Who are you REALLY?

Take the following pen personality quiz just for fun.

1. I like pens
1. from well-known manufacturers.
2. from small companies with great reputations.
3. produced by artisans—the one-of a kind stuff.

2. The mode I prefer is
1. a fountain pen with a traditional filling system.
2. a fountain pen with a cartridge or converter filling system.
3. anything that suits my mood.

3.  Speaking of style, I like
1. black pens, preferably with silver trim.
2. Maki-e and other art forms.
3. colorful pens that really stand out. 

4. I purchase my pens from
1. reputable pen shops, after much research and testing.
2. pen shops, online, and via catalogs.
3. from all of the above, as well as via pen friends and pen shows. 

5. I own
1. more pens than I dare count, each reflective of my personality and finances.
2. a group of well-chosen pens that I will always enjoy.
3. a fluid bunch of pens to which I add or subtract as I see fit.

If you answered mostly a’s, you are probably on the conservative side—no impulsiveness here; mostly b’s, you’re a moderate who enjoys life and pens within set personal boundaries; mostly c’s, I’d like to buy you a drink.

Surprise, at least to me...

Of the people who responded to my last poll (the question: What is the source of your pen purchases?), 66 percent said they purchased their pens online. The remaining number was equally distributed among “pens shops,” “mass market stores” and “other collectors.” Powerful sales medium, this Internet is. It makes me wonder about the fate of brick-and-mortar stores, particularly since I am of the generation that remembers what personal service is all about. These days, most people think good service is getting an item on time and as described, and of course this is important. But I also like being wooed by the touch of a prospective purchase or the ambience of a store and its personnel. It’s retail foreplay.