what sells for you?

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Rifleman1776

Rifleman1776

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Joined
Dec 18, 2004
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Mountain Home, Arkansas, USA.
I know this subject has been discussed many times. But, in an effort to keep up with changing market conditions, I'll pose it again.
Reason I bring it up is that recently there have been several threads about pens made with really beautiful burls. There is an Emperor that is outstanding. Another member is looking for rosewood burls, etc.
The art gallery that has been selling my pens for several years is closing. In the remaining inventory is a pen that I consider one of the best looking I have ever made. Really, nothing spectacular in creativity but all the elements just came together. It is a Jr. Gent made with knock-out gorgeous Big Leaf Maple Burl and features one of the best finishes I have ever done. (finishes are a weak area for me) When I put it in the gallery, I figured it would sell quickly and I would be getting orders for more similar. Didn't happen. After about three years it is still wanting for a buyer and I am totally bumfuzzled as to why.
So, a double whammy question: do great burls sell well for you? And: what is your best selling material and style pen? BTW: I am interested in high end pens, not $10.00 Slimlines.
 
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Hi, in the past 6 months i have sold 3 high end pens, prices were $95. $129 and $149.
Two were Eugene`s Blanks, i forget what he calls them but they were in a plaid pattern combined with wood burls and Alumalite Resin, the third was a Amboyna Burl Majestic, that was my highest priced pen i sold to date so far. I have a RWB Emperor for sale now at $249 and a Zebra wood Gent for sale at $149. I will put out about 10 more high end pens by this fall using mostly wood burls and Eugene`s blanks. And prices will push upwards and above towards $200, i have all the supplies i need to complete my goal. Carl
 
Most people don't even know what a burl is, much less what it is worth. I made a really nice pen out of burl for a friend earlier this year. He asked me if it was made out of walnut. Seriously, it could have been made from a paper bag and it would have meant the same thing to him. He loved the pen, but the type of wood was meaningless to him. My point is that people buy pens because they like the way they look and feel. A few may know something about the wood, but not many.
 
You have to have a discriminating wood-lover to buy a high-priced cocobolo burl pen from a rack in a storefront over a comparable-grained amboyna...it's very rare, but most people don't know that...There are many burls that are just as striking, but cheaper because they're less rare...

it all comes down to your pitch, I suppose...for a storefront, I'd want punchy, holy-crap-grain...
 
This from personal experience only. Others will have a different experience.

Spectacular burl and other wood will make the pen sell faster, but not necessarilly at a higher price.

Wood sells better than plastic because I don't make plastic pens; but I do make a pen that is a combination of black plastic and wood that sells very well.

My best selling pens are my own designs because they look the least like a kit picture, have the best profit margin with the least time and cost, and have the fewest problems after the sale. They use the StreamLine kit with a genuine Cross refill, and sell for $55 to $65, depending on the venue.
 
My best/highest priced sellers are mostly Barons, Gents and Emperors in some good looking Burl or Red/Blue Poly These Pen Kits only get the better/best dressed blanks.

Not trying to push anything I'm selling here BUT the Hond. Rosewood Burl always sells, at every show I do. I use it in the above pens, Letter Openers and Magnifier handles, all sell sell.
Black Ash Burl is another Burl that sells well for me.
 
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Frank
I totally agree with Keith . To take his point a bit further , if you had been able to say that your lovely pen had been made from sugar or some other maple native to your area , I would bet that it would be long gone . I seldom do shows , but almost every time I do , someone will see a nice pen , ask what it`s made from , and when I tell them the material came from TX or NC , they will buy one made from a local material at the same price . People relate best to something that they grew up with . I don`t sell a lot , but do enough to know that 5-10 local material $125 Sierra`s will go for each cactus or other composite casting . Hope this helps you a bit .
Wayne
 
I sell a few retros, and Sierra's at shows, sell some lesser expensive fountain pens on Etsy, and a lot of tooth pick holders at shows also some slim lines not many but a sale is a sale, on occasion I will sell an Jr Emperor or Jr Gentleman or Jr Statesman, I've got a nice collection of full size Gents and Statesmen that I think I'll have for quite some time same with my Lotus and Imperials, I think they do help sell the cheaper pens though.
 
I do not think most people care about the type of wood. Not many of my clients , except for the true aficionados, ask about the wood. I find that more people's eyes are actually caught by the non-wood pens. Since I started 6 months ago I have sold 404 pens. 280 have been non-wood. The wood with sentimental value( ie historical or from their property) seems to sell better around here than exotic burls.
 
