Should I???

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jttheclockman

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Should I sell all my lathe turning tools????

Just not sure if it is worth the while to turn pens and try to sell them any more. Seems to me the thing to do is just make pen blanks and sell them. All I see here on this site as well as on Facebook and other pen sites is people making blanks and offering for sale. Mix a little color here or there and sell. Cut a wood stump and sell. Then you have all the specialty blanks such as watch parts, segmented, snakeskins, bottlecaps, decals and so on. Who buys all these blanks??? It is mindboggling. There sure must either be a lot of blank collectors or pen makers that can not make their own blanks. :)

I think I chose the wrong end of this pen making deal. I have boards and boards of different woods. Cut them up and sell for pen blanks and I probably could triple my money+++ easily. My braided blanks I could sell and make a fortune. I really do need to rethink this pen stuff. For the life of me i never seen such an influx of blanks being sold.

I think I need to sit down with myself and have a serious discussion about this pen making stuff:eek:
 
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BRobbins629

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Spot on John. Although not as fun, it is probably easier to make money selling materials than finished goods. One day the market may be flooded but for now there appears to be room for more.
 

skiprat

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John, I have never met a man that was happy to sell his tools. They are part of you, they are your friends, they are your release from the real world.
Why not dip your toes into the blank making/selling quagmire and see if you enjoy it? Maybe you can make enough to continue making pens.
As you know, I don't sell pens, but have many that I have enjoyed making.
My wife can flog them and my tools on fleabay when I kick the bucket.:wink:

Don't do it buddy.........:wink:
 

Big

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It seems to be the quest for uniqueness that brings about myriad blank creation. But then, you have to take that "unique" blank, match it to the right component set, and create an incredibly beautiful pen. To me, the blank side of pens is just part of the process. I am fascinated with blank making with PR, Wood, and anything else but it is just one part of the "pen making" process. Turning an awesome blank, building the pen is all so rewarding. IMHO anyway.
 

jttheclockman

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I bet I could do $20,000 to $25,000 per year with selling blanks easily.:biggrin: I can not do that selling pens:)
 

skiprat

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Hey John....I assume that if you went down that route, then you would make segmented blanks primarily? Just as an example, take that stunning b&w panache that I love... you know how long it took to make and how much effort it took. Could you really really just flog a blank like that to a faceless internet client and then maybe put up with the crap when a few bad turners complain in the Jeers forum that your blank blew and it's your fault they had a catch.?

Two of my favourite 'segmenters' were Akbar (sp?) and VisExp. Where are they now? :frown:

Nah....that's not for you.......:rolleyes:

Edit in: Just remembered another amazing segmenter that it very rarely seen is WiseT.....
 
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jttheclockman

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I didn't know you sold blanks. Where can I find them?

Just thinking out loud Tony as i ponder my future in the pen turning world. Being away from my shop for almost a year now has gotten me into this thinking mode. Am I at the brink of no return??? Not sure.

What is people willing to pay for blanks???

The thing that always kept me out of this arena was a few things. When i made a pen I wanted the blank I used to be my own creation and in my eyes fit my personality or my creative ideas. Didn't think others would see them in the same light. Also I worried how people would turn the blank and if there were problems how I would handle it. Not as easy when you have so much time invested in a blank.
 

jttheclockman

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Hey John....I assume that if you went down that route, then you would make segmented blanks primarily? Just as an example, take that stunning b&w panache that I love... you know how long it took to make and how much effort it took. Could you really really just flog a blank like that to a faceless internet client and then maybe put up with the crap when a few bad turners complain in the Jeers forum that your blank blew and it's your fault they had a catch.?

Two of my favourite 'segmenters' were Akbar (sp?) and VisExp. Where are they now? :frown:

Nah....that's not for you.......:rolleyes:

Skip you were reading my mind as I was typing. It was one of the things that kept me out of that arena. You scare me some times Skip.:eek:
 

KenV

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Hey John....I assume that if you went down that route, then you would make segmented blanks primarily? Just as an example, take that stunning b&w panache that I love... you know how long it took to make and how much effort it took. Could you really really just flog a blank like that to a faceless internet client and then maybe put up with the crap when a few bad turners complain in the Jeers forum that your blank blew and it's your fault they had a catch.?

Two of my favourite 'segmenters' were Akbar (sp?) and VisExp. Where are they now? :frown:

Nah....that's not for you.......:rolleyes:

Edit in: Just remembered another amazing segmenter that it very rarely seen is WiseT.....


Keith Larrett (AKA VisExp) continues to be an inspiration -- unfortunate that his turning went in a direction away from writing instruments

keith larrett | craftsman
 

The Penguin

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I like turning pens. and bowls. and "stuff"

I like cutting down trees and processing into blanks...bowl and spindle blanks first, then the scraps get processed into pen blanks.

I have tons of wood to use or get rid of.

not going to stop me from making pens - or buying blanks from someone else. I don't want to learn to "make" blanks (worthless casting, tube-on casting, etc) - so I'm content to buy them.

but I do need to have a "wood garage sale"

:biggrin:
 

low_48

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I bet I could do $20,000 to $25,000 per year with selling blanks easily.:biggrin: I can not do that selling pens:)

You might want to talk to a few pen blank makers. I think you are a bit optimistic with those numbers! You would have to really put in the effort, making and marketing, to sell those numbers. Maybe talk to Ed and see what kind of range his "celebrity" blank makers do a year.
 

