Brandon25
Member
I have completely eliminated turning two blanks on one mandrel, like both halves of a slimline or something. I had too many issues with out of round as I got closer to the distal end of the mandrel. I turn one piece of wood at a time. For a Baron I'm selling for $60, that's okay by me. For a Sierra, no biggie- it's just one blank. But for a slimline, it almost seems not even worth making them since the one at a time way takes so long. Eventually, I will get a dead center and go mandrel-less....except for Euros and those dang slimlines. So that's another reason I wont like them.
Anyhow, would I be crazy to price a slimline higher than a Sierra, just to discourage its sale/encourage Sierra sales? The Sierras are so easy, and not much more for, say, a chrome kit, than a slimline would cost.
Note, I have sold 6 slimlines for $15 when I started out, but I wont make another pen ever that's this cheap. They were $1.65 10K kits.
Tomorrow I'll drop off my first real order, which is as follows:
chrome slimline $25
chrome Euro $30
chrome Sierra $40
chrome Sierra click $45
chrome Baron rollerball $55
So my question is, what if I switched things up a bit? Like, make the Sierras $30, the clicks $35, the slims $40, and the Euros $45? Would this be crazy? On one hand, I think, no, the Sierra is easier, faster, I like making it, so I want to price it to sell. the slim is more complicated, more time consuming, and so I'll price it higher. On the other hand, I think there's no way I can justify a normal slimline selling for $40. I hate to just simply eliminate my lowest price kit for those that cant afford a $50 pen, but honestly, (and these are my only 5 styles I've done so far) the two cheapest are the two hardest right now. My slimlines are curvy, so they take more care and time thinking about shape, and the euros have that tenon you have to cut, and a fair amount of curve. The others are pretty much bushing to bushing, with a very slight convex curve.
So what do you guys think? What would you do or what have you done?
Anyhow, would I be crazy to price a slimline higher than a Sierra, just to discourage its sale/encourage Sierra sales? The Sierras are so easy, and not much more for, say, a chrome kit, than a slimline would cost.
Note, I have sold 6 slimlines for $15 when I started out, but I wont make another pen ever that's this cheap. They were $1.65 10K kits.
Tomorrow I'll drop off my first real order, which is as follows:
chrome slimline $25
chrome Euro $30
chrome Sierra $40
chrome Sierra click $45
chrome Baron rollerball $55
So my question is, what if I switched things up a bit? Like, make the Sierras $30, the clicks $35, the slims $40, and the Euros $45? Would this be crazy? On one hand, I think, no, the Sierra is easier, faster, I like making it, so I want to price it to sell. the slim is more complicated, more time consuming, and so I'll price it higher. On the other hand, I think there's no way I can justify a normal slimline selling for $40. I hate to just simply eliminate my lowest price kit for those that cant afford a $50 pen, but honestly, (and these are my only 5 styles I've done so far) the two cheapest are the two hardest right now. My slimlines are curvy, so they take more care and time thinking about shape, and the euros have that tenon you have to cut, and a fair amount of curve. The others are pretty much bushing to bushing, with a very slight convex curve.
So what do you guys think? What would you do or what have you done?