Selling on EBAY

[cdcarter]

Now and then, I look at what's out there on Ebay to see what kinds of prices folks are getting. I'm stunned. One guy is selling Gentlemen's ($18 kits) for a "Buy it Now" price of $31.95. I can't imagine he has less than $22-23 in them even buying kits in bulk. How on earth can he be making anything?

I've used EBay for selling a variety of things with good results, but primarily for electronics I'm no longer using, a couple of trumpets, etc. I'm not willing to sell my pens at a loss. I give a lot away, but when I sell, I want a fair market price.

Maybe I'm just getting a very incomplete view of the picture. Anybody making money on Ebay?

 

[ctwxlvr]

From the Pens I have seen on EBay most look mass produced, or poorly finished, there are a few that sell that are hobbyist that just sell to make their cost.

 

[Stevej72]

Hi Carl, I've put pens up a couple times at my normal price and haven't had any luck. With Ebays listing and sales charges I don't know how they can make any money selling at those prices. I've got a couple snake skin and antler pens that I thought I would try putting up this weekend.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Some people just get their jollies selling stuff on eBay and either are ignorant of value or don't care. I once considered selling my duck calls there but guys were selling some beautiful calls for $10.00 to $25.00. One was of alternate ivory with a silver band and some scrimshaw, $25.00. I wrote him and asked him to raise his prices so those of us who wanted to make a fair profit wouldn't look bad. He responded very nicely saying he didn't care if he lost money, he just enjoyed making and selling them. Go figger.

 

[Russianwolf]

I posted a couple a month or so ago.

One sold, the other didn't. The one that sold was a Irish Bog Oak Sierra. Hads one bid so I wound up selling it at my "wholesale" price of $29.99. The other was listed at 19.99 for a slimline with a laminated blank in Clemson/Auburn colors. No takers on it, but it had several watchers.

I may try again sometime. For now, breakeven is my goal as long as I cna buy more kits and continue getting better. Profit will come as I improve.

I've sold 4 on the train I commute on for $35-40 each.

 

[cdcarter]

That's my experience. Judging by responses on the web site sales poll as well ... selling face to face is the best way to get a good price. I sold four this week at $50 each just by putting the pen in somebody's hand, talking about how much nicer it looks than a $300 Waterman, telling them about the wood, and inviting them to write with it ... that Schmidt rollerball always gets 'em.

Problem is craft shows are rare, and there aren't that many face to face opportunities.

I've registered a domain (carterspens.com) I could crank up any time, but then it starts to be work.

 

[Petricore]

Originally posted by cdcarter
I've registered a domain (carterspens.com) I could crank up any time, but then it starts to be work.

That is my exact problem. I have a domain, and am a programmer so could easily make the website, problem is, I am having so much fun I dont know if Im ready for this to be a demanding thing...
I dont think that selling on ebay will ever get a good price for us thanks to the lower prices you usually see. I haven't posted any on there yet though so I can't be sure. As soon as I get done with all the word of mouth orders I have, I plan to build a small inventory and see what the best online way to sell will be

 

[Boss302]

I've been selling pens on Ebay since last year's holiday season (www.stores.ebay.com/pc-woodcraft-and-pens). I've gotten to the point where I'm selling 15-20 pens a month to people in the USA and around the world. Ebay works for me because I still have a full-time job and don't have the free time to do craft fairs. My motivation in selling pens is to earn enough money to buy a few tools and pay for all the pens I give away without adversely affecting the family budget. Things were a little slow at first on Ebay because people are cautious when they don't see a lot of previous feedback history on selling pens but things are now steady. I get 3-5K hits on my Ebay store each month and once I sell one pen, I often get repeat customers.

I don't worry about the people who sell their stuff too cheap because 1) I don't see a lot of sales and 2) when something is too cheap (in comparsion to similar products), I think that scares some people off because they think something is wrong. Personally, I felt I needed to be on the low side of pricing until I established some credibility as a pen maker/seller.

Discussinbg Ebay on the site is like entering into a political debate with a family member. Some people hate Eaby and have a lot of legitimate reasons for their dislike. All I can say is it works for me and I certainly don't mind the competition if others start selling on Ebay.

Pat Camara

 

[BernieW]

I had the same response as Rifleman1776. I ask the guy why he was selling so cheap. It was like he was selling at cost. His reponse was he was selling them so he could keep buying them and making them. He didn't care if he made a profit if he could just cover his cost. Go figure.

 

[Texatdurango]

Originally posted by cdcarter
<br />... One guy is selling Gentlemen's ($18 kits) for a "Buy it Now" price of $31.95. I can't imagine he has less than $22-23 in them even buying kits in bulk. How on earth can he be making anything?

Carl, I think you are figuring way too much into the cost of each pen. If you accept the fact that the cost of having a shop setup to make pens is a given cost regardless of whether one sells their pens or just gives them away and enjoys the hobby, the actual costs in a pen aren't that high.

The last time I placed an order from CSUSA I bought over 100 kits so got their best price with free shipping so I paid $8.24 for the 10K Gent and $10.88 for the Gold titanuim Gent so lets add up the costs and see how they can sell a pen for $32 and make money.

