# Would you buy it?



## kent4Him

I don't know about the rest of you, but I would never pay the price I charge for a pen.  I have received this same sentiment from a few other turners, but I would like to get a bigger sample.

So here is the question.  If you did not turn pens, would you buy a pen for what you charge others?


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## latech15

I am andmitted pen fanatic.  I will find a new one that I like and use it for a few weeks and forget about it and move on to another one.  I love a good writing pen.  I would NEVER pay ever $15.00 for a pen.  I would however pay $50 for a pen kit and turn my own.  Boy, that is a lot for a pen, much less the $200 that I have sold them for.  I can't think about it that way or I will never make another pen.


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## LostintheWoods

Since 'way back in the early -80's, when I first saw my first wood pens, I wanted one, maybe even a couple. And I've always found that, if I want something badly enough, by hook or crook I find a way to get it. I bought a slimline in the early 90's for $15, and can't for the life of me find it now--it was walnut burl, and I was proud of it beyond words. BTW I also wanted a small lathe, a good drill press, and a bandsaw.....need I say more?????


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## JimGo

I agree with Shannon - Why would you pay $400 for a lathe when you can get one for $150 at PSI or Harbor Freight?  Why would you pay $250 for a drill press when you can make a jig and use your $15 cordless drill for the same purpose?  Why would you buy a Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Maxima, or any of the "luxury brand" cars when you could drive a Yugo?  Simply put, because it's worth it to you.  The same is true for a pen - if I saw one that I absolutely loved, I'd pay what I charge for my pens.


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## DCBluesman

I have both bought and sold pens to IAP members for list price.  A quality pen is worth it to me.


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## skiprat

Strangely, I am probably more likely to buy a handmade pen now than before I started making them. There have been some really cool pens shown by IAP members that I would gladly buy. Remember that cool red pen by Jay Pickens? I would buy that one in a heartbeat. Not to use, but just to own.

I wouldn't buy a good pen from a shop ( factory made )though.  It is a bit like people building expensive cars, they wouldn't or couldn't buy one either.


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## jthompson1995

I'd probably pay list price for one if I had the expendable funds to do so (which is the reason I make them and not buy them).  You also have to view our pens as pieces of art and not just something to write with.  A beautiful, well balanced pen that works very smoothly brings some amount of happiness each time it is used, and that is worth quite a lot to people.  

People will also pay more for a hand-crafted pen, especially if it is custom made to their likings, knowing it is not like any other pen in the world; it makes them feel special.  It is also an expression of themselves, much like a watch, that shows the rest of the world a little bit of who they are.  

I've made over 200 pens in the last year since I started, and my personal pen is a Gold Titanium Elegant American in Jatoba (I think) with a little sapwood and I haven't found or made another pen that I like better.  It is an elegant and simple pen, the wood is deep reddish brown with brilliant chatoyance, but the open grain still gives it a bit of a rustic look.  I like to think it reflects the way I think of myself, and I wouldn't trade it for any other (yet).

Why people are willing to pay the prices we ask is not only because of the need for a writing instrument, but the emotions it exudes in them and the appreciation of the artistic beauty of it.

My $0.02.


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## GaryMGg

I can't afford my prices yet. Maybe after I sell some more high end pens.
I've got my eye on one of Dario's and another that's really out of my ballpark! []

Cheers,
Gary


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## mrcook4570

Before I started making pens, no, I would not have paid more than a couple of bucks for a pen.  Since I have been making them, I have bought some very nice pens (both handmade and factory made)and started a small collection.


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## Rifleman1776

I voted yes, but will qualify here. Yes, if I could afford them.


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## Abrock75

I cant agree more with Jason or Jim and I am still a newbie. It is a piece of artwork that there is no one the same making it your own pesonal masterpiece. So in closing yes I would pay for a work of art if I enjoyed it.


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## kent4Him

I hope I didn't offend anyone here.  I agree that they are works of art and I understand the value and what makes a good pen.  If money was not limited, I would buy a lot more things that I presently wouldn't.  It does look like I sparked some good discussion.


