Can I make a living making pens?

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LittleMissCreative

LittleMissCreative

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2016
Messages
31
Location
South Wales. UK
Hi,

I'm sure this question has been asked before.

I'm new to turning and would like to do it full time. Would I be able to make a good living selling my pens? If so, where's best to sell as I don't have craft fairs near me.(small town in the UK)

Should I advertise on eBay or ask local shops if I can place my products with them?

How much do you sell your pens for? I've sold two slimline out of the four that I've made. £35 each, which included a nice display case and a refill.

Do wood pens sell better than acrylic and do high end pens sell better than the cheaper kits?

Thank you for any information.

LittleMissCreative.
 
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G'day,

Unfortunately, your main question has no simple answer...!

Most of those making a living out of making pens today, are individuals that have spent a great number of years perfecting their techniques and materials to use.

Is a big difference between, making a few pens to make a little extra money to support the main income than is to make a living out of it.

I wouldn't consider pen making to be a career that could be matched or compared with the most common career directions people make a living from in today's world however, I understand why people get so hooked and excited when first starting turning pens.

That can explain the large number of "aged" people that took on pen turning as they preferred past time due to its immediate gratification however, if you are good with tools and have a creative mind and produce something that is "different" than what we see everyday, you may have good chances to make a living out of it.

Marketing is the "killer", the know how, when and to whom/where can be the deciding factor that, so many struggle with.

In any case, the best of luck...!

Cheers
George
 
You can make a living doing anything and many people do. Do you have the will to make it happen and stick it out? :rolleyes:

The great thing about this is you can get going and work up to a full time income. Plenty of advice and tips here from the group and that is valuable. You won't have access to that for other avenues business.

Start today and make your future happen.
96
 
I sell my pens so I can afford new tools to make more pens (or bowls, cups, goblets ect...) I know some people can put a pen together relatively quickly, but I don't. Once I get a pen sanded and ready for finish I put a couple layers of CA on it and I let it sit for a couple hours, then add a couple more and so on. When I have put enough CA on I let it sit over night to cure before I sand and polish. So by the time I get done with "A" pen I may have 3 to 4 hours into it. If I sold it for $30 then I would be making between $7.5-$10 an hr. So, Is that the living I want to make?

As for pricing pens, I usually go 2.5x cost. So the price of a pen will vary depending on the material used, some blanks are real expensive and real cheap.

Remember these are my opinions and they are worth every cent you paid, so your results may vary. :biggrin:
 
First let me say Welcome from the state of NJ here in the USA. Glad you found us. Ton of info here and hope you stick around long enough to find that out.

Next to your question. In your profile you do not put a name and where you are from. Hope you change that. We like to know who we are talking to. I am guessing from your post that you are from the UK.

The answers you get mostly here will be skewed toward the USA so take that into account. I suggest you start small and see if you even like doing this before dreaming big. Do a few craft shows in your area. You can try ebay and etsy but they are duds and you won't make money from them. You can try a consignment store that will sell your pens for a fee or percentage. That can work if the right setup is met and theft does not become an issue. You can try a web site but again this will only be a small avenue to your big goal. You will not earn a living doing that way. Need to drive traffic to it and that is not easy but can be done with work.

The link that was supplied is a good one and there are plenty others like this here. Just do a search and they will pop up. There are some here that do make a living doing this but very very very few. You must be willing to sacrifice time and must do the hard work. There is no shortcut or sugar coated answers. Traveling from shows to shows and being in the UK I have no idea how many shows you mau have. This may not be as big over there.

Last but not least you need a product that is above the mundane. Something that will hook people. Buying hand made pens is not for every one so it is a very limited market and you are competing with the big names as well as the bic pens of the world. You need to charge for both the materials and the time and effort to make and sell the pen. Plus here is the biggie. You must be a darn good salesperson above and beyond. Not an easy trait.

Now can you make some money doing this, yes by all means everyone does it but doing for a living is something else. I wish you luck and as I said start small and get the feet wet. Do not become overwhelmed by a new found hobby.