$8.24 - 10k Gent kit
$1.00 - Wood blank
$ .76 - consumables like Glue, sandpaper, paper towels, etc

You now have roughly $10 in a pen that will take you half an hour to make and if you sell it for $32, you just realized approximately $22. Sell two such pens and you profit $44 for an hour behind the lathe. Not bad huh?

Now, I'm not talking about those who are doing this full time and wanting to figure in every little cost and think their labor is worth $50 per hour, because I doubt many on Ebay are doing that either.

Everything in my shop sits there whether I use it or not. If I choose to go out right now, get out 10 Gent kits, spend a few hours turning and assemblying, I could probably sell the lot on Ebay for $320 and make money.

Just another way of looking at it.

 

[Tuba707]

Yeah, I've seen guys doing the same thing.

The difference is, for them, it is simply a hobby. (This is my perception, anyway.)

For me, and many others here, it is not only a hobby but an art. When I first started I sold a few slimlines for $12/ea. Sure, I made a little money. Slimlines are cheap. It was a hobby at that point, and my time on the lathe then was not as valuable, at least in my estimation, as it is now.

My "philosophy of penturning" has changed quite a bit. I will start by saying that I give a lot of NICE pens away as gifts. But I don't give away $30 Gent's or $40 Rhodium Gent FP's. I give away quality work. Even if I am not charging, the item I am giving still has a much higher value than the cost of the kit plus a few dollars.
The pens I do sell: I am not out to make a killing, but I feel that my time is valuable. As far as figuring in all of the costs: even if you AREN'T doing this full-time, it is still something you need to do to be efficient. Sure, you can make money without considering all of the intangibles, but shipping, MM, tools, bits, bushings, CA, extra refills, boxes, etc. etc. all add up.

Bottom line is - I feel (about my work, at least) that I should be making something from a nice blank (that will often run more than just $1.00) and spend whatever time is needed to get it done right. It takes me about 60 to 75 minutes to complete a pen, start to finish. I know a lot of people that do them faster, which is fine, but for me, it is about the finished product being as high-quality as possible.

I have had people ask me why I don't sell on eBay - and I tell them that my reason is that the eBay crowd, for the most part, would not be willing to pay what I feel my pens are worth. I hope that does not come across as arrogant, esp. coming from someone who has only been turning for 8 or 9 months. Just my thoughts on the subject (and maybe a few off the subject [])

 

[Russianwolf]

$1 for a wood blank on a $40+ pen is a little low if you ask me. And it wouldn't be anything special from what I've seen blanks selling for.

 

[Texatdurango]

Originally posted by Russianwolf
<br />$1 for a wood blank on a $40+ pen is a little low if you ask me. And it wouldn't be anything special from what I've seen blanks selling for.

I certainly hope this doesn't turn into a tit for tat debate splitting hairs. I was simply putting some numbers out there in an answer to the question...

"One guy is selling Gentlemen's ($18 kits) for a "Buy it Now" price of $31.95. .... How on earth can he be making anything?"

I see one dollar blanks everywhere, even right here in the forum classifieds. Not everyone chooses a $6 blank, especially if they just want to push something out the door for $32.

George

 

[Tuba707]

I just sold a Rhodium Gent FP for $120 and paid $.40 for the blank [] I'm not sure if I'm contradicting myself or not... it was a really nice blank []

 

[Texatdurango]

Originally posted by Tuba707
<br />I just sold a Rhodium Gent FP for $120 and paid $.40 for the blank [] I'm not sure if I'm contradicting myself or not... it was a really nice blank []

Hey, nothing wrong with forty cent blanks[]

I met with some friends for lunch a few months ago because they wanted to see some of my pens. After a few minutes of showing them some really nice closed end pens with amboyna and double dyed box elder burls, one friend pointed to a Sierra made of tulipwood blank and asked if I had more of the "nice ones" like that! I think I got a bag of 10 tulipwoods for 8.95 at Woodcraft and sold her a few SIerras for $45 apiece!

 

[GaryMGg]

I listed several nice pens on Ebay for what I thought were fair prices.
Got a few lookers but no bids.
One of the pens, which was sitting in a retailer's showcase, sold last month for $145.00 wholesale.
There are at least several people regularly selling pens on Ebay for low prices who make fine pens and also post here under different names. They do good work. I suspect they treat Ebay the way I used to treat sales made after the month's costs were covered. Once you've sold enough goods somewhere at your regular price and made the necessary gross, everything else that month is pure gravy. []

 

[karlkuehn]

I've sold maybe 10 pens on Ebay, and they never go for what you can get when people can pick them up and go, 'ooh'.

I like the oohs.

 

[alamocdc]

I sell a fair number of things on ebay regularly. However, I've never attempted to list a pen there. After seeing the majority of the handmade pens listed and the prices they were asking (few apparently getting) I decided it wasn't worth the effort. I put far too much work into mine to sell them at such a discount. JMO

 

[Rifleman1776]

Originally posted by Russianwolf
<br />$1 for a wood blank on a $40+ pen is a little low if you ask me. And it wouldn't be anything special from what I've seen blanks selling for.

Digressing a bit, with my pricing forumla, I give a minimum $5.00 value to every blank. Even if it was given to me or I cut it myself. Chainsaw time, my time, hauling, etc. all involves cost.