and interactive elements to the Paper Treats table, a hidden gem of the show for sure.
I didn’t think I would buy a pen so early on this year, but I was once again tempted by indie penmakers whenever I went to a pen show. This time, I fell prey to Skogsy Pens. I remember trying to check out their tiny Saguaro pen at the SF Pen Show in 2024, but they were sold out by the time Friday was over. I was lucky this year, it seems, because they still had a handful left when I passed by their table. I immediately honed in on the wave-themed Saguaro (I can’t resist that lovely scene) with the surfboard nib. It was a no-brainer and I’m now the proud owner of this unique pen.
It wasn’t until a few hours later that I learned of some pretty pens at The White Bear Pens. Thankfully the pen I coveted from their Instagram post was sold out early, so I retreated safely after picking up a few things for my podcast co-host Kelly.
It was easy to overshop when it comes to cute stationery. A sticker only costs a few dollars, but they soon add up. I got stickers from Sakura Dragon and Kubo & Lucy, memo pads from M. Lovewell, and acrylic stamps from Everyday Explorers Co. CY almost convinced me to purchase an Urushi rock, but I came to my senses before I spent my month’s salary all on this weekend.
Popularized by TRAVELER’S COMPANY’s Stamp caravan, the culture of stamp rally is really taking pen shows by storm. Throughout the ballroom, I was able to collect stamp impressions from not just stationery vendors, but also pen makers and larger pen brands as well. I dedicated the blank pages of my B6 Take-A-Note Planner for this endeavor, and I’m excited to see what else this book can collect for the rest of the year.
Of course, it was great to see stationery and pen friends from around the country. It always feels like a great reunion at events like this, and we can catch up easily even though it’s been months since we saw each other.
I was too tired to participate in after-dark hangouts in the evening this year, but I ate my fill during the ample meal meetups throughout the weekend. I enjoyed Korean dishes, Japanese sukiyaki, and take-out tacos. Whenever I work shows away from home, it’s good food that keeps me motivated and fueled through and through.
I’m glad I decided to take it easy on Sunday evening and fly home on Monday. This gave me a relaxing evening to recoup, and enjoy a delicious lunch and casual cafe journaling session with friends before my flight. As part of my resolution to use more things, throughout the show, I wasn’t stingy about how many stickers or ephemera I stuck onto my notebooks (no more hoarding pen show things until months later!) As a result, I have fewer things to organize than I thought when I came home to face my haul.
If you made it to this point of the article, FINE, I bought two PLOTTERs at the show. The Unevenly dyed Cordovan leather was love at first sight for me (in green, of course), and the Purple is just irresistible even though I already own a Wine PLOTTER Mini 5 Square.
Overall, the California Pen Show was a pleasant getaway for me. Not only was the weather quite warm, but the camaraderie with stationery friends helped keep my spirits high. During stressful current events, stationery makes everything feel slightly better.
Did you visit the California Pen Show? What was your favorite purchase?
I'm really loving your substack posts and reviews of pen shows/events. One day I'd love to make a US pen show (maybe in 3-4 yrs time).. :S BUT, ahem- what's in the pretty plotter box!
My daughter and I went to the show on Sunday. It was the first pen show for us and we were very overwhelmed! I missed the stamp rally going on (what a fun idea!) and didn’t even know how to approach the indie sellers with their vast collections on display. Nevertheless, we each came away with two new pens, six bottles of ink and an assortment of stickers and tapes. (No notebooks this time for either of us - I think we are both feeling overstocked). One of the pens I got was a pocket Schon, but as much as I coveted one of their fancy nibs, my spending limit made it impossible. Maybe next year!