Whatcha charge on average?

[GreggR]

I've not been turning a year yet, but am selling sets pretty regular. I've started selling to shops that were carrying other turners pens - mostly because they say I'm cheaper. Not being one to want to undercut anyone, and on average regardless of set, what would you say is your average price to a volume buyer? I'm talking about 10-20 sets at a time. I'm pricing at $35/set in qty, and $50 set retail for slims or monts. Should I be higher? Am I killing my fellow turners? Whatcha think? Has this been discussed here before? Anyone care to point me to a thread?

 

[Mikey]

What are you selling as a set? A slimline pen and pencil, or a set of cigar pens and pencils? You including boxes or pouches for the stuff? What are they made out of? How are you finishing them? What platings on the pens are you using? Did you see the pens that were being sold before? What was done different on those?

 

[jjenk02]

I don't sell many pens and the ones I do sell are the higher end pens, but your prices for slimline sets sound about right from what I've been seeing.

 

[kent4Him]

I would say you are a little low on the mont/europeans. Unless you are using cheap plating. If you are, you probably won't be selling is stores for long. A Euro pen/pencil set for me is $55 retail. Higher if a more expensive/rare wood. Is $15 off each set worth selling them in quantity? My better euros pens sell for $35 let alone a set.

 

[GreggR]

Thank you all. In answer to some of the questions...

I'm selling upgrade Gold, although I haven't always - and I haven't had a set of either come back. Yes, slimlines are in sets, but Monts are single pens. Most are selling with boxes, but am not paying much for the boxes in qty - buying them from Novel. One shop has a display case and they don't want boxed sets. Most of the slimlines are less expensive rosewoods, etc. The Monts are exotics and stabilized burls. I finish with CA/Walnut oil (it's clear and doesn't muddy the grain like BLO). On very tight grain woods like maples and rosewoods I sell some with only friction polishes, but most get multiple coats of CA/Oil with the final polish being a friction finish. I have sold a few acrylics, and the shop owners like them but I don't like turning them because I think they don't look as nice as woods. I do sell a few specials for more money - ones made from highly figured cocobolo, stabilized and/or dyed burls, exotics, etc. and they always have better quality boxes.

I appreciate the feedback. I'd rather sell fewer high quality pens than focus on quantity sales, it's just the shops prefer having more stock than I'm willing to turn. It is after all, a hobby I want to sustain by sales not a business I want to live off. I've got one shop that only wants high-end, they pay to $75 and mark up to $150, but they only buy one of maybe ten presented, and mostly burls. They love the black TiN coat parts with ebony wood and maple rings or inlays, but I don't like working the ebony because it is so heat sensitive and splits easily when hot. Drilling it is always a challenge.

Thanks again for your feedback!

 

[mrcook4570]

Use blackwood instead of ebony

 

[redfishsc]

Ditto on the blackwood.

Aside from that, keep a mustard squirt bottle of mineral spirits handy while you are drilling and lightly drizzle the bit with it if the bit seems to be having any heat buildup--- this is particularly useful if you are drilling multiple blanks.