A source for low cost pen kits

[vthowe]

Ebay! I'm thinking about buying finished hand crafted pens off ebay to strip them of the pen kits to use. Joking aside, I guess if one ever wanted to make a buck or two you must have something REALLY unique in the Pen world given how it seems some folks all but give their pens away on ebay.

Started this as a hobby and hoping to make a buck or so here and there but holy cow was looking at ebay an eye opener... bummed.

I actually was just getting going, started a web site, getting my photo skills going... maybe I'm better off going back to my hole and making them only when a gift is needed.:frown:

 

[mredburn]

Or dont sell them on Ebay.

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

Venue,Venue,Venue!!!!!!! Remember Ebay is one step BELOW a flea market, at least at a flea market you have the opportunity to talk up your product.(Not that I would recommend a flea market):wink:

 

[ed4copies]

There was a signature line here for a while:

Whether you believe you can OR you believe you can't ---------you are correct.

 

[76winger]

There was a signature line here for a while:

Whether you believe you can OR you believe you can't ---------you are correct.

An old Zig Ziglar quote: "If you aim at nothing you'll hit it every time"

 

[azamiryou]

Ebay is where bargain hunters go to shop. No surprise that what sells there is cheap stuff.

You can be special without going crazy, and without even going kitless. Offer professionalism, quality components and craftsmanship, and service, and you can command a higher price. With some markets, much higher.

Someone shopping on Ebay has essentially already decided to shop based on price rather than quality and service. Even if you offer quality and service (I'm sure at least some pen sellers on Ebay do), the people shopping there don't value those things as much as a low price, so the only way to compete is to lower your price.

In other words, uh...

Or dont sell them on Ebay.

Yeah, what he said.

 

[jd99]

I just looked on ebay a little bit, and yea they are selling cheap, but did you look at some of them...... 90% of the pen are pregnant butt ugly.

The other 10% are ok and my guess it's folks that make a pen for something to do, and sell it on ebay.

 

[chrisk]

Cheap stuff on Ebay? Are you sure? An auction on 5 Gmelia burls (exceptional stuff indeed!) finished at... $US185! That is $US37 each blank
Here: http://www.befr.ebay.be/itm/220990134925?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[jd99]

Cheap stuff on Ebay? Are you sure? An auction on 5 Gmelia burls (exceptional stuff indeed!) finished at... $US185! That is $US37 each blank
Here: http://www.befr.ebay.be/itm/220990134925?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I buy quite a bit of wood on ebay and you gotta watch out for those bidding wars, I usally look at something then price it someplace else, and figure my max price i'm going to pay then deduct the shipping cost, and that's my max amount.

I then put it on my watch list, and wait until the last couple of min look at what its going for if it's still less then enter my max amount in the specify amount section and submit it during the last 15 - 10 seconds, usally win that way and get good deals; and i don't get caught up in the bidding wars.:wink:

 

[Haynie]

This gets hashed out at least every other month. If those folks want to sell for cheap then they can sell for cheap. It neither helps nor hurts those who sell for more.

 

[Displaced Canadian]

I think part of the issue is most of us were told that you could make cheap pens and sell them for a lot of money by the people who were trying to sell you the kits, blanks and books to start making pens. ( no insult intended to vendors ) I know it is possible to sell pens for a profit but it isn't as easy as most of us were told in the beginning. Most people view penmaking as a craft in the same field as ceramics and that guy who makes wooden cars out of pine 1X4's and not art. I asked my brother if he wanted to make him a pen and he said no because he had a GOOD pen made by Parker that cost him $30. I find that a pen sells better as usable art than as a writing instrument. I have also found that more expensive pens sell better than cheap ones. Will any of us become millionaire pen makers? I wont say no because the guy who told his neighbour that he was going to sell bread already sliced was told it couldn't be done. It would take a lot of work and probably more than most of us are willing to put into it. My wife has told me that I would be making reasonable money if I would just quit giving pens away but what is the fun in that?

 

[brownsfn2]

I list all my pens on Ebay. I decided long ago to not sell for dirt cheap prices regardless where I post them. So far it has paid off. I do not do the volume of some other sellers but I do not lose money on materials and workmanship either. I probably have higher prices than most of the other sellers on Ebay but I just think of Ebay as just one more place for exposure. I tag my photos with my shop name and people have used that to seek out my shop outside of Ebay and have asked for custom items.

As far as getting rich off of pen making I think that you might be able to make a living but probably not bring in enough money to where you might feel rich. I keep playing the meg-millions for that. LOL.

 

[vthowe]

For sure good info all... It's simply nice to know we're not totally at loss w/ this as a hobby / small business.

thanks