# Top dollar for my pens



## Dale Lynch (Aug 7, 2012)

Today I believe I reached the limit on how much I can sell a pen for.It was my most expensve to make and also the highest price I've asked for.Desire rollerball,redw/gold web TS $70.00.She was a little shocked, even though I explained that the price increase was because of materials cost, it seemed to matter little.She bought it anyway because she needed a gift for a retiring coworker and it was the only one I had.The wife cleaned me out 2 days before.Don't know if I'll be able to sell the fountain version of the Desire for a profit in the future,but I'll keep my fingers crossed anyway.


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## crabcreekind (Aug 7, 2012)

Actually that is really cheap for that pen. I know alot of people easily get $150+ for high end pens. You just need the right clientele


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## gallianp (Aug 7, 2012)

crabcreekind said:


> Actually that is really cheap for that pen. I know alot of people easily get $150+ for high end pens. You just need the right clientele



Don't we all --  send them my way please


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## seamus7227 (Aug 8, 2012)

And in comparison, i was able to sell my Marksman rollerball (since it too is made from Stainless Steel) for $250.

 dont undersell yourself or your time, if people really want something nice, they have to realize that custom work comes at a price. Congrats on the sale!


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## Lenny (Aug 8, 2012)

Sorry but ... No Picture = Didn't happen!

Thems the rules!


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## dansills (Aug 8, 2012)

IMHO ... You underpriced that pen by at least 50%.   On a side note.... What is the difference between the desire and the eagle?  Are both postable?


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## Constant Laubscher (Aug 8, 2012)

This guy use my kits,components - Desire for $245 all day long and he is moving a lot of these at that price. Here is a link to his website.
Sigma - Cool Ice


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## Dale Lynch (Aug 8, 2012)

Lenny said:


> Sorry but ... No Picture = Didn't happen!
> 
> Thems the rules!  [/quote/
> 
> It's the one on the left.I offered her the choice of fountain or rollerball.She chose a roller.


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## Dale Lynch (Aug 8, 2012)

Thanks for the encouragement fellas.Funny thing is that my friends including her and my family all tell me I should charge more for my pens.So I do just as they say and it stuns them a little.I initially made it with the intention of keeping it for myself.

dansills,I don't have a marksman to compare it to but from the pics i've seen the centerband and endcap designs are the most distinct differences.


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## doddman70 (Aug 8, 2012)

Congratz on the high end sell! I hope they continue to get higher from here on out!


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## PenMan1 (Aug 9, 2012)

You sold it between $200 - $300 too cheap!


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## Ruby pen turning (Aug 9, 2012)

haha .. I don't know where everyone is getting 200-300  for a pen. It certainly aint where I am selling or can sell them.  For the cost of the kit I may have charged $90.00 and been a happy camper.


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## PenMan1 (Aug 9, 2012)

Ruby pen turning said:


> haha .. I don't know where everyone is getting 200-300 for a pen. It certainly aint where I am selling or can sell them. For the cost of the kit I may have charged $90.00 and been a happy camper.


 
I guess it's the old real estate saying "Location, Location, Location". My opening price point for roller ball pens is $100. I sell a LOT of pens in the $250-$750 range. Above $2,000...not so many. A component set that cost $30 PLUS Shipping, A Blank that  cost $10 PLUS shipping, plus, plus,plus... The barter price would be $250. I don't do well with stainless steel (it is just not a focal point of my market) but $200 would be a minimum for a Desire with Tru-Stone.


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## Ruby pen turning (Aug 9, 2012)

I had a tray of Apprentice Seirras priced at $25.00 at a show one time (10 of them) and a person asked me if it was $25.00 for the whole tray. This is my market.


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## KnB Polymers (Aug 9, 2012)

Ruby pen turning said:


> I had a tray of Apprentice Seirras priced at $25.00 at a show one time (10 of them) and a person asked me if it was $25.00 for the whole tray. This is my market.




And that's not the ONLY time that happened at one of our shows, either!
Andy, would you PLEASE send us some of your customers?? :biggrin:


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## PenMan1 (Aug 9, 2012)

LOL! Brian, I just texted my cousin from Bunkie (actually Chenyville) LA, and asked him if things were THAT tough in your part of the world. He owns a bait store. He told me that folks would make a "bid" on bait, rather than pay the retail price. NOW THAT's A rough market!


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## Chasper (Aug 9, 2012)

We had a solid show last weekend; sold several Juniors in the $175+ range and one nice Majestic for $395.  A lady came in the booth, picked up a 7mm pen.
"How much is this pen?" she asked.
"39," I replied.
"Cents?" she asked.