One thing I forgot to add that you asked about wood and acrylics and highend VS slimlines, the answer is no and no and no and no. You are what sells pens. It helps to use good materials and good quality kits so that you get return customers and do not get bad reviews. Not all kits are created equal but a good salesperson can sell a twig with a refill in it to anyone. You need to get your product in line and learn how to make a quality pen before you make these wild dream expectations. Find some customers. You say you have no crafts hows and that will hurt you. People are not going to buy your product on line or web without a name. You need to become part of the penturning world and that takes time and most people sell there tools and inventory before any of that happens. I am not discouraging you but just helping you get grounded first. Been there done that. Again good luck.
 
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It's tough! I do it as a full time job. My wife is a psychologist with head start, no real money there, and I was a broadcast engineer until the economy flopped, so now I'm a full time pen turner who gets to pick up his little girl at school and doesn't miss a doll baptism party.

I like to think that I'm good at it, but I know I have a lot to learn. Fortunately, This is the place to learn, this forum has a big and vast source of members that are very unique in there own way. Cheerful, grumpy, polite or blunt all have one thing in common; there willingness to help and share.

I make a wide rang of pens from Slimline to kitless, I would like to say that one sells more than other but everyday is a different market for me so I try to be varied and different.
 
In my opinion, by far one of the best motivational stories of pen hobby to pen business is our member [profile=bgray]Brian Gray[/profile] of Edison Pen Co. As you can see from Brian's first post here almost exactly 10 years ago, we all start somewhere. Check out the Edison Pen site for some real inspiration, and try to get to a pen show and meet Brian and see his work.
 
Welcome to IAP !

If you have sold 2 slimlines for 35 pounds each you are already off to a good start, IMHO.

In addition to eBay, you could try opening a store on etsy.com

Good luck and have fun !
 
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Considering you stated early on in your post make a good living making pens, the answer is simply no. You will need to be a lot more diversified and learn how to make money off of someone elses labor.
 
pens

LittleMissCreative said:
Hi,

I'm sure this question has been asked before.

I'm new to turning and would like to do it full time. Would I be able to make a good living selling my pens? If so, where's best to sell as I don't have craft fairs near me.(small town in the UK)

Should I advertise on eBay or ask local shops if I can place my products with them?

How much do you sell your pens for? I've sold two slimline out of the four that I've made. £35 each, which included a nice display case and a refill.

Do wood pens sell better than acrylic and do high end pens sell better than the cheaper kits?

Thank you for any information.

LittleMissCreative.
Click to expand...


How many pens do you produce per day ????
 
After seeing many, many pen makers work, the answer isn't that you have to make exceptional pen, or even really nice ones. You have to be able to sell. If you can sell, you have a much better chance to make money.

If you price pens at materials + whatever, you need to remember that making the pen is a small part of the process. You have to factor in your time ordering, your time selling, your time travelling, setting up, eating, taking down, returning home. Then there are taxes and fees and bookwork to run your pen business.

You'll get nice orders and make some money, then you'll run out of people in your circle that are in need of pens. When your first order comes in for 100 pens in the same style, with identical materials, you'll learn that big orders get boring and tedious. When I get custom orders, something ALWAYS makes those particular pens not come together.

Making pens is a lot of fun. Enjoy the turning and selling - they are both great feelings. Make sure you enjoy the business side in addition to the making side.:)
 
Thank you everyone for your replies. They have really helped.

I'm now off to my little workshop at the top of the garden to turn a fountain pen for my dad, as its his 70th birthday on Sunday .

Take care.

LittleMissCreative. X
 
Depends on how smart and skilled you are, how much passion you have, and especially critical is how good are you at marketing. Asking about selling on eBay doesn't bode well for your marketing plan, so strike 1. Next, you should probably do a run of 50 to 100 pens as fast as you can. Keep impeccable time records, plus see how much you enjoyed doing the production. That will flush out your level of passion and endurance. Finally, you and your family are no judge of your skill level or ability. Go to some high end art galleries or jewelry stores and ask for an honest critique. Asking for a critique on this site is useless since virtually no one gives you an honest appraisal, just compliments. Now you can decide if you have a pen turning career in your future.
 
