Yes, $1000 - $5000 Pens Do Sell

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Supsect it has more to do with "Jonsing" then anything. After all, it is a MontBlah....

Which one of you casting guys are gonna make that blank?





Scott
 
"Yes, $1000 - $5000 Pens Do Sell!"

Well, yes, the ones with a pedigree and a cult following like MontBlanc, Krone, and so forth. Newbies on this forum should not get the idea that people will pay thousands for a kit pen though :)

At the Lone Star Pen Club meetings I attend, the doctors, lawyers, and CPAs show up with very expensive pens in their pockets and tell me "If you can craft totally kitless and outrageously unique pens with 18k nibs, I might be interested in your work."
 
Randall, while I agree that typically our kit pens won't bring thousands but if you get the right venue be it an art show, Jewelry store, Art Gallery etc along with uniqueness in your pen a thousand dollar pen is not impossible and has been done.
 
I'll never understand people with large sums of disposable cash. I've seen some very nice pens but I would never pay that type of money for them. 1-5 grand for pen...give me break. You have that much money to throw away why not find a kid that needs some help with college. (that's ridicules priced in this country) buy them a $100 pen and give them $4900 grant. It's to bad fox doesn't let you add an URL -- that would be a good spot for your pen selling sites out there to get a back link.
 
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I wouldn't be so quick to tell anybody what they should or shouldn't do with their money. A great many of those spending $5K on a pen may have given millions to any number of charitable causes. I'm happy to live in a place where if I want to spend $5 k on a pen, nobody can tell me that I can't...
 
Rob, here's why some people buy a Kia and others a Mercedes, why some will stretch their budget to buy a $250,000 home while others live comfy in a $75,000.00 home. Granted I and you might not be abler to afford a 5 grand pen but in this great country of ours there are people with that type money. I have a kid sister who happens to be very wealthy and has a home on the waterfront in Florida drives a new Lincoln every year and also has endowed Florida State University with huge sums of money. That happens to be her business as to what to spends her wealth on BTW she has one of my $250 pens and her thing is not pens but she will spend thousands on a dress. Would my wife spend that on a dress...hell no but do I begrudge someone who can doing it again... hell no. Most of the wealthy do contribute to the charities of their choice (if for no other reason than they need tax deductions). So tell me if you had Millions you would not have some extravagance that you might spend money on that us middle class could not afford?
 
You know the funny part is I have seen that MB and it is not at all impressive. The only neat thing is the suspended diamond chip in the cap finial, but it doesn't make it worth that in my book.
 
Truly wealthy people live a different life than the average American person that we would call middle-class. They don't carry cash as a usual item, not any credit/debit cards as their accountants, bankers, and attorneys do most of their purchasing for them after getting the suggestion. A majority of them live with extensive security precautions and are very secretive about their lives. And because of their income levels, they are very generous in that the money they give away in different forms is deducted from their taxes. Some of the very wealthy would pay millions in taxes if they did not support worth causes to deduct from their taxes. I would rather be poor and get along with woodturning and giving away a pen, bowl, vase, or whatever whenever I want to and not have to support a professional staff to protect me. I have talked to some incredibly wealthy people and most, not all, but most of them are not happy like they should be!:rolleyes:
 
Hmm, you know different wealthy people than those that I know. Those that I know do entirely ordinary things and certainly do carry a wallet rather than an entourage and might even use it a McDonalds. I'd be very hesitant to try to say which of them are or "should be" happy.

Charitable contributions are deducted from your income, not from your taxes so if you are in the top tax bracket and donate $1 million, you pay $350k less in taxes. The remaining $650k is still a gift by any definition. The donor could have instead opted to pay his full taxes and still buy 130 pens for $5k each.
 