Even when you are in a market where you can sell pens for $500+, you will meet people who can't imagine why a pen should cost more than $5.  If you price exclusively for the low end of the market, you turn your back on the mid to high end.

BTW: We drove 11 hours one way to get to this show.  Location, location, location.


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## ALexG (Aug 9, 2012)

In my last two shows I was selling my fountain pens at $60 (tycoons with acrylic or fusion casting blanks) and people (mostly collectors) bought 2 or 3 because they said that I was giving them away, so those I have them now for around $100 but tru-stones like yours I'll put them no less than $140, and have a couple of Broadwell at $250, I'm not sure if is too much, but I love them, as some of you mentioned, you just need the right customer in the right place


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## OKLAHOMAN (Aug 9, 2012)

Many years ago I was told if you don't ask for it you won't get it. This applies to price, but you better be at the proper venue. Gary drove 11 hours to get to his venue but remember he is selling pens as a living, when I was I also drove up to 20 hours one way. and would work my way back. Now you who are not selling to make a living still need to find venues close by the will bring you a better return, bet you will find that with-in a hundred miles of you there are venues that you can get $100 up for rollerballs you just have to search them out.


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## Smitty37 (Aug 9, 2012)

*Right on*

I can tell you this...in the town where I live you'd have a tough time selling a pen for $50.  45 minutes down the road is a town where an "artsy" well heeled croud gathers during the summer - folks from NY City, Washington, DC and other big & small cities.  They have and will spend money and there are art shows (etc.) there where you might well get 5 times that for the same pen.

Our local fire department has a craft market each year around thanksgiving.  You could sell a lot of $15.00 pens and maybe a couple at $25.00 but anything higher would go begging.  The folks attending that show like to by $1 to $10 items.


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## DestinTurnings (Aug 9, 2012)

Smitty37 said:


> I can tell you this...in the town where I live you'd have a tough time selling a pen for $50. 45 minutes down the road is a town where an "artsy" well heeled croud gathers during the summer - folks from NY City, Washington, DC and other big & small cities. They have and will spend money and there are art shows (etc.) there where you might well get 5 times that for the same pen.
> 
> Our local fire department has a craft market each year around thanksgiving. You could sell a lot of $15.00 pens and maybe a couple at $25.00 but anything higher would go begging. The folks attending that show like to by $1 to $10 items.


 
Exactly. I actually live in Niceville, Fl and that is 4 miles accross a bridge from Destin. Destin is the touristy high end shopping sellers market. Niceville is the small town craft fair location. I get 40-50% more for the exact same pen accross the bridge.


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## beck3906 (Aug 9, 2012)

I had a show where I had a pen marked $195 and a lady asked if that was $1.95.  If she wan't elderly, I Woulld have had to laugh.


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## avbill (Aug 9, 2012)

Location, Location,Location!

If you want to sell high end pens  you need to go where that clientele is  

THAT'S THE NAME OF THE GAME. ~ Location, Location,Location!


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## Smitty37 (Aug 9, 2012)

avbill said:


> Location, Location,Location!
> 
> If you want to sell high end pens you need to go where that clientele is
> 
> THAT'S THE NAME OF THE GAME. ~ Location, Location,Location!


 Yep, my daughter will spend more for a pair of socks then I will for a whole wardrobe.


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## 76winger (Aug 9, 2012)

Agreeing with above, I think it was under-priced as well.


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## joefrog (Aug 9, 2012)

Constant Laubscher said:


> This guy use my kits,components - Desire for $245 all day long and he is moving a lot of these at that price. Here is a link to his website.
> Sigma - Cool Ice



I just browsed your site a bit.  Business that good?  You're out of stock of quite a few things I liked!


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## Dale Lynch (Aug 9, 2012)

I have to agree with the location,location,location philosophy.Unfortunatly for this 12/hr earner the cost of traveling to where the big city spending, big city living types is out of reach.There is an art gallery near home that I've seen some common wood(oak and cedar) euro style pens.Don't know if they sell.One of these days I'm gonna have to get up the courage and talk to the management about putting a small display and see how it goes.Pretty tall hurdle though.


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## AKPenTurner (Aug 9, 2012)

It is all location. And again, no matter where you are, you'll run into folks who can't imagine spending that much on a pen. I believe Barry Gross mentions in his book his reply when someone complains about the price: "That pen was not made for you."

Living in Alaska, I can sell my Alaskan materials for a decent price. For a moose or caribou antler pen, or woolly mammoth bone, I sell standard ball point pens in the $50-$75 range. I haven't gotten into the really expensive kits yet, the most expensive pen I've sold was for $85. If I remember correctly, it was a 10K Gentlemen's rollerball turned out of mammoth bone...


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