LittleMissCreative said:
Hi,

I'm sure this question has been asked before.

I'm new to turning and would like to do it full time. Would I be able to make a good living selling my pens? If so, where's best to sell as I don't have craft fairs near me.(small town in the UK)

Should I advertise on eBay or ask local shops if I can place my products with them?

How much do you sell your pens for? I've sold two slimline out of the four that I've made. £35 each, which included a nice display case and a refill.

Do wood pens sell better than acrylic and do high end pens sell better than the cheaper kits?

Thank you for any information.

LittleMissCreative.
Click to expand...

There was a post either her or on another pen forum I once frequented....

How do you make a small fortune turning pens..........










You start with a large fortune.
 
mikeschn said:
Pen making is an expensive hobby. It'll never be a profitable business!!!

Mike...
Click to expand...

I think I would get a CNC lathe if I wanted to crank pens out....however the return would not justify the expense. It's a good hobby. It's extra cash...I can't see making living from it.
 
Sorry, but no, I don't think you can make a good living selling pens. You may eek out an existence, but, I don't think you can make a good living at it...
Len
 
My take on this is that you can make a good living out of selling Art. When you can buy a pen for a few cents then why would you spend a load on a pen ?

You'd spend it if you thought it was different and appealing - just because you can turn a pen doesn't make you an artist - however if you can visualise something "different" that you can turn into a pen then I believe you have a chance

But - art takes time to design and to make. For me JT's Panache pen was a turning point (no pun!) as was Sgt Tim Wise's segmented pens and Marla's and John U's feather pens. In my opinion they illustrate where art meets pen (many more great artists on here as well particularly Skiprat in UK) so I set myself the task of recreating JT's Panache with lots of encouragement from John. Lots of foul ups later I finally got something pretty much spot on - beautiful but not practical, too heavy but with a redesign to take some weight out I think I could speed it up and sell it BUT dollar wise it would need to be around 350 to make money

To take it further I did as suggested here and took the Panache and some feather pens to a jeweller and some high end shops. They didn't flinch at the price and took them from me but trust me they went over them with magnifying glasses (as I do) They wanted consignment stock I said no chance, they wanted sale or return - I said if you don't pay for them you won't look after them or sell them. Since then had many re orders and feedback for customers wanting variations on a them but my day job prevents me from getting into a proper supply, however one day I will at my price and my volume

I've been to many craft shows and seen very poor examples of pen turning and finish (IMO) where guys were going on about how they turn it and assemble it to people who didn't care - they weren't going to spend good money on something they couldn't show off- so if you can find the right market that appreciates art as a pen, can turn to the tightest tolerances and you don't have to slog all day to make them then maybe you can get it to work

If not then just enjoy the look on someone's face when you give them a pen and tell them that you made it just for them - pretty priceless

Just my UK 2 pence worth
 
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farmer said:
LittleMissCreative said:
Hi,

I'm sure this question has been asked before.

I'm new to turning and would like to do it full time. Would I be able to make a good living selling my pens? If so, where's best to sell as I don't have craft fairs near me.(small town in the UK)

Should I advertise on eBay or ask local shops if I can place my products with them?

How much do you sell your pens for? I've sold two slimline out of the four that I've made. £35 each, which included a nice display case and a refill.

Do wood pens sell better than acrylic and do high end pens sell better than the cheaper kits?

Thank you for any information.

LittleMissCreative.
Click to expand...


How many pens do you produce per day ????
Click to expand...

I'm still very new to pen turning/Woodturning and takes me about half an hour or so to turn a pre drilled blank.

I'm fortunate enough to be a stay at home mum, so I could spend 4-6 hours a day in the shed. In theory, on a good day I could turn six maybe but that would increase in time.