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## wdcav1952

Chris,

I don't think you hurt anyone's feelings.  I found this to be a good, thought-provoking poll.  My personal pen is a Pelikan 200 I bought from a fellow penturner.  Does it write better than a Bic?  I don't really care; I bought it for what it does for me.  A photograph is likely more accurate than a fine oil painting, but the painting speaks to the soul differently.

Yes, there are many pens I have seen here that I would love to add to my collection, but I am investing my budget into kits, wood, ED BROWN ACRYLIC BLANKS, and my personal passion for Pelikan pens.


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## slink74659

I voted maybe. It would have to be a pen that catches my eye and feels good in my hand at the moment. I agree that if I wanted to spend a lot for a pen I would probably buy a kit and turn it to fit my hand.


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## ctwxlvr

I voted maybe, for a lot of the reasons given above .... it has to be the right pen at the right price.


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## LEAP

I voted maybe, there have been a lot of pens posted here that have really impressed me and that I would be proud to own. Prior to starting this addiction I would have been happy with a pen from staples as long as it wrote well and looked good. Now I would not even consider a mass produced pen. I am amazed at the prices that some folks get for their pens but considering the effort that goes into marketing the prices seem to be justified.


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## TellicoTurning

I tend to be close to my money, (read that as cheap if you want), I don't know if I would pay the prices some of my pens have sold for or not, but I have a couple that I got in the pen exchanges on IAP and STP..  They are absolute treasures that I will never part with and guard very carefully.


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## RussFairfield

I make cheap pens for cheap people. Yes, I would buy one of my pens because I am one of those cheap people.


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## PenWorks

Yes I would! [] I owned nice pens before I started turning pens. 
When I got into insurance sales 26 years ago, the best advice I got from my manager was,
If you don't own a million dollor life policy, you will never sell one [] So it is with anything you are selling. If you do not have enough belief to buy your own product, you will never be able to sell it consistantly.


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## Ozzy

I voted yes because it has been my experience in life that we will pay higher prices for things that we want (opposed to what we need). When I was young and single, I spent outrageous prices for guitars and amps just because I wanted them. Now that I am older and wiser (compared to my younger days), My cheap guitar and amp play and sound just as good as the expensive ones that I just had to have way back when. That's my two cents worth.


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## AFTim

I had to say "maybe". I've given a lot of my pens as gifts to co-workers and members of my safety team. I have made a few that I wish I could have kept for myself but the wife insists that I make a little bit of the money back that I invest in parts and woods. One of the ones I wish I could still find the wood for is a slimline set I made out of Rosewood Burl.


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## wood-of-1kind

> _Originally posted by RussFairfield_
> <br />I make cheap pens for cheap people. Yes, I would buy one of my pens because I am one of those cheap people.



"cheap" is in the eyes of the beholder. Russ, 'cheap' is the last thing that comes to mind when viewing your pens. You're too hard on yourself.

I wouldn't make a pen if I felt that I couldn't or wouldn't want to purchase one.JMO
-Peter-[]


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## RussFairfield

Anthony said it best. If we wouldn't buy our own product, nobody else will either


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## clthayer

I actually voted no because my first thought was that something like that is not in my budget.  I really can't afford it.  But after thinking about it, I did buy a pen from an IAP member for my wife.  On the other hand, it would have to be a cheaply priced pen because I am stingy with my hard earned money.[]


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## stevers

I would probably buy one of the lower priced ones for myself. As a novelty. The higher end stuff, maybe as a gift for someone special. Certainly not a $200 pen though. I don't write near enough for that.


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## toolcrazy

I find the question hard to answer. If I wasn't making pens would I buy them? I really wouldn't know, now that I do make them. Truthfully, I never even seen a hand made pen till shortly before I started making them. And this pen was a gift from my daughter and son-in-law, and my daughter made for me. And that is what got me started on this. Up till then, a pen was something that I used to scribble something onto a paper. And pens were a dime a dozen.


