Where do you sell your pens?

[Andrew_K99]

For those of you that sell your pens, where do you sell them?

I am trying to get a feel for where I should focus my efforts.

AK

 

[Displaced Canadian]

Gift shop

 

[Andrew_K99]

For the sake of the poll I would consider consignment type deals to be selling locally.

If you choose other I'd be interested in hearing about how or where you sell them.

AK

 

[Displaced Canadian]

My gift shop is 1500 miles away. The owner buys them outright and sells them for more than I could. I do have the advantage because the owner is a friend of my wife. To me the advantage is I don't have to gear up to do a show and don't have to make and keep a lot of inventory. Gift shops are nice because people are going into them expecting to spend money and handmade appeals to those type of customers.

 

[rd_ab_penman]

Sportsman, Outdoor Adventure and Gun shows in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, Christmas Craft Shows and a few on line.
No spot in the poll to place this?
Works well for me.

Les

 

[Buzzzz4]

Online, local craft/art shows and local ecclectic shop who buys them at a reduced rate and resells.

 

[bassinhuntin]

Local Craft Fairs have been good to me. Especially church fairs. Just make sure they are hand made product shows. If I find out there is flea market type products don't waste your time. Also Facebook is a OK place to show off your products.

 

[rd_ab_penman]

Sportsman, Outdoor Adventure, Gun Shows in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, local Christmas Craft Shows and a few on line.
Works well for me.
Did not vote, no spot on poll to place this one?

Les

 

[Chasper]

I sell in the Other category, including:
70% to art fairs scattered over 16 states in the eastern half of the US, none local.
20% to wholesale accounts also widely dispersed, one international, two local.
10% custom and online, none local.

 

[SAWDUST 101]

Most of the pens I sell are through consignment and my best outlet is an art gallery. I also have at a cigar store (pens with cigar bands) and also in an Ace hardware but these are slow unless I do a demo for them turning for the Freedom Pen Project. Hope this helps.

Don

 

[Jim Burr]

Hospitals and several medical offices/centers in the area...doc's love flashy pens!! Sorry Doc(Wizard)...wasn't including you given the fact you can make your own!

 

[yorkie]

I post the pens I make each week on my facebook and I find a lot of people buy/contact me to buy from that.

Local craft fairs have been very good for me but I have to gear up a ton of pens first.

I've just started trying Etsy and have invested in a camera setup to take macro and studio quality photographs.

I still find friends and family are best. Now, I just send them to Etsy to see what I have available. I've only had one sale through Etsy since starting there a few weeks ago but I have high hopes.

Anyone have luck with Etsy?

I tried EBay once in the past but it's hard to compete with the $10 and $20 pens.

 

[tim self]

95% Art shows I travel to. The rest, very few local.

 

[76winger]

I sell mostly on Etsy and Ebay, and the sales seem to be split about half & Half. Nether brings a lot of sales but I'm fast enough at making them to sell them too fast either, so it works for me. And I've been contacted via both venues for custom orders.

 

[Smitty37]

I assumed you meant completed pens....which I sell only occasionally and only to people who come to me and ask to buy. I charge very little because I really don't care if I make a profit or not. Hand turning pens is my recreation not my business.

 

[Texatdurango]

Other......... I do a few pen shows a year across the country, sell a few from my website and sell locally from word of mouth but no craft shows.

 

[raar25]

Mostly Etsy

I sell 80% Etsy and 10% Craft Fair 10% wholesale which originated through Etsy orders.

 

[Sub Vet 10]

Word of mouth: friends and family.

 

[NewLondon88]

purely by chance. If it comes up in a conversation someone might buy.
If someone sees a pen, they might inquire. I went to a yard sale this
morning and the guy who sold me a Lightnin 2 speed industrial mixer
for $8 noticed the pen and asked. He's a local postmaster and has 3
people retiring soon and thinks customized pens would be a good gift.
But that happens rarely.. and purely by chance.

 

[chrisk]

Art and Craft + Christmas craft shows.

 

[rkimery]

Any where that I can. Want to buy one? :biggrin:

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

Gerry and I are about the same as to none local but differ in amount of wholesale , my numbers are closer to
85% at Art Shows in 7 states
0% wholesale
15% on line and custom
This will be my last year doing Art Shows, age and Classics made the decision for us.

I sell in the Other category, including:
70% to art fairs scattered over 16 states in the eastern half of the US, none local.
20% to wholesale accounts also widely dispersed, one international, two local.
10% custom and online, none local.

 

[avbill]

85% Art shows
7% word of mouth
7% local mens stores
1% internet web site.

I'm seeing more activity on my web site so i ready need to make it a merchant /buying site.

 

[Wright]

Consignment shops, word to mouth.

 

[jd99]

If Uncle Sam keeps taking all my money, most likely on the freeway off ramps.

 

[PenMan1]

Last Year:
85 % ART SHOWS (in 3 states)
13% ON LINE
1% PEN SHOWS ( what the HELL was I thinking? Fees are more than Art Shows, 1/100th participation)
1% Wholesale (actually sold parts to a vendor).

 

[rbruce2u]

Local gift shop, friends, 1 local craft show a year.

Bob

 

[mikespenturningz]

Mostly on Etsy

 

[Dalepenkala]

Craft and art shows, working in a jewelry store which may be a consignment deal. Friends word of mouth. Coworkers of my wife to be. She's a teacher.