How long does it take an experienced turner to produce one pen?

Thanks.

Ruth.
 
Ruth

That all depends on many things. Are you talking taking a blank and turning down to fit components with a finish. If that is the case 10 minutes or less. You could easily get into a production mode if all you are doing is turning out simple run of the mill pens. I think there was person here that told us it takes about a minute or 2 for him to turn a pen. He does it for a living. Do a bunch of Sierra pens. one barrel:biggrin:
 
I'm at about an hour per pen once it is ready to turn. I'm pretty meticulous and want perfection in fit and finish. I have given away probably 10 pens so far, and sold 5. The 5 I sold were to my brother, but I made $500. I think a person can make a living selling pens, but like any other business, it takes work and commitment. I wouldn't buy jewelry with poor finish, pits or imperfections. Therefore, I think a pen for the purpose of selling needs to be pretty perfect, like jewelry.

I'm a stay at home, homeschooling dad with a heavy construction manager background. I make custom furniture and a variety of other other things to supplement my wife's income. Pens are like therapy, I enjoy the process very much. If I could make $500 a month off of them, I would be thrilled. (Plus I could buy more pen making materials). Being new to turning, pens have greatly increased my ability in a very short time. I'm ready for casting and kitless now. Once I get that down, I hope to achieve the $500 a month mark and go from there.

Anything can be a business with passion, know how and sales ability. Ebay isn't a good market, etsy is over run. I think showing them off to friends, family and even giving some away to corporate big wigs would be a good starting place. My brother showed his to the in laws and now they want some. Build a customer base and go from there.
 
A living

LittleMissCreative said:
farmer said:
LittleMissCreative said:
Hi,

I'm sure this question has been asked before.

I'm new to turning and would like to do it full time. Would I be able to make a good living selling my pens? If so, where's best to sell as I don't have craft fairs near me.(small town in the UK)

Should I advertise on eBay or ask local shops if I can place my products with them?

How much do you sell your pens for? I've sold two slimline out of the four that I've made. £35 each, which included a nice display case and a refill.

Do wood pens sell better than acrylic and do high end pens sell better than the cheaper kits?

Thank you for any information.

LittleMissCreative.
Click to expand...


How many pens do you produce per day ????
Click to expand...

I'm still very new to pen turning/Woodturning and takes me about half an hour or so to turn a pre drilled blank.

I'm fortunate enough to be a stay at home mum, so I could spend 4-6 hours a day in the shed. In theory, on a good day I could turn six maybe but that would increase in time.

How long does it take an experienced turner to produce one pen?

Thanks.

Ruth.
Click to expand...

Hi Ruth


For me marketing five pens everyday would be a issue.
To pull this all together,
You have to make the pens, market the pens, photograph the pens, post the pictures on line.

You already have the lathe, follow your dream .
 
Cmmarshall said:
I'm at about an hour per pen once it is ready to turn. I'm pretty meticulous and want perfection in fit and finish. I have given away probably 10 pens so far, and sold 5. The 5 I sold were to my brother, but I made $500. I think a person can make a living selling pens, but like any other business, it takes work and commitment. I wouldn't buy jewelry with poor finish, pits or imperfections. Therefore, I think a pen for the purpose of selling needs to be pretty perfect, like jewelry.

I'm a stay at home, homeschooling dad with a heavy construction manager background. I make custom furniture and a variety of other other things to supplement my wife's income. Pens are like therapy, I enjoy the process very much. If I could make $500 a month off of them, I would be thrilled. (Plus I could buy more pen making materials). Being new to turning, pens have greatly increased my ability in a very short time. I'm ready for casting and kitless now. Once I get that down, I hope to achieve the $500 a month mark and go from there.

Anything can be a business with passion, know how and sales ability. Ebay isn't a good market, etsy is over run. I think showing them off to friends, family and even giving some away to corporate big wigs would be a good starting place. My brother showed his to the in laws and now they want some. Build a customer base and go from there.
Click to expand...

