Pricing Pens at Craft Fairs

[Winemaker]

How long does it take you to make a slimline ? From start to finish ?

It takes me about 4-5 hrs over 2 days unless I do a bulk lots say 6 at a time that takes about 5-7 hrs. I price mine the price of the kit + blank price + £2 for sundries ie sand paper,sealer & glue etc on average that works out to £8 for a Slimline I then add on £2 for labour. I do this for all things I make so I have a good guide as to what to sell it for

 

[Bammer]

It takes me about 4-5 hrs over 2 days unless I do a bulk lots say 6 at a time that takes about 5-7 hrs. I price mine the price of the kit + blank price + £2 for sundries ie sand paper,sealer & glue etc on average that works out to £8 for a Slimline I then add on £2 for labour. I do this for all things I make so I have a good guide as to what to sell it for

That's why I asked Tom

So if you make one slimline, you are putting your labour at 50p an hour ...... Sheez Tom I wouldn't bother Even if you make 6 at a time over 7 hours that's £12 profit = £1.71 an hour, a bit better but what about electric, heating, fuel to get to the craft fair, cost of the table at the craft fair

Don't know what you pay for a table, but if it's even just £10 you need to sell 5 pens to cover that cost before you earn a penny

£10 a pen is a pen is too cheap buddy

 

[Winemaker]

That's why I asked Tom

So if you make one slimline, you are putting your labour at 50p an hour ...... Sheez Tom I wouldn't bother Even if you make 6 at a time over 7 hours that's £12 profit = £1.71 an hour, a bit better but what about electric, heating, fuel to get to the craft fair, cost of the table at the craft fair

Don't know what you pay for a table, but if it's even just £10 you need to sell 5 pens to cover that cost before you earn a penny

£10 a pen is a pen is too cheap buddy

I know its too cheap but they are a bit tight down here, I have not sold a stock Pen in over a year they keep saying they can't afford them. I did sell three fountain pens at the last fair I did, they ordered one I made three so they could choose one and they brought all three £10 each I only pay £5 for the table and so far made more than that

 

[chas_41_uk]

£10 for a fountain pen?
You're too soft with them Tom. The cheapest I have ever sold a fountain pen for is £40, more usually £60

 

[Penpal]

So the story grows, the prices vary keep your eye on the real bottom line you will be amazed.

Peter.

 

[silver]

You see, there you go... Everyone saying you are selling your pens too cheap..

If that is what someone wants to sell a pen for then that's ok. If they are doing it to keep them self motivated and get out of bed in a morning then that's ok as well. If they sell them at a loss then that's ok as well.

If they want to make pens and give them away to a trusted cause like blind veterans then that ok as well..

If they want to sell a slimline for £100 than that's ok as well.

If they want to sell a fountain pen for £10 then that's ok, the same goes for if you want to sell one for £60.

What I am getting at here guys is the fact that we all do pen turning for different reasons, surely we need to support that and if we get a higher price think yourself lucky and don't make fellow turners feel undervalued..

Sorry rant over..

On a side not...would anyone know where I may be able to find a particular type of pen box...I'm looking for a box like dominoes are kept in...one where the top comes off and then you can place the main box inside the upturned lid...not sure if that makes sense :)

Why don't you make your own pen boxes? I will post some on here later when I get back in to show how simple it it, after all if I can do it then anyone can..

The way I do mine is with a router, I appreciate not everyone has a router but you can pick one up fairly cheap.

The first one my dad had was an old black and decker with an adapter. Frightening to use now when you look back.

 

[Phil Dart]

I agree with Eamonn's comments - we are all allowed to make pens for our own reasons and all allowed to sell them or give them away according to out own whim

I would just add this. If you take the nib out of the equation, what is the difference between a Montblanc fountain pen that sells for maybe £1000 and a Lamy that sells for maybe £30? Perhaps that's a bit unfair. What about a Montblanc and a Visconti for a couple of hundred?

Before anyone answers the question and says "quality", yes quality does come in to it - of course it does, but there are only two ways of making a pen. Firstly, if the material from which it is made will not support threads, then a tube is used and components are pressed in to it. That's the way most of us do it, and it's also the way that Montblanc and all the others do it too, or is some cases the decoration, such as enamel is applied directly to the tubes. The second way is if the material will support threads, then the barrels can be made directly from that material without the need for tubes. That's the way kitless pens are made and also how Montblanc and all the others do it with the rest of their pens. It doesn't matter if you a multi million pound global brand or a hobbyist in a shed, all pens are made in the same two ways.

So again, what is the difference between the Montblanc and the Visconti - is there really eight hundred quids worth of difference in the quality?. Of course not, but there is a huge difference in peoples PERCEPTION of the quality.

I know, I know, Dart is rambling on again, but the original question was how much to sell a slimline for, presumably on the basis of making a profit. With respect to Tom, he struggles to sell them in Cornwall for a fiver, whereas I suggest that if Tom asked £15, 18 or maybe even £20 for them, suddenly the perceived value is greater and I strongly suspect that he would will sell more. If you price them cheap they are perceived as cheap - if you price them higher they are perceived as desirable, or maybe even aspirational. Ask Montblanc - they know.

 

[silver]

Here you go lee.

This is what I have done in the past and still have a few in stock, used this one for the Midnight baron.

