Why Virtual Pen Show?
Very simply: Because we all have at least a few pens we would be willing to sell if doing so wasn’t such a pain. In the backs of our minds, we think we could use eBay – but we never get around to it because it’s too much work. Some of us go to actual pens shows with all of our pens and imagine that we’ll sell some, but in the end we have too much fun buying new pens that we never get around to even offering our pens to anyone.
Virtual Pen Show also exists for the many among us that will likely never get to a real-life pen show but would love to see what’s being offered (without getting lost in the rabbit hole that is eBay or spending hours rummaging through online classifieds). With Virtual Pen Show and an Instagram account (or just here on the VPS website), pens being offered for sale literally find you! You can like them, you can share them, you can even buy them!
What’s the idea here? How does Virtual Pen Show work?
Basically, Virtual Pen Show is an Instagram account (@virtualpenshow) where pens for sale are posted so that sellers can be exposed to buyers.
What can I sell on Virtual Pen Show?
Anything you can find at a pen show: fountain pens, ballpoints, roller balls, fountain pen inks, dip pen/calligraphy inks, notebooks, pencils, pen cases, and even more!
How do I make changes to my listing?
Simply leave a comment on your listing with your updated price or status (i.e. SOLD). If you would like to resubmit your item, please leave a comment on your listing indicating you will resubmit so it can be archived. Please note fees still apply on re-submissions.
Can I submit multiple items?
Multiple submissions are allowed and encouraged once you have met the requirements (image size, caption, etc) but please note the fee applies to each item.
Can I contact VPS?
You can send us an email using the button at the bottom of the page. Please do not send us emails to our private email or social media accounts with VPS inquiries.
Is Virtual Pen Show safe?
You are buying and selling at your own risk. VPS does not take responsibility for failed transactions or scammers. We do our best to weed out scammers on either end by having a fee but we cannot guarantee anything. Please be careful and exercise common sense and caution in all online transactions.
I don’t use Instagram, can I still participate?
Yes. If you want to sell an item, you can submit that information online here at the Virtual Pen Show website. If you want to view pens that are for sale, you can see the most recent listing on our For Sale page and all previous listings at the Virtual Pen Show Instagram page.
Further Notes:
Private Instagram accounts will have to check their DM request folders for potential buyers. It is suggested to use a public account to make it easier for interested parties to contact you.
Donors will no longer be tagged as many of you have requested to be anonymous. Please know we thank you all for your support.
All sold items will be archived immediately. Keep a copy for yourself by taking a screenshot when your listing goes up. We do not unarchive.