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## Jim in Oakville

I would indeed buy a pen for what I sell my work for.  I think if I in my own right mind would not buy it from me, why sould some one else, it's not always about the money, but the feeling of confidence I have either bought or sold something of value....price is a floating number[]


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## bob393

This is an interesting question! and the answer is yes.

Most people that make things fall into two groups. The people that feel that they can always make it cheaper than they can buy it and those that understand the value of an item and would pay for it.
I do much more flatwork than turning and can tell you that many people approach me to build cabinets and cases. When I give them a price I occassionally get, are you kidding I can buy that at, (fill in the place), for half that price. And they are telling the truth, however thay are not comparing apples to apples. It costs around 65$ a sheet for hardwood plywood and you can't build much for one sheet. Our time has a value and I want to get payed for it and a particle board item covered with contact paper is not a hardwood case. 

My everyday pen is a cheapo because I lose them all the time, but away from work I carried a Pelican, then a Cross, and now a hand made Euro in Bamboo.

Anyway I'm rambling.

I have bought things I could make myself, and I have bought pens for what we charge!

I have even concidered buying some of the pens I see on eBay, except the shipping kills the idea, because I can't make them for what some charge for it.


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## NavyDiver

I think I probably would.


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## LanceD

I definately would pay for what I charge for a pen. I make and sell fishing rods that sells from 300.00 to 1200.00 each and just the other day I was in a sporting goods store and purchased a factory made rod for 350.00 even though I could make an almost identical one for about 150.00 less. Right now I'm looking at buying a Visconti fountain pen.


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## gerryr

I think anyone who wouldn't pay the price they are asking for their own work is in the wrong business or they're charging too much.  If you won't pay it, why should anyone else?


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## alamocdc

I voted yes, as well. I've always liked a fine writing pen and once I started turning them, it revitalized a passion for fountain pens that I lost some years ago. I have yet to purchase a pen from one of my fellow turners (I do have a few through exchanges), but I would if I saw one I just couldn't live w/o. And if I could afford it, I'd buy a number of Bruce Boone's. I put those on my Christmas and B-day list.[]


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## Ptolemy

I voted yes.  I like functioning art which I consider a pen to be so I have no problem paying the $40 to $55 for the art.  I personally couldn't pay more than that because I'd be afraid to lose a $200 pen.  It does have to be handmade like we do, no production models for me.  I've always been a fan of handmade crafts.


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## gerryr

One thing that someone pointed out to me in an email is that many people here have websites with either links to the IAP or at least a logo of the IAP.  If a visitor to a website finds that link and visits here and finds this topic and the website's owner has stated that they would not pay what they are asking for their pens, do you think they lost a potential customer?  I'm not sure why that person sent me the email, but it is something to consider.


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## kent4Him

Interesting point Gerry.  I don't believe anyone is saying that our pens are not worth what we are selling them for.  I've been told that my prices are too low by some of my customers.  We are talking about perceived value and astetic value.  Would I pay $350,000 for a Rolls Royce?  No.  But that is the going price.

I don't agree with the "if you won't pay that much for it, you can't sell it" opinion.  Would Rembrandt have been willing to pay huge prices for his work?  I don't think so, but was he willing to be paid for it?  Yes.


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## ed4copies

I don't believe Rembrandt sold well until after he died.[:0][:0][:0]

I'm not willing to go that far to raise MY value.[][][][]


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## kent4Him

> _Originally posted by ed4copies_
> <br />I don't believe Rembrandt sold well until after he died.[:0][:0][:0]
> 
> I'm not willing to go that far to raise MY value.[][][][]



Actually Ed, Rembrandt was affluent and made a good living as a portrait painter.

Now I am sure that he did not see the prices that he would see now, but he wasn't hurting either.


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## GaryMGg

Fascinating topic.

I used to race bicylces and was enamored with high-end custom bikes. I also sold them.
At one point I owned 7 top of the line pro bikes including a Masi Gran Criterium, Cinelli Super Corsa,
Ciocc, Trek 970, and a couple others. Each retailed for about $2K back when a good retail bike was
around $300-500. Today, a top of the line Richard Sachs is over $5K when you can get on the waiting list.
What did my clients ride? A lot of them wanted what I rode. And, because I put a lot of miles on each of
those machines, I could describe the differences and they could select between them as suited their needs.