You just need more brothers to make a living at it! I don't sell to my family, they get gifts.
 
low_48 said:
Cmmarshall said:
I'm at about an hour per pen once it is ready to turn. I'm pretty meticulous and want perfection in fit and finish. I have given away probably 10 pens so far, and sold 5. The 5 I sold were to my brother, but I made $500. I think a person can make a living selling pens, but like any other business, it takes work and commitment. I wouldn't buy jewelry with poor finish, pits or imperfections. Therefore, I think a pen for the purpose of selling needs to be pretty perfect, like jewelry.

I'm a stay at home, homeschooling dad with a heavy construction manager background. I make custom furniture and a variety of other other things to supplement my wife's income. Pens are like therapy, I enjoy the process very much. If I could make $500 a month off of them, I would be thrilled. (Plus I could buy more pen making materials). Being new to turning, pens have greatly increased my ability in a very short time. I'm ready for casting and kitless now. Once I get that down, I hope to achieve the $500 a month mark and go from there.

Anything can be a business with passion, know how and sales ability. Ebay isn't a good market, etsy is over run. I think showing them off to friends, family and even giving some away to corporate big wigs would be a good starting place. My brother showed his to the in laws and now they want some. Build a customer base and go from there.
Click to expand...

You just need more brothers to make a living at it! I don't sell to my family, they get gifts.
Click to expand...

To be fair, I didn't ask for a dime. I handed him 5 pens (which he picked the kits and blanks for) over dinner at a restaurant. He, his wife and friends checked them out, complimented, tested and commented on them. Later on we were leaving, and he handed me $500. Said they were worth more. I declined and he stuck it in my pocket. But hey, a sale is a sale! Perhaps he was encouraging me, or maybe he wanted to help me buy more stuff. I really don't know.
 
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I'm with John T. on this one - even if you don't make a full time living from pens, just focus, refine the working methods, forge your way well beyond any comfort zones, innovate daily, share discoveries with others, keep a photo journal of successes and stumbles, keep lists of one time and repeat buyers and their preferences, develop failure tolerance, stay socially fluent, upbeat, and culturally aware to expand your markets, and by all means strive to be a complete and intrepid artist and craftsperson.

Good luck! - Bob
 
I'm an optimistic entrepreneur. Instead of saying "no", I prefer to believe I can at least try. I love to hear "it can't be done" because it motivates me to to find a way to do it. Remember, just because others haven't tried, tried and failed, or tried and didn't get the results they wanted, doesn't mean you can't the results you want.

I say give it a shot. If you already have the tools, then grab some pen kits and blanks and start turning. It is impossible to know what you are capable of if you never try. Any business takes time to develop, so be patient!

Good luck!
 
As a full time pen turner, at least 8 hours daily, 5 days most times 7 days a week, I feel some times that "NO" is probably right, but then the good days come you make a good sale, get some orders and your back up again. The problem is having a cash flow during the low weeks.

My wife works and has a steady income and sometimes we are still pulling straws, but that is my particular case, my variables are different, economy affects me harder because I'm stubborn and refuse to change my life style, not there is much of one.

Every place is different, as is every individual. I'm in Puerto Rico and unless you come from money or you're a politician(all are corrupt here, no matter what they say) you will be having a tough time.

I would say that other areas are doing much better and probably sales would be better, just for bring clarity, turning pens is easy I made 40 kit pens (slimlines, cigar and 1 gentlemen, most of them segmented ) and 4 kitless this week, it's siting at the fairs that kills you!

I won't mentioned the unfair competition, people that retire and need a hobby and when they see your work they set up a table the following week next to you, giving out the pens at half price so they can get the investment back so they can buy more stuff and slowly kill you because they don't need to make a profit they just want to feel useful and talk there heads off to strangers. A slimline of a common wood sells for $20, I include a plastic case or a pouch and a card with the information of the wood, then a guy comes and sells them for $10 or less. Fortunately Artisan work is regulated by the government, it requires certification and even though we are exempt of charging Tax we are required to have all the business tax requirements at hand. This helps but is not enough. Don't get me wrong, I'm headed in that direction, as we all, but I Would never take the food from someones family so I can have a nice day at the mall.

