What is wrong with this set

[Smitty37]

I thought the SPW Classic Vintage Convertible kit would be a big hit The set is a long time successful design by one of the big vendors.

It offers the possibility of creating either a fountain pen or a rollerball pen from the same kit.

It offers the possibility of selling a pen that the customer can easily convert from fountain to rb and back in seconds.

It comes in a popular, very durable finish - Gold Titanium Nitride.

It is unquestionably the lowest priced fountain pen available anywhere.

Yet I can hardly give them away, selling them in Gold Tn at half the price my competitor sells them in 24K gold they jus don't move, and even lower priced sales don't move.

What is wrong with these sets?

 

[Jim15]

I don't think anything is wrong with the components. In my case it is too close to Christmas for me to buy a lot of extra thing, money is running out.

 

[Bocere1]

Hey, overlooked that, be right there.

 

[ed4copies]

I believe most people are victims of habit.

They purchase the "familiar". It is our job, as vendors, to persuade them to try something new. While a discount will tempt, it will usually result in a small trial order. THEN, it will live or die on it's own merits.

FWIW,
Ed

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Speaking personally, I hate gold finishes.

I would certainly be buying a bunch on the sale if they were chrome. It's not about durability of gold for me, I just don't care for the look of gold pens at all. I don't have any and nobody has ever requested a gold hardware pen from me. If they did, I would gladly make it.

 

[Smitty37]

I don't think anything is wrong with the components. In my case it is too close to Christmas for me to buy a lot of extra thing, money is running out.

Oh, I'm not referring just to Christmas, I've been trying to sell these for at least 18 months and possibly 2 years and they just have not moved. For a time I had chrome also and they didn't move either....

 

[walshjp17]

Generally I like the classic lines of the pen, I'm just not too fond of the posting finial shape and length. IMHO, it looks too much like an afterthought.

 

[Mr Vic]

I honestly was un aware you had these.

I made a bunch of theses as one or the other when I started and they were a good starter//low cost pen. Being able to offer the convertable would have definately enhanced sales.

I wish there were more convertables out there. I've bookmarked your page and will get a batch after the new year...Inventory reduction for the end of tax year.

 

[kovalcik]

Just to preface my remarks, I have not bought any of this model from you, only from PSI and even those were a few years ago, so things may have changed.

I did not like this kit. The ones I bought had rubber bands that went on the bottom of the threads on the nib and finial ends I guess to make the cap fit better. They kept coming off and got lost within a week. Also the metal threads were very rough and never seemed to break in. I like the look of the kit and the price, but the quality of the ones I bought turned me off of this style kit.

If you tell me that these are of better quality, I am willing to take a chance. I do notice the PSI ones no longer have the rubber bands in the instruction sheet so maybe they have been redesigned since I tried them.

 

[artillerist]

I haven't been turning long enough to find those till recently. Will be buying some aftr the first of the year to try.

 

[08K.80]

I just looked at it. The reasons the kit isn't attractive to me would be the gold (I don't care for the look of it either), it looks as if there are O-rings on both ends (rubber dries and breaks, then it's lost), the long black pieces at both ends and the flat black cap finial. Also, I noticed they are priced at $4.00, that's a red flag for me. I've purchased the $4.00 kits from a large vendor and learned my lesson. I would be happy to trade mine for yours....:biggrin::wink:

 

[SAWDUST 101]

I don't think anything is wrong with the kits, its my customers, they either want a roller ball or a fountain pen.....not both. I split up the ones I bought and they started selling. I now have a few extra parts in the cabinet to interchange as needed.

Don

 

[Smitty37]

I just looked at it. The reasons the kit isn't attractive to me would be the gold (I don't care for the look of it either), it looks as if there are O-rings on both ends (rubber dries and breaks, then it's lost), the long black pieces at both ends and the flat black cap finial. Also, I noticed they are priced at $4.00, that's a red flag for me. I've purchased the $4.00 kits from a large vendor and learned my lesson. I would be happy to trade mine for yours....:biggrin::wink:

I'm not a large vendor. I sell almost everything at a lower price than they do. These are the same kits they sell for twice the price (or more). Except gold Tn instead of 24K so mine will last longer.

 

[Smitty37]

I don't think anything is wrong with the kits, its my customers, they either want a roller ball or a fountain pen.....not both. I split up the ones I bought and they started selling. I now have a few extra parts in the cabinet to interchange as needed.

