I’ve been turning pens for less than a year. I’ve viewed every photo in every album and many photos that, for whatever reason, are no longer in albums. I’ve also been a pen collector for about 20 years…give or take.
Every month and sometimes more frequently there is a thread which seems to center around creating a pen that buyers and/or collectors would pay a large sum for. I’ll arbitrarily select $250 as a threshold, not because that’s the right number, but because I have to start somewhere.
The discussions don’t often start with a question about how to make a valuable pen, but more often start with things like: what plating is the best; which pen kit (set of components?) is the best; how do you sell on the internet; or, where can I get better nibs. All of these questions and discussion items make good fodder for discussion. The threads are lively and often informative; however, they bog down a bit when the discussion moves to creating a really highly valued pen.
With that in mind, I started going back through the photo albums and visiting websites. These visits were made in an attempt to answer two questions. “As a collector, which of these pens would I pay $250 for?†“Why would I not pay $250 for this pen?â€
First, the disclaimers. I did not revisit the nearly 4000 pictures on this site. Neither did I visit all of the well over 100 website links that I found. I was a bit arbitrary and selective. That will and does skew my conclusions. I admit it. I also don’t think it seriously detracts from the conclusions I have drawn.
In viewing the pens, I have learned that there are a significant number of members of this site who make beautiful pens. My estimate, based solely on this little experiment, is that probably 100 members make pens which are superior to mine in shape, fit, and finish. This is not self-deprecating, but simply a challenge to me to continue my efforts to make a better pen.
In these viewings, I found about a half dozen pens which would warrant my consideration if there were priced at $250. That doesn’t mean that I don’t think there are quite a few $50, $100 and $150 pens.
Keeping my collector’s hat on, I was forced to consider why there are only a half dozen pens that might spark a $250 response. It’s certainly not the kit style. The pens I selected ran the gamut. It’s not the plating. Photographs don’t let you easily distinguish between 24k plating and 10k plating, between platinum and silver. It’s not the nib manufacturer, nib material or feel of the pen.
In my opinion, it boils down to the fact that most of us do not make pens that look like $250 pens. I’ll now move into the first person and contain my comments to my album only. Even on my finest creations (thus far), the fit may be excellent, but it is not flawless. The finish may be stunning, but it is not perfect. The shape may be pleasant, but it is not uniquely satisfying. In short, not a single pen in my album looks like a pen I would even pick up if I saw a $250 price tag on it. My conclusion thus far is that what keeps me from selling $250 pens is that I don’t make a $250 pen. Pretty simple.
That leads me to question what does a $250 pen look likeâ€"in other people’s eyes? To attempt to answer that question, I went to a number of websites. These were selected based on different factors like the “Wow†factor from posts on this site, the experience fact, Guild Membership and the like. Again, this is not a scientifically drawn sample.
What I found is fairly interesting. Across the board, some of the highest quality pens made by our peers are priced at $35 to $165. There are a few exceptions, but darned few! That speaks volumes. Many of us know pens, collect pens, understand the market place for pens. With all of that information, we do not put our pens in the category of being worth $250.
What are the implications of my study and analysis (and I use that term loosely)?
We need to spend more time working on honing our skills. We have the weapons in our arsenal to make $250 pens, but until we do, it won’t make much difference if we have platinum plating or moon rock plating. Technical perfection is the price of admission for the high-end, collectible market.
We need to create pens that look good and feel good in the hand. I do not weigh nor balance my pens. How can I expect to compete against the 'best of the best' manufacturers for the $250 customer if I cannot guarantee fit and balance in the hand? And don’t get me started on nibs and nib materials. An off-balance pen is just as off-balance with an 18k gold nib!
My conclusions follow. Some of you will disagree and I’d look forward to hearing the responses.
1. We don’t sell $250 pens because we don’t make $250 pens.
2. We won’t sell $500 pens by adding 18k gold nibs because we don’t make $250 pens. The same applies to platings.
3. As long as we focus on the externals, like kit design, kit finish and nib manufacture, we will not sufficiently focus on making a technically perfect pen EVERY TIME.
4. If our pens are not technically perfect, we will not be able to regularly and seriously participate in the market for $250 pens.
