Restocking Inventory

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mick

mick

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Mar 13, 2005
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Location
Decatur AL, USA
I've been gearing up for the craft season and building my inventory up.This brings up a question. I've noticed that I sell my $25.00 slimlines 3 to 1 over my other pens.(Mostly women) Most of these are out of my "homebrew resin". As for commercial acrylics or other plastic I sell a bunch of CSUSA's Crimson Marble. (Sold 3 pens out of it, a Baron, a Euro Designer and a slimline last weekend and have 3 more on order!) As far as my more expensive pens my customers mostly buy the more exotic woods or burls.(mostly men, mostly Cigars) I can't keep anything spalted in stock...goes out as fast as I make it!
This bring me to my question. What does everybody else that seriously sells pen do as far as type pens sold and to whom?
 
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Statesman & Gentelmens & Jr's. I don't make slimlines so I can't sell any. Sold a bunch of Havana's and a couple of Americana although I've stop making the Americana's (don't like the stupid plastic piece in the cap). My clients are men and women alike. Most women are buying for a guy as a gift. Women tend to spend a little more money, us guy's can be a little on the cheap side.[;)] Although the guys are again like you said, the ones that really appreciate the woods.
 
I found the Sierra to be my best seller and in my area the acrylics outsell the wood 3 to 1. For some reason the Baron and other higher end kits don't sell well for me. Cigar are my second best seller followed by perfect fits. I do sell slimlines here and there and I make a real cheapie that uses a refill from a bic pen. I usually bring a dozen or so to a show and sell those for $6. I will also throw one in if a person purchases more than 2 pens.
 
My best sellers are slimlines, baron/jr gents, cigars, and gents. Cigars are almost always to men for themselves or to women as gifts for men. Slimlines are generally to women for themselves. The others are fairly evenly split as to who is buying for whom. I've found a decent market for gents to women with carpal tunnel. And for materials, about 99% of my sales are non-plastic (wood, antler, cob, etc.)
 
Last year I set my web site up so someone can choose any pen they want from P.S.I. or CSUSA. so far all my sales have been CSUSA Pens. even the Americana style that would be a P.S.I. selection get skipped over for the CSUSA versions.
Gent pens have been my number one seller until this last week when the Americanas caught up with one order alone. No slimlines have been ordered or even asked about.
I hope to add berea and Bills pens soon. it will be a real testing ground for what people like.
 
My best seller is the Barron rollerball, followed by the cigar. I also sell a fair number of the Berea rollerballs with the fancy band.
 
I do craft shows and consignment at local shops. my best selling pens by far are deer antler pens with rifle clips slimline and euro kits. have trouble getting enough stock to keep up
 
I sell pretty much in this order: Barons, Jr. Gentlemen's BALLPOINT (instead of cigars), Gentlemen's/Statesman, Emperor. I don't make slimlines anymore because I hate them (sorry). I started really using the Jr. Gents BP after the first one I tried as a far superior version of the cigar. Don't get me wrong I loved the cigar and loved the price but the other is just a much nicer pen. And I pretty much sell only wood pens but I pretty much only make wood pens.
 
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