The short answer...it depends
So to answer your question, it really depends on a ton of variables. I got into photography long before I started pen turning so I will throw out a few opinions to hopefully point you in the right direction. I have to assume that this is for indoor product style photography.
The type of camera you plan to use matters. If you buy a cheap, light weight tripod and try and shove a large DSLR camera on it you will have nothing but issues. If you plan on using a small, compact point and shoot camera really most tripods will work indoors. So I will assume you have some type of DSLR or heavier camera.
I prefer carbon fiber because it is lighter, but I tend to drag my tripod all over trying to take landscape photos. If weight is not an issue you can go to aluminum or steel. They are cheaper but far more difficult to transport around. If you go carbon fiber Manfrotto has been nothing but excellent for me.
I can feel this post running long so I will cut it short here and summarize. If you are indoors with a point and shoot camera on a tight budget then roll on down to wally world or any discount store with $25 and grab what they have it will work fine since you do not need to contend with wind or odd vibrations since you are in a controlled environment with a lightweight camera. If you have a DLSR (Canon Rebel, Nikon D3100 or anything similar) you may need to up the ante and get a better tripod. If you plan on extensively using the tripod or using it outside of pen photography then I HIGHLY recommend investing in a sturdy tripod with a ball head. It is literally the foundation of your photos and a $200 will save you multitudes of frustration later.
Links: If I were to get a tripod for product photography and nothing else, I would consider something similar to this:
http://smile.amazon.com/Ravelli-Pro...ure_keywords_browse-bin:3495707011,7803926011
It is low cost (<$40), has a ball head included, and can do a multitude of things. I have used Ravelli before, customer service is great. My Ravelli is extremely heavy so I only use it indoors. This one is about 5 lbs so not bad.
Hope this helped and wasn't just some strange guy rambling on.