I have slightly different experience with the pens I have sold.

To date, I have probably sold more emperor and Jr emperor pens that any other type I make and probably 99% of them have been burls. The second most popular I sell is the Sierra, both click and twist and probably 90% of them are not burls! The third most popular kits I sell, the Jr Gent and Jr statesman are all over the spectrum from acrylics, truestone, burl, regular wood grain, you name it so I can't put my finger on the most popular blank.

I understand that many folks won't know a burl from a hole in the ground BUT, they know a nice looking pen when they see one and a burl usually grabs ones attention!

Based on what I have sold I believe it makes a difference what type of kit you are selling as to what works and what doesn't.

In my opinion, burls still rule the roost but I want to adress one of your questions directly... do great burls sell well for you?

I can put a nice $5 - $7 burl on an emperor pen and sell it for what I feel is a fair price ($140 to $180). I do not see the need to pay $15, $20, $25 and up for "super", "superior", "outrageous", "extreme", "top shelf" or "over the top" blanks because I do not believe my average customers will know the difference and regardless of what some will say, the extra $20 on a blank won't necessarily command another $20 or more for the same pen.
 
So far most of my pens have been commissioned where the customer tells me exactly what he/she wants. The PRs that I cast myself do the best. Followed by figured woods like curly maple (dyed and not dyed), etc. The only Etsy sale I've made (!) is a box elder burl with a green dye that didn't penetrate the entire pen. The dramatic colors were the selling point for that.

Since I haven't been able to build up much of an inventory, I haven't been able to see what truly sells. I have to say I'm surprised by the fact I've sold zero Sierra style pens. I've given many away, but never sold one. I've so far sold 20 zens though, all but one with PR.
 

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I don't sell many pens. Make most of mine as gifts to give to coworkers, relatives or friends. It's been my experience that they like the pen because I made it for them but when I use a material that means something to them they really cherish it. I worked with a lady whose mother is from Denmark and I made her a pen using some Danish Bog Oak purchased here on the forum and when I gave it to her she had tears welling up in her eyes, not because I gave her a pen but because the material had special meaning to her. When I give a pen to someone a lot of thought goes into what material will be. I have a coworker who loves to take trips to Africa so when she retires she will be getting a pen made from African Blackwood Burl, again purchased here on the form. I think people not only like to receive a nice pen but they like it when some thought was put into considering the material.

I do agree with the general thought that most people don't even know what a burl is. Most people would say, 'that is pretty' when looking at a burl but a woodworker sees the burl in all of its glory.
 
boy, oh boy, loaded question..all my predecessors here have done a good job explaining their thoughts...sometimes it's the venue...sometimes the economy..sometimes the store..how good is the sales staff at the store you placed the pen? Are you trying to sell at a farmer's market? Taste is also an interesting part of the equation..you may love it ..others don't..no rhyme or reason...just keep track of what does sell and try to fit the market you do have...
 
You never really know what's going to catch someone's eye. Cocobolla always goes well. Burls go fine and the local wood angle works for some as well. I generally work with local cherry burls. Polymer clay and hand painted pens also move, but take more time to make and I need to be in the mood for them. I find corn cobs a slow seller. They always attract attention, but then people buy something else.

As far as pen styles, Sierras, Navigators, Cigars, CEOs & Euros. I don't do a lot of slimlines and generally move them as pen/pencil sets.
 
Many thanks for starting this thread! I am still working through my 'training kits' (50 slimlines and a dozen Gatsbys) having recently begun turning pens. This thread gives me some ideas on what directions I might go when I feel like I am 'good enough to begin selling' my pens.
 
Keep in mind, I am in Michigan and we are the hardest hit by the economy with a near 15% unemployment rate. My number one best seller by far over everything is my cast pine cone pens. They are a 3.99 euro chrome or black TI kit and sell like crazy at $40 each..I can't keep them in stock, I sell out at every show where I stock about a dozen of them. For large expensive kits, I do very well with my scroll saw pens. The dragons are the number one seller at $200 ea. I did recently drop a leaf pen at $350, my best sale yet. I stock pens of all kinds, wood, burls, segmentation, plastic, metal, whatever. I find people definitely see the difference in the $20-50 blank. Unlike a burl or a plastic, there's a difference that any person can see with no knowledge of what they are looking at. I show joe-blow any type of wood and they don't know the difference. I show them a dragon with a 360 flame job, there jaws drop and I have to protect the pen from their drool! People still read through pictures.
 
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