In closing, remember that these are experiences and opinions. I’m not holding out that my beliefs are correct. I’m not interested in cutting off discussions on pen kit design, need for better nibs and plating options, or why a particular tool is better than another. Debate away! But don’t forget to work on your skills. That’s the first step on the path to knowledge and accomplishment. In my (never humble) opinion. [8D]
Every month and sometimes more frequently there is a thread which seems to center around creating a pen that buyers and/or collectors would pay a large sum for. I’ll arbitrarily select $250 as a threshold, not because that’s the right number, but because I have to start somewhere.
The discussions don’t often start with a question about how to make a valuable pen, but more often start with things like: what plating is the best; which pen kit (set of components?) is the best; how do you sell on the internet; or, where can I get better nibs. All of these questions and discussion items make good fodder for discussion. The threads are lively and often informative; however, they bog down a bit when the discussion moves to creating a really highly valued pen.
With that in mind, I started going back through the photo albums and visiting websites. These visits were made in an attempt to answer two questions. “As a collector, which of these pens would I pay $250 for?†“Why would I not pay $250 for this pen?â€
First, the disclaimers. I did not revisit the nearly 4000 pictures on this site. Neither did I visit all of the well over 100 website links that I found. I was a bit arbitrary and selective. That will and does skew my conclusions. I admit it. I also don’t think it seriously detracts from the conclusions I have drawn.
In viewing the pens, I have learned that there are a significant number of members of this site who make beautiful pens. My estimate, based solely on this little experiment, is that probably 100 members make pens which are superior to mine in shape, fit, and finish. This is not self-deprecating, but simply a challenge to me to continue my efforts to make a better pen.
In these viewings, I found about a half dozen pens which would warrant my consideration if there were priced at $250. That doesn’t mean that I don’t think there are quite a few $50, $100 and $150 pens.
Keeping my collector’s hat on, I was forced to consider why there are only a half dozen pens that might spark a $250 response. It’s certainly not the kit style. The pens I selected ran the gamut. It’s not the plating. Photographs don’t let you easily distinguish between 24k plating and 10k plating, between platinum and silver. It’s not the nib manufacturer, nib material or feel of the pen.
In my opinion, it boils down to the fact that most of us do not make pens that look like $250 pens. I’ll now move into the first person and contain my comments to my album only. Even on my finest creations (thus far), the fit may be excellent, but it is not flawless. The finish may be stunning, but it is not perfect. The shape may be pleasant, but it is not uniquely satisfying. In short, not a single pen in my album looks like a pen I would even pick up if I saw a $250 price tag on it. My conclusion thus far is that what keeps me from selling $250 pens is that I don’t make a $250 pen. Pretty simple.
That leads me to question what does a $250 pen look likeâ€"in other people’s eyes? To attempt to answer that question, I went to a number of websites. These were selected based on different factors like the “Wow†factor from posts on this site, the experience fact, Guild Membership and the like. Again, this is not a scientifically drawn sample.
What I found is fairly interesting. Across the board, some of the highest quality pens made by our peers are priced at $35 to $165. There are a few exceptions, but darned few! That speaks volumes. Many of us know pens, collect pens, understand the market place for pens. With all of that information, we do not put our pens in the category of being worth $250.
What are the implications of my study and analysis (and I use that term loosely)?
We need to spend more time working on honing our skills. We have the weapons in our arsenal to make $250 pens, but until we do, it won’t make much difference if we have platinum plating or moon rock plating. Technical perfection is the price of admission for the high-end, collectible market.
We need to create pens that look good and feel good in the hand. I do not weigh nor balance my pens. How can I expect to compete against the 'best of the best' manufacturers for the $250 customer if I cannot guarantee fit and balance in the hand? And don’t get me started on nibs and nib materials. An off-balance pen is just as off-balance with an 18k gold nib!
My conclusions follow. Some of you will disagree and I’d look forward to hearing the responses.
1. We don’t sell $250 pens because we don’t make $250 pens.
2. We won’t sell $500 pens by adding 18k gold nibs because we don’t make $250 pens. The same applies to platings.
3. As long as we focus on the externals, like kit design, kit finish and nib manufacture, we will not sufficiently focus on making a technically perfect pen EVERY TIME.
4. If our pens are not technically perfect, we will not be able to regularly and seriously participate in the market for $250 pens.
In closing, remember that these are experiences and opinions. I’m not holding out that my beliefs are correct. I’m not interested in cutting off discussions on pen kit design, need for better nibs and plating options, or why a particular tool is better than another. Debate away! But don’t forget to work on your skills. That’s the first step on the path to knowledge and accomplishment. In my (never humble) opinion. [8D]
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