View attachment 30859

View attachment 30860

5/8th router bit cut out with a jig we made to use the 30mm guide. (On my 10th or more jig now but looks the same as it works) Box is usually "wedged" in place to keep it in position.

 

[L33]

You see, there you go... Everyone saying you are selling your pens too cheap..

If that is what someone wants to sell a pen for then that's ok. If they are doing it to keep them self motivated and get out of bed in a morning then that's ok as well. If they sell them at a loss then that's ok as well.

If they want to make pens and give them away to a trusted cause like blind veterans then that ok as well..

If they want to sell a slimline for £100 than that's ok as well.

If they want to sell a fountain pen for £10 then that's ok, the same goes for if you want to sell one for £60.

What I am getting at here guys is the fact that we all do pen turning for different reasons, surely we need to support that and if we get a higher price think yourself lucky and don't make fellow turners feel undervalued..

Sorry rant over..



Why don't you make your own pen boxes? I will post some on here later when I get back in to show how simple it it, after all if I can do it then anyone can..

The way I do mine is with a router, I appreciate not everyone has a router but you can pick one up fairly cheap.

The first one my dad had was an old black and decker with an adapter. Frightening to use now when you look back.

It's funny...the first time I ever saw and used a router was when I borrowed my dads...that was a black and decker and frightening it was! I only used it the once...

I guess I could make my own...in fact, I may very well do that...I have a YouTube channel where I film myself making things out of wood...so a pen case would be a cool thing to add...but I guess I was thinking more of a simple thick card box that would be inexpensive to buy and would help those who bought pens to wrap them better if they were purchased as presents.

 

[L33]

Here you go lee.

This is what I have done in the past and still have a few in stock, used this one for the Midnight baron.

View attachment 30859

View attachment 30860

5/8th router bit cut out with a jig we made to use the 30mm guide. (On my 10th or more jig now but looks the same as it works) Box is usually "wedged" in place to keep it in position.

Nice...looks good...is that oak or ash...can't quite tell. Do you ever have problems with the lid warping at all with it being quite thin? Clip looks nice too...what sort of clip is it?

 

[silver]

Its a "clip type thingy" you know one of those clip type thingy..

Dunner know what ya coww it but I call it a clip.

TBH I don't know, its a small box clip, I have a few of them and have purchased them from all over the place in the past. Hobbys used to do them (Or was that hobbies) whichever..

Oh, its Ash by the way. The lid is cut from the top of the box on a band saw then sanded down to get the grain match on the sides.. and no I haven't had any problems with warping (Yet) now you have asked I'm going to get loads..

 

[L33]

Its a "clip type thingy" you know one of those clip type thingy..

Dunner know what ya coww it but I call it a clip.

TBH I don't know, its a small box clip, I have a few of them and have purchased them from all over the place in the past. Hobbys used to do them (Or was that hobbies) whichever..

Oh, its Ash by the way. The lid is cut from the top of the box on a band saw then sanded down to get the grain match on the sides.. and no I haven't had any problems with warping (Yet) now you have asked I'm going to get loads..

Haha...I'm sure they'll be fine. Ash is quite stable. Nice looking pen box...I may be tempted to have a go. I'd probably be tempted to bandsaw the 2 pieces then shove it through the thicknesser just to remove the teeth marks...I may have a go next week and see what I can come up with. :)

 

[Bammer]

You see, there you go... Everyone saying you are selling your pens too cheap..

If that is what someone wants to sell a pen for then that's ok. If they are doing it to keep them self motivated and get out of bed in a morning then that's ok as well. If they sell them at a loss then that's ok as well.

If they want to make pens and give them away to a trusted cause like blind veterans then that ok as well..

If they want to sell a slimline for £100 than that's ok as well.

If they want to sell a fountain pen for £10 then that's ok, the same goes for if you want to sell one for £60.

What I am getting at here guys is the fact that we all do pen turning for different reasons, surely we need to support that and if we get a higher price think yourself lucky and don't make fellow turners feel undervalued..

Sorry rant over..



Why don't you make your own pen boxes? I will post some on here later when I get back in to show how simple it it, after all if I can do it then anyone can..

The way I do mine is with a router, I appreciate not everyone has a router but you can pick one up fairly cheap.

The first one my dad had was an old black and decker with an adapter. Frightening to use now when you look back.

which is why i don't post.

£10 for a handmade pen is too cheap, simples

 

[bigbob]

I agree with Eamonn re price of pens it is up to the individual and can also be governed on the amount of folk passing your table and your location the local folks disposable income which varies a lot depending on what part of the UK you reside i.e last job I had I just cleared £1200 per month was watching one of these programs where folk buy houses and do them up and some of the expected rents far exceeded my monthly income. As stated in an other post I doubt I would get more than £10 for a slimline up here in the boonies.

 

[Penpal]

I just bought a heap of pens direct from China, mostly fountains for a few (very few) dollars. You would be proud to have made these some in Stainless Steel , Porcelain, Plastic. A Porcelain is my dail ywriter at the Computer a fountain pen writes so well. I agree the differences in market value is huge.Because my pic storage etc is spouted by microsoft and Google no pics just now but you would be amazed.

I bought the pens to use as parts but no way would I demolish most of them now. Beaut presents for less than kit cost. All freight free through Hong Kong.

Peter.

 

[Penpal]

Mark and Lee at the recent Hand Made Craft Fair in Canberra.

Peter.