I dare say the salesman who won't pony up for a Porsche isn't going to sell one;
he can't relate the experience to a prospect.
Moreover, I really loved these bikes and riding. I didn't have to sell them -- all I
did was share my joy and others wanted to be part of it. []
Just a thought.

Gary


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## wjskip

I voted yes.  Remember your pens are only worth what y;ou think they are.

Point of reference -Omas Roller Ball $1450.00
Mont Blanc wont post price you need to tell them what you want and then they will give you an ESTIMATE -  Pelikan FP $2700.00
Timbaldi FP $2760.00  -  Waterman FP $365.00 ( Sold at Office Depot)
Almost every pen I have seen on this site are of a better quality than the run of the mill expensive pen.  People are willing to pay 4 and 5 thousand dollars for a pen that 2 or 3 hundren other people have.  We offer something unique and of high quality and the price should reflect our pride in our products!!!!!!!


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## JohnLifer

I'm a new member here, having found the site a couple of months ago. I'm also a long time pen turner who started when the only thing available in kits was the slimline. (Around 1991-1992)  I sold several thousand at various local craft shows and through a couple of vendors but never got hooked on what was then the better kits.  I stopped turning for several years, but after seeing this site and some member's pens, I've started again.  Much better kits end up making the turner make much better pens and seeing examples of what CAN be turned has helped me WANT to do better and ultimately get a better product turned.  The simple answer for me is yes, I'd buy some nice pens and probably some of what I make.  I haven't started trying to sell again, but just giving them away makes me feel an accomplishment.
Keep up the good turning!


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## mdburn_em

I voted yes.  Not only yes, but heck yes.  As a matter of fact, I saw a pen at the pen mall that I thought looked great and was undervalued.  I gave some serious thought to buying it.  I didn't cuz I saw some really nice looking Amboyna I wanted worse.
I don't think I was ever in the position to buy an Emperor, but I sure would have wanted to.  I definitely would have owned a Baron or Gent if I would have come upon a show selling them.


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## jeffj13

I voted "No".  I wouldn't buy my own pens for the price I ask.

That is why I stated making pens in the first place.

jeff


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## digitalmorgan

Odd question actually.. perspectives have brought out a variety of answers. The thoughts that ran thru my head....

Does a guy who puts Rolls Royces together have to own such a car? can he own such a car? Historically, how many great (or wannnabe great) artists or craftsman could own their own work?  

I've been awe struck by some of the pens you guys have posted on here - and I bet  I cant afford most of them! Just a thought.


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## fernhills

Hi, my reply was no,but thats me.Now some guys spend a lot of money on rings,and whatnots,i don`t never did.Some women spend big bucks like in the high hundreds for hand bags,A good pen is well worth it if you like nice things,many people say nice pen. Carl


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## Johnathan

Yes, yes, and yes! I started my fountain pen illness when I purchased my first Mont Blanc, then Visconti, then, Stipula, then Krone. I then met someone who showed me this amazing pen and said he could teach me how to make them. I was hooked! I love pens. If the beauty is there, why not pay the money for it? If for some reason I couldn't turn another pen, I would still find someone to buy pens from. I think it's great to have a nice collection, and with the handmade, you get something unique with a variety of materials and great exotic woods. Remember, not only are you paying for the pen, but also the statement it makes and the conversations it creates. So, everyone go make a statement! or sell one![]


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## Glenn McCullough

The look that people give you when you say you made the pen, is like....how in the he** did you MAKE a friggin' pen? Priceless! Yeah, without knowing what is involved...I'd pay! I've wasted a lot more on a lot less.


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## RussFairfield

Your attitude will always be picked up be the customer. If you think your pens are overpticed, so will the customer, and they won't buy them. If you think there is good value in your pens, your enthusiasm will be contagious, and the customer will buy.


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