Be brutely honest, is this worth reproducing and how much would you sell for?

[UnStable Sanity]

Be brutely honest, is this worth reproducing and if you've sold similar pens, how much did you market them at?

 

[Dieseldoc]

Not much I would try is get my cost out of kit.

 

[Darios]

Nice segments.
With my basic formala I'd start at ~$75. (34 for kit, 5ish for blank, 5 for shop + value of my time) though the one I made didn't move until I eventually dropped it down to $50. It's the kit really. In blending steampunk with bullets I think PSI missed the mark. The kit will be too gimmicky for a large number of people and too icky for another large group of people.

 

[derekdd]

Unique design. Due to that, most will probably pass it by, but some will be really drawn to it. I'd be prepared to sit on it for a while.

I don't know how much time you have into the blank, or how many blanks you made. My formula doesn't change, $25/hr for my time +$5/hr for shop (consumables, power, tools, etc) + cost of materials and tax.

Since I don't have to sell anything, I'm not big on discounting. However, I will if someone wants to buy more than one item. Good luck!

 

[SteveJ]

Nothing wrong with the segmenting - it looks pretty evenly spaced and a decent design. It is the kit which detracts from it. Since I seldom sell my work I have no comment on pricing.

 

[Dinah B]

Beautiful pen. I have sold some at $50. Hard to sell, imo

 

[Woodchipper]

Nice segmenting. For this area in SE TN, I would opt for camo. Appeals to the hunters.

 

[KenB259]

Around here any pen over 60 dollars is a hard sell, even then I hear a lot if people whispering about how expensive they are. Your segmenting is nice, pen kit is expensive, last I looked. I haven't made any those because I know I would be at least at an 80 dollar price point.

 

[Woodchipper]

A lot would depend on the individual market. I knew a pen turner who made about 500 pens a year. He did some craft shows and a website. He stated a pen in one market would sell for $35; same pen in another market would sell for $45.

 

[SteveG]

Location/venue. Try to get established in an upscale location. Then, with a really good presentation, you can upscale your pricing. Prior to retiring, and relocating to Eugene Oregon, I lived on Kauai. I did craft fairs for years, and got established as a skilled woodcrafter. I honed my "Marketing" skills. Eventually, I was able to get a spot as a crafter/vendor using a resort-provided sales table at a Marriott resort. At that location I would have experienced reasonably good sales for the exact pen you posted, offering it in a nice presentation box (my cost for the box about $6), at a sale price of $130. I "earned" my way into that location, and it took a few years, but the results were worth the effort. So my suggestion to you and others is this. Look around, identify favorable venues, aim high, produce a great product and an even better sales presentation. Work hard at getting in to one of the "ideal" locations. You have to promote yourself. If you product perhaps falls short in some area, work on upgrading your skills, or slightly changing your product. Be sure the overall visual impression made by your sales table or booth clearly establishes your image as "High-end". Then you will be set up to actually make a living at doing what you really like doing.

 

[MRDucks2]

From my experience it is hard to get a return on that kit. It looks cool and will get a lot of touch's. People like the mechanism but it is heavy. The coat of the hardware puts it above a lot of other pens that are not as heavy and write just as well. I made one. I still have one.

 

[Woodchipper]

Had a couple of thoughts (scary,isn't it?), for those who sell at craft shows and online. First, do you have a variety of price levels like a car dealer? Second, do you have pens only or a mix of pens and other wood products as turnings, boxes, etc?

 

[henry1164]

Had a couple of thoughts (scary,isn't it?), for those who sell at craft shows and online. First, do you have a variety of price levels like a car dealer? Second, do you have pens only or a mix of pens and other wood products as turnings, boxes, etc?

When I was first looking at selling I asked an experience person "what do I take?", and his answer was "Take what sells!" Obvious next question - "How do I know what will sell?" Reply - "That's the magic question." I've since learned that variety is really the spice of life in this regard. From talking with others, that is true with other vendors selling other stuff - variety. I now take around 250-300 items (in quantity order) - pens, bottle stoppers, smoking pipes, seam rippers, hobby knives, bottle openers and an occasion whimsy item or two. And, there is a variety woods, acrylics, deer antler and other materials. Without getting into other wood items (cutting boards, cheese slicers, etc.) I have been good with sales of the items I take. Good luck with your sales.