Editing The Pen Addict 383/transcript (section)

== Houston Trip ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' Good, good, good. I am very fine as well. I am back from a trip to Houston, Texas to visit Dromgoos, which we will talk about momentarily. But I was just sitting here thinking right before we got started, for not having any pen shows, we've had some pen show, pen related travel. You know, even though you didn't really do anything super pen related in your little jaunt to Copenhagen, we got to talk about the pen store you went to. Then I went on this awesome trip down to Houston. And yeah, it seems like we've been on the road a lot. But I think I'm in for the rest of the year. At least I'm pretty sure I am. So you never know what might come up. But no travel plans the rest of the year. Although you're not so dedicated to the show as me.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I just, this just doesn't feel fair. You say things like that.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So let's talk about my trip. It was fun. I had a really good time. So I went last Friday down to Houston, Texas, which is where Dromgoos is. And thank you to all the fine Dromgoos folks for having me down there. And Friday, I got in about 2.30 ish in the afternoon to their shop. And it's just the coolest hangout place. Like it's designed, this is more like it's a pretty large retailer. I mean, it's a very large pen retailer. But it's really like a clubhouse for pen nerds is what it seems like. Like that's the vibe you get. But like there's, of course, like the big old Mont Blanc, you know, built-in store, which we've talked about. You know, Mont Blanc has its own area. But like it doesn't even matter. It's just this cool vibe about being in the store and hanging in the store. So I got there Friday and just hung out most of the day.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' They had a viewing party for the Major League Baseball World Series. The local team, Houston Astros, were playing that night. And I was able to help cheer them on to a victory.

'''Myke Hurley:''' And congratulations on that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You did it.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I did it. I did it. So there is a running joke with that, that I'm the good luck charm because since I've left, when I arrived, so sports ball time here real quick. This is a seven-game series for the championship, right? So the Washington Nationals, who were the underdogs, won the first two games. Because I showed up in Houston. Houston won the next three games. And then they were off Monday and then played last night where I was, guess what, at home. And guess who won that game, Myke? The Washington Nationals. So now we go to the decisive game seven. And, you know, Houston's only won the games where I have been in Houston, Texas this season. So, you know, take that for what you will.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I will take it to mean literally nothing.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yes, I figured. I figured. No added commentary on that at all. No, you're good.

'''Myke Hurley:''' That Houston Astros have a cool kit that you are.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' They do. They have some of the best in the game. So enough of that. But anyway, what's interesting is that they had a bunch of people show up to a pin shop for a baseball viewing party. There was probably like maybe 30 people at the time. Like that maxed out was probably between 20 and 30 people total. And this game didn't start until 7 o'clock local time. So this was essentially after shop hours. People showed back up to come hang out with their pin friends and watch a baseball game and eat and drink. And it was just an all-around good time. So good people, good crowd, good game. Winning. Yay. And then the real event was Saturday. And I was just going to hang out while they brought in David Oscarson, who makes his own pins, which we'll talk about both of these in a moment. And John Lane, who is the VP of sales for Pilot North America. So that was the event.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' That was the event on Saturday. So they were, you know, there from 10 to 4. David Oscarson makes. You might be familiar with his work. I'm not totally sure if you are, Myke. He was at D.C. when we were there. But that's not something. So like getting to talk with David, I guess I'll go ahead and get to this now.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' His pins are not for everybody. And he understands that, right? It's a very high-end, luxury, jewelry, art style of design. And like, I think the base-level pins are like around six grand, right? They're like, and he makes like eight of them, right? It's a super specific customer that he has. So like David knows that I'm not his customer. And like the pen addict, you know, readers aren't necessarily his customer. But what I got out of talking to David, like even though, like I will probably never be a customer of his, that we could talk about the art and design and the process that he goes through. And you can tell someone who like is really passionate about those things. And you get to learn about his craftsmanship, which is really, it's essentially jewelry design. The way his pins are designed with this layered enamel and, you know, all these different design elements and looks and styles and rare materials and things like that. So it was a great conversation with David. But I've never got to spend time with him before, other than just saying hi at a pin show when I see him regularly. And it was cool to learn about that, even though, you know, like I said, like that's not the type of pin that I'm going to use, right? So, but he stays busy. Like he goes down there like every two, three months because he has like a good client base in Houston. And like his customers came and saw him all day long and he showed off like his newest artwork. And it was just a really cool experience to get to spend some time with him.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' And then John Lane from Pilot, I had actually never met in all my years of doing this and all my years of going around to shows. Our paths had just never crossed in person to where we could even introduce ourselves. So like this was my first time even meeting him and he brought pretty much everything that Pilot does, which that's not a huge amount, right? Like he can have all of like Pilot's standard lineup and one like large, like, you know, 30 pin case or whatever, right? You know, it's your baseline up stuff like the 74s and he didn't bring like the very, very small stuff like the Metropolitans and the Explorers and prayers and things like that.

'''Myke Hurley:''' But that's a great question from Tony in the chat room, which I don't think you would answer unless I asked you. Did he know who you were?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I didn't see it. He did not know who I was.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Okay. Did he know what the pen addict was? Yes.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yes. He kind of. Yeah. He didn't totally know.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Ah, so he was aware of a thing called the pen addict. He did not know who Brad Dowdy was. Correct. Okay.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I think that's fair. That's the feeling I got from him anyway. Like he didn't, he didn't say, oh, you know, he's like, oh, okay. Like when I introduced myself or someone introducing to him is like, oh, that registers.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah. Which I guess in a way, I don't know, is more important really that he knows what the pen addict is than you. Maybe. I don't know.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. But like, he doesn't know, like, do I even review Pilot pens? Like we never had a discussion about the blog or anything like that. Sure. So, yeah, I would say he generally didn't know me, but other than hearing like the phrase pen addict and passing kind of thing.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah. Okay.