Don

But at a low enough price what difference does it make? You put together a Pen and you can make it whichever your customer wants -- no more of the "well I really like this but I really want a ???" Your answer becomes "you got it" and for 30 seconds time and no extra charge you saved a sale.

 

[08K.80]

Well, should you ever decide to 'take a chance' on something I sell - I do have an unconditional return policy if the buyer is unhappy for any reason or even no reason. But I have looked at some of your pens (they are very impressive) and you seem to be aiming at a high end market and I acknowledge most of my sets don't go to that market.

I'm not a large vendor. I sell almost everything at a lower price than they do. These are the same kits they sell for twice the price (or more). Except gold Tn instead of 24K so mine will last longer.

I know you aren't a large vendor and the kits I purchased at $4.00 are also sold at twice the price other places, but are still junk. I wasted my money on a product I thought I was getting a good deal on.
I'm not saying your kits aren't good kits, but I just steer away from the low priced products now.

 

[Karl_99]

I saw the special and checked out the pics of the pen at your store site. As soon as I saw the O-rings or rubber bands on each end, I stopped looking. I bought some similar kits from another vendor and made a few nice pens, but returned all of the unused kits. The gold color does not look right and I did not care for the fit and finish of this kit.

 

[Bean_Counter]

I didn't even notice the o-rings until they were mentioned in this thread. I was talking to a colleague here on iapmabout them earlier. To be completely honest we both think they are ugly, not that our opinion matters. I like the idea of a convertible and i like gold titanium, it's just the looks of the pen that don't do it for me. JMHO

 

[Sandy H.]

I have purchased the kits from you and I think they are OK, but my wife hates the look. Its the part at the back where it posts that she (and coworkers) think ruins the design. I actually think they are fine and with good choices of wood or acrylic, they look fine. They write well and they seem balanced.

Of the 10 kits I got when you ran a sale a while back, one of them so far has had a paint chip on the cap screw piece. I used it on a personal pen, so no loss and it wasn't bad enough to ask for a replacement.

I tried doing a fountain pen once and I broke something when trying to assemble it. I feel like it was probably my fault. I'll probably give it a try again, but so far I'm 0 for 1. Again, likely my fault, so no complaints just a comment since you asked about our thoughts.

If there was a chrome or black Ti, I might buy more, but I'm pretty sure my wife would prefer I try other kits so she can use some instead.

Last thing, the only other postable kit I have was from a PITH swap. It was a Jr. Gentleman, I think (but not sure) and the quality of the kit seems better and the overall appearance is more pleasing to my wife, my coworkers and myself as well.

I think its a fine $4 kit and for people who want to make a budget postable roller ball, its a no brainier. Having said that, it probably needs to stay in that category and not be a substitute for some other more expensive kit.

Sandy.

 

[Carl Fisher]

I haven't bought any from you, but I have tried a few of these pen styles in the past. My biggest complaint and the reason I don't/won't make them is the metal on metal threads with the o-rings.

Between that and the extra long tail section, I just don't see a home for them in my lineup.

 

[Smitty37]

I have purchased the kits from you and I think they are OK, but my wife hates the look. Its the part at the back where it posts that she (and coworkers) think ruins the design. I actually think they are fine and with good choices of wood or acrylic, they look fine. They write well and they seem balanced.

Of the 10 kits I got when you ran a sale a while back, one of them so far has had a paint chip on the cap screw piece. I used it on a personal pen, so no loss and it wasn't bad enough to ask for a replacement.

I tried doing a fountain pen once and I broke something when trying to assemble it. I feel like it was probably my fault. I'll probably give it a try again, but so far I'm 0 for 1. Again, likely my fault, so no complaints just a comment since you asked about our thoughts.

If there was a chrome or black Ti, I might buy more, but I'm pretty sure my wife would prefer I try other kits so she can use some instead.

Last thing, the only other postable kit I have was from a PITH swap. It was a Jr. Gentleman, I think (but not sure) and the quality of the kit seems better and the overall appearance is more pleasing to my wife, my coworkers and myself as well.

I think its a fine $4 kit and for people who want to make a budget postable roller ball, its a no brainier. Having said that, it probably needs to stay in that category and not be a substitute for some other more expensive kit.

Sandy.

Jr Gent 1 and 2 are both more expensive sets.

As to this being a $4.00 kit --- PSI sells it for $11.00 for 24K gold and $10.00 for Chrome in either RB or FP..

Assembly for the FP and Rollerball is pretty much the same except for which tip assembly you use.

 

[Smitty37]

Thanks to all who commented...it has been very helpful.