For some reason, almost every time I use generalities to describe a group, it comes right back and bite me in my rear. I have known wealthy people that were as common as dirt, but then again, I have known those with somewhat less money that were completely unapproachable. Go figure! People are people where ever you find them, North, South East or West, good, bad and indifferent. Back to spending the wealth we each have, it is mine to spend and to make the decision on what to spend it upon. Would I rather have a new tool for the shop or put that money on a new (pick your toy). As always, YMMV.
Charles
 
OKLAHOMAN said:
So tell me if you had Millions you would not have some extravagance that you might spend money on that us middle class could not afford?
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Probably not. I come from a lower middle class up bringing. My father worked himself to the bone as a custom cabinet maker. Went through two back operations for his trouble. We never had anything extravagant and we never needed anything extravagant. I learned very early the difference between need vs want.

If I had 'millions' the first thing I would do is move out of this country and bring my parents with me. (assuming they would want to leave) I would supply them with a modest home, and enough wealth where they could live comfortable and receive quality health care.

As for myself I don't need more than 1200 - 1500 square foot home with a simple car (hybrid since I have millions) and a nice work shop. If I spent anything 'extravagant' it would be to make the home/shop self sufficient. I would not be buying $5000 suits, $5000 pens, a new car every year and so forth. To me that's spending for the sake of spending.

I would much rather give money to the guy that busts his butt every day to support his family and needs a helping hand. To the guy that's getting shafted by the insurance companies, or someone wrongfully denied disability or 1000 other things that could help the working class instead of giving myself something shiny to brag about to other wealthy individuals.
 
Most people tend to see things and people from their own background and or perspective rather than the way other people or things really are.

Whether we like it or not (that people do buy high priced pens) is really irrelevant. The fact is, they do. Since they do, is there any way some of us can take advantage of that? For the most part, no! But for a few here and a few who climb the quality, esthetics and artistic ladder - and happen to live in a location that interacts with these folks, it can be done. Internet is one of the ways a few wealthy people interact. There are stories out there of common ordinary people with creative minds and taste that create things for local markets but get picked up by New Yorkers and even the Hollywood market.


I guess because of my travels (work) around Asia and SE Asia as well as the US, I see all kinds of folks. I have been in the presence of princes, dignitaries and ambassadors and there is a different world out there that like and use quality, artistic and fine jeweled pens. I have been in casinos and watched people put in $5000 coins in slot machines! I have been in hotels (that I didn't stay in) but had meetings in that had non-movie star people or non dignitary people who paid $10,000 a night.

These people are out there!

Then, when I get to my home town - I am from a small MS town and I know that the general market for the larger farmers and old business people and lawyers. The "old folks" here wouldn't touch the "kit" pens simply because they are not "gold" enough. They don't flaunt their wealth, but they don't buy cheap. They can easily recognize thin plating, gold or silver and would reject it in a second. Kitless with fine gold nibs only, but it better have a fine gold clip also. Any metal parts better be thick finely crafted and plated real gold or silver for them. These folks don't buy much, but when they do, it will be a Very Good one.

These people are out there! Go get 'um! :biggrin:
 
Rob73 said:
OKLAHOMAN said:
So tell me if you had Millions you would not have some extravagance that you might spend money on that us middle class could not afford?
Click to expand...

Probably not. I come from a lower middle class up bringing. My father worked himself to the bone as a custom cabinet maker. Went through two back operations for his trouble. We never had anything extravagant and we never needed anything extravagant. I learned very early the difference between need vs want.

If I had 'millions' the first thing I would do is move out of this country and bring my parents with me. (assuming they would want to leave) I would supply them with a modest home, and enough wealth where they could live comfortable and receive quality health care.

As for myself I don't need more than 1200 - 1500 square foot home with a simple car (hybrid since I have millions) and a nice work shop. If I spent anything 'extravagant' it would be to make the home/shop self sufficient. I would not be buying $5000 suits, $5000 pens, a new car every year and so forth. To me that's spending for the sake of spending.

