Pricing???

[jttheclockman]

Just getting into this pen turning stuff so learning to price my work will be interesting. I have done other types of woodworking and sold items and have that figured out but with pens there is something different in that the kits could be anywhere from not quite expensive to very elaborate. But one of the tricky ones will be the cartridge pen. Not much turning here and mostly inexpensive parts. So my question here is what are you all charging for your cartridge pens and are they selling at that price??? Maybe those who make the double barreled cartridge, the one with antlers, and the ones with acrylic or wood as the top???? Not sure if there would be any drastic price differences though. Thanks for sharing.

 

[OldWrangler]

Hi John T,

I've been selling my cartridge/antler pens for $50. They are by far my best seller. We did a craft show about 2 weeks ago and sold 17 pens in 6 hours. 9 of them were cartridge pens. I guess I sell at least 3 to every other kind of pen.

I figure I have about $16-18 in each pen and they are fast to make. I am buying the kits and just turning the antler and assembling. I can make one complete in 1/2 hour. If you buy the kits, try to get ones that are being powder coated. The plain polished ones tarnish up quickly. There are a number of suppliers who are members. Making them from scratch is cheaper but a real pain.

Good luck with them.

George

 

[jttheclockman]

Wow George that is a good sale. Thanks for the reply. I keep reading about others that have done well with these and that is why I want to make this my first real pen that counts. I have picked alot of people's brains here and they are probably tired of me asking questions but have learned alot and have just about got all the parts and will even try my own powdercoating. Will report back how it goes. $50 is sure a good sale. Not sure I would get that.

 

[mrcook4570]

$50 is sure a good sale. Not sure I would get that.

Try it and see. You might surprise yourself.

 

[Daniel]

John, Just to help you get some confidence that your pens are worth $50.00 go do some shopping and see what you could get for $50.00 in any other pen. The confidence will come across when you are talking to customers. Also don't forget you are not offering something they can just go to the next office supply store to get.

 

[TellicoTurning]

John T.,
Like George, I generally ask $49.95 for my antler cartridge pens and $5 less for those with wood tops. I make my own casings and don't poweder coat or varnish them.. they are natural and will tarnish, but I explain this in my sales pitch. They generally sell well, but last show I only sold two of them, but then I didn't sell a lot of anything at that show.

 

[DurocShark]

Ya'll are making me feel guilty for charging $125 for a herringbone Navigator.

 

[TellicoTurning]

Ya'll are making me feel guilty for charging $125 for a herringbone Navigator.

Never feel guilty.. if people are willing to pay the price, that's the value. Price is nothing more than a perceived value and if your price is too high, and perceived as too high, then you won't sell, if perceived as a good value, you'll sell.

 

[chriselle]

I fully agree with Chuck. Never feel guilty. $125 is my low end and people are always telling my prices are very good....perception.

 

[DurocShark]

Well, that was kinda tongue in cheek. I don't really feel guilty. It was more a comment on some beautiful $50 pens compared to my $125 pen that I don't feel is that much nicer.

 

[LostintheWoods]

Don, don't you consider your workmanship to be of value? Or your time? Let's face it---a herringbone pen takes much longer to produce, and the workmanship involved is much greater. That is the difference between a $50 Cartridge/Antler pen, and a $125 Herringbone Navigator, in my book.

 

[jkeithrussell]

Would someone please post a link to a source for the cartridge pen kits?

 

[Chasper]

http://littlerivercrafts.home.mindspring.com/Supplies/
here you go, source for very good cartridge pens

 

[jkeithrussell]

Thanks.

 

[TellicoTurning]

Would someone please post a link to a source for the cartridge pen kits?

If you want to make your own, go to any gun store that sells re-load equipment and you can pick up a bag of unused casings for about $30 or $40... and I bought the longer 7mm tubes at Woodcraft.. you'll need 3 or 4 inch tubes, plus a little bag of shrink tubing at local hardware.. I use the 5/8" tubing, but 1/4" will also work.. and a little gorilla glue and you can make your own for about $1.50 - $3 each... if you want to powder coat, that's another expense... I don't powder coat mine. I suppose you could varnish them after polishing them if you needed a protective coating... I sell mine raw and tell the buyer they will tarnish and to just brasso them occasionally... take the top off so you don't brasso the wood or antler.