Alpha advise please

[TaylorsMirfield.co.uk]

Evening all.

I am looking for peoples opinions on the platings for the TM Alpha Kits.

My initial thoughts were to go for a Rhodium and Black Titanium plating. I am not adverse to this option but with a plating such as Rhodium the cost per kits will be likely to be in excess of £10.

Another thought would be to opt for a Chrome and Gunmetal kits. I would expect this plating option to retail for around £7.50.

I guess my question is this. Do people want a premium plating kit or would they prefer a (in my opinion) quality kit with a more standard plating?

I would be keen the hear peoples view points.

Thanks,


Dan

 

[silver]

Is £10 expensive for a quality kit? I don't believe so.

Having said that I don't market the entry level well and most kits I sell I tend to spend more that £10 per kit. Sometimes much more..

I like the Rhodium plating myself.

But that's just me.

 

[Vic Perrin]

Have you thought about going for all the options Dan as I am sure they will sell ?

 

[TaylorsMirfield.co.uk]

Have you thought about going for all the options Dan as I am sure they will sell ?

it comes down to costs Vic. If funds where there i would be stocking lots of different kits but currently it comes down to develop, Invest, Sell, Invest, Develop and the chain goes on.

 

[Penpal]

Pre orders with money sorts itself perhaps I personally like to put my money with my purchases. In my photographic business all colour printing etc was accompanied by a cheque and all framing I paid cash for at the same time all orders were prepaid or not commenced we were stuck with thousands of unpaid results it never happened again.


Peter.

 

[GeordieB]

If its going to be a premium kit it needs premium plating thats just my opinion Dan

 

[Phil Dart]

Just remind us what the Alpha looks like again will you Dan?

 

[bellringer]

Go premium


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[TaylorsMirfield.co.uk]

Just remind us what the Alpha looks like again will you Dan?

http://www.penturners.co.uk/wood-turned-items/11881-alpha.html

 

[Buckeye]

Definitely premium plating.

Peter

 

[Neil Lawton]

The Alpha should be a top end pen!
Premium plating is a must!

 

[TaylorsMirfield.co.uk]

Rhodium and black Ti it is then. Thank you all.

 

[Phil Dart]

http://www.penturners.co.uk/wood-turned-items/11881-alpha.html

Thanks for the link. It's quite obviously a top end looker, and not having seen the kit close up, I'm guessing its top end components too. I can see little point in going for chrome or so called upgrade gold, which is just gold covered in lacquer. I always think that a premium white with gold accents look the classiest, or vice versa, and I know its possible to get a gold that is mixed with cobalt to increase the durability, rather than gungeing up the threads with lacquer.

I appreciate you've only got one shot at it in the first instance until development funds permit, so for myself I'd like to see rhodium or platinum with gold accents. I don't believe that Ti accents would look as classy, and if people are not prepared to pay a tenner for a top of the tree kit there is plenty of choice below it. A Baron by the way is about a tenner and a Sedona is even more. The Harvest to which Neil F compared the Alpha is about 13 or 14 quid. If you feel the Alpha is not as good as a Baron then get a cheap plating, but knowing your ethos and your attention to detail, somehow I don't believe that is the case.

 

[Buckeye]

The Baron and and sedona are just less than £5.00 from Timberbits with a premium plated Titanium Gold Baron under £7.00

Peter

 

[Phil Dart]

The Baron and and sedona are just less than £5.00 from Timberbits with a premium plated Titanium Gold Baron under £7.00

Peter

Yes I know, but for those who aren't into importing or who want an upgraded plating, they're about a tenner from Turners retreat. I was just trying to put a bit of perspective on pricing of kits available from UK suppliers.

 

[Buckeye]

Yes I know, but for those who aren't into importing or who want an upgraded plating, they're about a tenner from Turners retreat. I was just trying to put a bit of perspective on pricing of kits available from UK suppliers.

I didn't realise TR did them, not buying from them. Thank God for Timberbits.

Peter

 

[Phil Dart]

Its a plating thing Peter. When I buy gold plated kits , I like my gold to be gold. I find them easier to sell that way. I also like the gold to stay gold until after my customers cease to care. I don't like my gold to not be gold at all, just look like gold, which is what you get with the highly misleading plating called titanium gold, for which you should read gold coloured titanium. Tough as old boots and cheaper than the real thing, but not actually gold apart from an infintesimally thin layer on top which wears off a few moments after the cheque is banked.

 

[Buckeye]

Its a plating thing Peter. When I buy gold plated kits , I like my gold to be gold. I find them easier to sell that way. I also like the gold to stay gold until after my customers cease to care. I don't like my gold to not be gold at all, just look like gold, which is what you get with the highly misleading plating called titanium gold, for which you should read gold coloured titanium. Tough as old boots and cheaper than the real thing, but not actually gold apart from an infintesimally thin layer on top which wears off a few moments after the cheque is banked.

I steer away from gold kits although I have had titanium gold accents and they seem to hold up really well, never noticed a problem nor had any returned. I always tell people that if they want a gold plated pen they can, but I will not accept it back if the plating wears off.

Peter

 

[wm460]

I agree on the Premium plating.

 

[Neil]

I disagree.

I think we all get a bit to carried away with the concept of premium labelled products, whether it's tescos finest, other supermarket marketing differentials, or even pen kits. We are familiar with the standard options of gold, chrome, and gun metal and a wish for something else drives our wish for another plating, or even a premium plating. Premium? Or just different with a price premium? It's a yellowish colour, is it gold or not, let's be honest if it looks like gold, unless we are being deceived, or being invited to deceive others, do we really care what it is, be it titanium gold, black titanium or whatever, if it looks the dogs bollocks that's all that matters.

It's a bit like rosewood as a premium blank, it looks beautiful to us, but how many of my customers by pass the rosewood and go straight for the oak? Most if I'm honest with you.

In this debate their are three groups of debaters, the likes of Eamonn and Phil who market their pens to sell at the high end where a degree of exclusivity is important, people like me who aim at the volume market, and the third group who are the, and no disrespect intended or meant, but for want of a better definition, those who sell occasionally or are occasional turners.

I think you need to look at this the other way round Dan, where is this pen going to compete in the matrix of available pen kits. Is this kit, for me, going to sell at around £55 and compete with the Atrax the kits for which are sub £8, or is it going to sell at £70 for a more expensive plating? I'll sell some at £70 but you'll only be getting an order for half a dozen a year. I bought 20 sterling silver plated Cambridge pens at a Xmas bargain price of ten dollars last year and am struggling to sell them at £75. My market has a volume ceiling of around £60.

Your circle previously described will grind to a halt if you end up with slow moving stock, but if this one moves with a standard plating, you can always do a different plating with more confidence and the cooperation of the supplier at a date in the near future. If you put that as a standard plating cost, my Atrax offering gets a price hike, the alpha moves into the £55 slot and I hopefully shift thirty/forty a year. Stick it as a premium plating and it'll be a slow mover for me.

I'd love to see this as a "premium" plating, it'll be a joy to turn and assemble, but my business model would point to a standard plating and a £55/60 retail.

Over to you Dan!