Cmiles1985

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I'm guilty of being a "blank collector." I'll see some that are pretty, or a good deal, or whatever, and I buy them. They show up, I turn one or two and put the rest away. I don't usually make multiples of the same blank until one has sold, but I have them on hand! I enjoy making blanks as well. I don't think I'd ever want to make them for sale. Making one or two custom requested blanks to help someone else out is rewarding though.
 

EBorraga

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You'll never be happy if you sell them. I quit turning wrenches 12 years ago. I still have all my tools. Somewhere around $60,000-$80,000 invested in them. I still get tons of gratification when I go out in the garage and fix someone's car. Without my tool's I would go insane. Just my .02 worth for the day
 

jttheclockman

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I bet I could do $20,000 to $25,000 per year with selling blanks easily.:biggrin: I can not do that selling pens:)

You might want to talk to a few pen blank makers. I think you are a bit optimistic with those numbers! You would have to really put in the effort, making and marketing, to sell those numbers. Maybe talk to Ed and see what kind of range his "celebrity" blank makers do a year.


Optimistic, I do not think so. :biggrin: (have to be confident)I see what is being sold. There are a few specialty blank makers that are untouchable because of what they make. Others have tried to copy them or jump on their shirt tails but do not come close to them. I would not even dream of trying what they do because i just don't do what they do. But I can definitely compete with many others easily. I would not just have one line of blanks, it would be a variety for sure. I would get bored making the same things over and over.

Effort, absolutely it would take commitment. Supply and demand.

To me the biggest obstacle is making the blanks to fit all the darn kits out there. Way too many kits on the market these days. Each kit is a little different than the next so the tube sizes are all different.

It is just something I am kicking around. :rolleyes:
 

robutacion

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Should I sell all my lathe turning tools????

Just not sure if it is worth the while to turn pens and try to sell them any more. Seems to me the thing to do is just make pen blanks and sell them. All I see here on this site as well as on Facebook and other pen sites is people making blanks and offering for sale. Mix a little color here or there and sell. Cut a wood stump and sell. Then you have all the specialty blanks such as watch parts, segmented, snakeskins, bottlecaps, decals and so on. Who buys all these blanks??? It is mindboggling. There sure must either be a lot of blank collectors or pen makers that can not make their own blanks. :)

I think I chose the wrong end of this pen making deal. I have boards and boards of different woods. Cut them up and sell for pen blanks and I probably could triple my money+++ easily. My braided blanks I could sell and make a fortune. I really do need to rethink this pen stuff. For the life of me i never seen such an influx of blanks being sold.

I think I need to sit down with myself and have a serious discussion about this pen making stuff:eek:

I certainly don't envy your concerns/doubts in the issue and, I could easily give you advice however, I wonder if you have consider, do a bit of both, make and work your more intrigued blanks yourself, you don't want to have people making complaints and requesting full refunds for the fragile blanks you made and that, they can't handle for whatever the reason but, you are claiming to have plenty of boards, woods and those would be the ones I would be using to sell, the chances of complains are minor if you play fair...!

You need to experience the work involved with selling blanks everywhere, you need to experience the work involve with making and storing large numbers of blanks that, you need to find and reach and any given time and you certainly need to experience filling the endless Customs forms and all the stationary involved with packing lots of all sizes orders...!

Unless you are able to experience this part of the blanks sales, you would be risking to make the wrong decision and not being able to turn back from that...!

It wont hurt you to try, start small and have a feel for it, you will soon know if, that is for you or not...!

Now, your situation changes completely if, you are desperate to make money and you don't have a more profitable avenue to rely on, in that case, like it or not, you have to do whatever, how you are going to cope, that is a question that I or anyone else can give you the correct answer but I acknowledge that, when one reaches desperation, everything and anything is a goer...! I know, I have been there...!:frown:

Its a lot better to address a situation before it gets to that point, it can happen to the best of us and no one is immune so, is nothing to be ashamed of, IF THIS IS THE CASE...! and I bloody hope not...!

For now, this is all I can say to you...!

Best of luck,

Cheers
George
 

KBs Pensnmore

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I wouldn't be selling the tools. I sold everything in a business, apart from my personal tool kit spanners, sockets etc. I couldn't wait to get another welder, bandsaw, all the kit I had before. I was bored out of my brain, not being able to do the stuff I used to do. Try doing the other before you commit, as if it works, you can get rid of it then, but if it don't, then you'll be up for a small fortune just to replace it, probably 3 times + for what you got for it all.
You will find that most of what you have, will be required in you new venture.
Kryn
 

Katya

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I'll add my $0.02 worth here, from another angle maybe..
Selling blanks is great with the pros & cons mentioned, but what do you really ENJOY about the pen-making process? That's where your efforts should go.
I sell very few pens, but I enjoy making the high-end component sets and doing them as commissions for people I know. I like making a specific custom pen for a single person- and my dad loves to crank out Sierras by the dozen. Find what you like and RUN with it!
 

sbwertz

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John, the question is, do you still enjoy turning. If you still have fun doing it, then don't sell your tools...keep them for your own enjoyment, not as a profession, but as a source of pleasure. Making pens as gifts is every bit as rewarding as making them to sell.
 
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