In synthesis, the answer is not NO, the answer in 2 words; it's tough!
 
I am having to do some research here. There are many past posts on this and some of the big guns here tell their stories and what is needed. Your instance in the area you are is just one story. Here in the USA you do not encounter what you are talking about.

You can not put all your eggs in one basket. You need different outlets to sell your product. Being a good business person, sales person, and craftsman all rolled into one is not easy. You will need help along the way and that is where you separate the sellers from the want-a-bees.


This would be a good indicator to what can be done. The gross sales poll was taken almost every year since started. I do not think it is still done. But there are some top dogs in those threads that actually do make a living from this. Interesting read. Find the big sellers and do a search on them and you find their posts about starting and how they did it. I can not take that much time to do all the research.

www.penturners.org/forum/f17/what-were-your-gross-sales-2012-a-106266/
 
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Hi Ruth
I may reiterate some of what's already been said but maybe also offer a new idea or two.

First, YES, a person can make a living making pens.
Can YOU do it isn't really something any of us can answer--we don't really know you, your skills, shortcomings or obstacles which might prohibit making the necessary effort, economic requirements, and the like.

The two biggest factors I've observed in successful business people is their self-awareness and having a foundational business plan.
I suggest you craft a business plan and see if it results in guiding you to pursue a pen-making opportunity.

The milk stool you posted looks good.
If you made it in a reasonable time, it may suggest 'turning' rather than just pen-making.
Just be realistic with yourself--the plan might show you this isn't the career/business opportunity you require or want.

Good luck.
 
jttheclockman said:
I am having to do some research here. There are many past posts on this and some of the big guns here tell their stories and what is needed. Your instance in the area you are is just one story. Here in the USA you do not encounter what you are talking about.

You can not put all your eggs in one basket. You need different outlets to sell your product. Being a good business person, sales person, and craftsman all rolled into one is not easy. You will need help along the way and that is where you separate the sellers from the want-a-bees.


This would be a good indicator to what can be done. The gross sales poll was taken almost every year since started. I do not think it is still done. But there are some top dogs in those threads that actually do make a living from this. Interesting read. Find the big sellers and do a search on them and you find their posts about starting and how they did it. I can not take that much time to do all the research.

www.penturners.org/forum/f17/what-were-your-gross-sales-2012-a-106266/
Click to expand...

Is this answer for me?

Just in case;(if not disregard)

I'm a want-to-bee, who happens to be in the serious to all business category, according to the poll. I sell my pens all over the world, but I live in Puerto Rico, USA. I'm a proud American from Brooklyn, NYC, that loves my nation and also my Hispanic heritage just as much as any Irish, English, French or any other American native or not.

I will never stop being a want-to-bee, because that will be the day I stop aspiring to be better. I take pen turning serious, I believe that I'm good at it but I'm not the best or close, I admire the talent and skill that some people have in this forum, Like Skiprat, Ed, the other Ed, Dale, Mike and you, and I hope to turn just like all of you one day.

Even though my experience may seem unique, I know that others have had the same experience, some states and county's have similar regulations or classifications for there small sellers, locally we separate the artisans from street vendors and small businesses by certifying them as the transforming artist they are, we protect them as the small businesses they are, so they can compete more fairly with the bigger businesses, because if Walmart had there way, there would be no more lemonade stands anywhere!

There is also another certification that measures the cultural level in which an artisan is classified, it certifies that the person is an artist and not a craft maker(there is a difference, it's not the same to create than to assemble) It's called the institute of Puertorican culture, they make sure that what an artisan sells is made by the artisan and that the gross of there materials are from the Island, I also have this certification.

So the answer to Ruth's question is: Yes you can make a living, but it is a lot of work and sacrifice, but if a poor schmuck from Brooklyn can do it, just imagine what a determined woman can accomplish!

Joey!
 
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