WES Membership

(Please see joining instructions at the end of the page...)

WES is run completely by a Council of volunteers, and it's a not-for-profit organisation. We don't have any paid staff, and our main revenue comes from the membership subscriptions and occasional item sales or promotions. The membership fees provide funding for some operational expenses (including travelling, event materials, website development and hosting, etc.), and all the member benefits below. For a full background to the WES story, please see our WES Introduction page.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS LIST

• WES Journal: The WES Journal is published in full colour three times per year, with contributions from the council, WES members, and external contributors. Our "Print" memberships (domestic and international) deliver a quality printed copy of the journal by post, whereas our digital subscription delivers a PDF version of the journal through email.
• Free Show Tickets: No cost access to the UK Pen Shows. We support all the UK pen shows (typically 5 per year). WES members can obtain their free (one day) entrance tickets through the WES website.
• Journals Back Catalogue: We offer WES members full access to the back catalogue of all WES Journals since 1981. Members (only) can freely download previous journal issues through the website. We are now working on a facility for searching and downloading individual articles, rather than whole journal issues. Members can still purchase printed copies of earlier journals if they wish, where we have stock, for a price that covers printing and postage costs.
• WES Reference Library: Members also have exclusive access to the WES library and archives, which holds over 1300 titles. From books and auction catalogues, to ephemera, catalogues, manuals, etc. Some of the printed materials are available to browse in person only, which can be organised by request to the Librarian. Other material can be provided electronically, subject to copyright rules. A complete reference list is available on our website.
• "Bring and Sell" table: In the large shows (London) we run a "Bring and Sell" table, where members can bring and sell up to 10 of their own items without having to hire a table. WES takes a small commission, for handling any sales.
• Pen Repair Classes: WES runs both in-person and on-line Pen Repair classes. These are very popular and exclusively available to WES members only.
• Online Shop: We have an online shop for members, where we offer other literature, consumables such as exclusive inks, pen tubes, etc. all at discounted member exclusive rates
• Special Commissions: Occasionally, we organise special commissions with pen makers, or retailers of ancillaries such as inks and notebooks, which are only available to members at discounted prices.
• Members' Directory: On our website, we have a members' directory, where members can find and contact other members directly, based on the interests they have declared on their profile. Of course, members also have the option to opt out from being in the directory. Members can also request support and information from other members, through our regular WES Newsletter email.
• Eugenio Project: WES also runs a project called "Eugenio", which is designed to provide advice and support with the disposal of collections, for members or families of members who have passed.
• Affiliate Auctioneers: WES works with some UK auctioneers, providing them with education & certification about pricing and presenting writing equipment. In exchange, auctioneers provide preferential terms for WES members, such as capped seller’s fees and/or free packing & postage.