Looking for hints and tips

[JimsWorkshop]

I've been making "stuff" on my lathe sporadically for a year or so and recently started on pens. I made a few last year for a craft fair, but they didn't sell very well. Too expensive some said, but since I'm so new at this I'm not so sure. Maybe folks just didn't like what they saw. I;m going to be looking through the various forums looking for tips and ideas to get ready for this year's fair. I'm looking for tips, hints and ideas. Thanks in advance for any tips, etc.

 

[jttheclockman]

Get a hold of PSI catalog (Penn State Industries) their gizmo and gadget pens seem to do well with sales especially the guns and bullet pens. They have suggested retail pricing there too that may help. If you find something you like you can always shop it around. Exotic Blanks carries alot of kits too. Not so easy selling pens though so be aware of that.

 

[JimsWorkshop]

Wow! Not so easy selling pens! What do the members of this group do with all the pens they make? Gifts?

I maddde some Christmas ornaments for last year's fair and they sold better than the pens, but they were sold for $15 each whereas most of my pens were $50+. If a pen kit costs $20 and a nice piece of snake wood is $7 I should think that $65 is a reasonable price considering it takes a couple of hours to drill, trim, shape, and finish. McDonalds gives their folks $15 /hr. Isn't my time worth at least that? Maybe/probably I have this all wrong. Help me out.

BTW, I have PSI's catalog and their pen selling prices are in-line with what was charging.

 

[jttheclockman]

Wow! Not so easy selling pens! What do the members of this group do with all the pens they make? Gifts?

I maddde some Christmas ornaments for last year's fair and they sold better than the pens, but they were sold for $15 each whereas most of my pens were $50+. If a pen kit costs $20 and a nice piece of snake wood is $7 I should think that $65 is a reasonable price considering it takes a couple of hours to drill, trim, shape, and finish. McDonalds gives their folks $15 /hr. Isn't my time worth at least that? Maybe/probably I have this all wrong. Help me out.

BTW, I have PSI's catalog and their pen selling prices are in-line with what was charging.

It is not so much the prices, it is the need. If you are doing craft shows they are there for other things too not just pens. You need to mix things up and as I said themed pens will do well. Styles for both men and women. Remember you are selling handmade pens that are unique so make them as such and you will do better. Casting labels and things is another example of better sales. Selling at pen shows can be an avenue or at jewelry stores on consignment. When you get into specialty pens the price goes up because labor and materials go up. Now you are selling to collectors or ellite people who want a great looking and writing pen. Few of those show up to craft shows and the smaller the show the more the $$$ is competed for among other crafters. So as I said not easy.

 

[1080Wayne]

Certainly a broader range of products increases your chance of having a profitable day , as you found out with the Christmas ornaments . Having something other than pens in the 10-20 $ range also helps , as it gives kids a chance to buy a gift for Mom or Dad . The difficulty with that approach is finding something that doesn`t take too much time to make , yet still be of a quality you won`t be ashamed of . I haven`t found anything that meets those criteria for me , yet .

People generally want a story to go with the pen (or any other gift) . If for their own use , they want to be able to tell a mutual friend that you made it , or that it is made from a kind of tree that has special memories for them , or perhaps it is their favourite colour . If buying for a gift , they want to be able to tell the recipient why they thought he/she would like it . The customer is almost always buying a story , not a pen for its functionality . The more you can engage a prospective customer and find out what their needs are , the better your results will be .

 

[Charlie_W]

Welcome from Virginia!!

 

[Woodchipper]

The Woodcraft wrench pen for the techies. We have a fellow in our club who turns about 250-300 pens a year. He told me he could go to one market and get $29 for a pen. Same pen, another market gets $39. FWIW, I looked at festivals, fairs, etc. One charged $350 for a 10x10 space for two days. I would have to sell a lot of turnings just to break even with space, motel, foods, etc.