I would much rather give money to the guy that busts his butt every day to support his family and needs a helping hand. To the guy that's getting shafted by the insurance companies, or someone wrongfully denied disability or 1000 other things that could help the working class instead of giving myself something shiny to brag about to other wealthy individuals.
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When you say you would buy some "extravagant" things for your shop, many people, not woodworkers, would call you crazy for wanting to spend that much on tools. Or spend that much just to make pens:biggrin:. Who are we to judge you for what you want to spend your money on? Who are you to judge others for what they want to spend there money on? Thats whats "Supposed" to make our country so great. We are free to do what we want with our things, and hopefully do it without being judged by someone who thinks what we like is rediculous.

You can still give to all of those things you talk about, which im sure many of the people who buy those $5000 pens do, but you seem to think they are just giving themselves something shiny to brag about to other wealthy individuals. Some of these people dont even show there collections to anyone. I know a few people who own pens of this price range, and they dont take them anywhere or show them to anyone. They bought them because they LOVE PENS and they saw something that they wanted, and they can afford it. It has nothing to do with status or bragging. Why the animosity?
 
Timebandit said:
Rob73 said:
When you say you would buy some "extravagant" things for your shop, many people, not woodworkers, would call you crazy for wanting to spend that much on tools. Or spend that much just to make pens:biggrin:. Who are we to judge you for what you want to spend your money on? Who are you to judge others for what they want to spend there money on? Thats whats "Supposed" to make our country so great. We are free to do what we want with our things, and hopefully do it without being judged by someone who thinks what we like is rediculous.

You can still give to all of those things you talk about, which im sure many of the people who buy those $5000 pens do, but you seem to think they are just giving themselves something shiny to brag about to other wealthy individuals. Some of these people dont even show there collections to anyone. I know a few people who own pens of this price range, and they dont take them anywhere or show them to anyone. They bought them because they LOVE PENS and they saw something that they wanted, and they can afford it. It has nothing to do with status or bragging. Why the animosity?
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I am not 'judging' anyone. I merely stated that I did not understand people with large amounts of disposable cash would spend it on a pen. I've seen a couple MB pens @ $30,000. I mean come on, seriously, really going to tell me a pen is worth 30 grand. That's just ridicules.

As for tools, I did not say I would spend extravagantly. (I work with equipment from the 70's for the most part) I said, "If I spent anything 'extravagant' it would be to make the home/shop self sufficient." Self sufficient as in I would design my home/shop to be 'green' to coin a popular term. I'd love to be off the grid or near it. I understand where you were going though, sure people could think that's 'crazy' but doesn't really matter to me. Just as I'm sure the people that purchase those items could not care less what my opinion is.

I don't have any 'animosity' towards anyone. If I had the skills to produce a $5000 pen be assured I would market it. That does not mean I would still not think it's a waste of money. Do I believe 'all' individuals that would spend this type of money on a pen would do it simply to show off their new shiny item... Of course not, but to use your term 'some' would.
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While Montblanc-bashing bores me I will say that last week I held Montblanc Charlie Chaplin Skeleton pen, Greta Garbo, Princess Grace and George Bernard Shaw pens.

These are simply "another thing" - what seems odd to me is that people equate the value of these items of what I like to call, useful-jewellery in some way with their component parts.

There is NO dispute from me that a $50,000 pen (The MB Charlie Chaplin) is insane, yet who am I to decide whether someone else sees the value in it and buys it?

I do know one thing - every one of the pens I saw was magnificent. What's ridiculous to me is to think their price should be determined by those (me, included) who have limited appreciation for the effort, design, marketing and infrastructure that goes into their creation.

The market determines the value of well, nearly everything that is sold. Branding is a phenomenally complex field and for me, a fascinating one, which I dedicate a LOT of time and effort to grasping.

One thing I am certain of is this: I am grateful to have enough money to be able to survive, live in a country where it is not dangerous to disagree with the government and where I can apply my modest skills and intellect in an attempt to excel.

If it turns out that what I design/make is valued far beyond the market-norm (or cost of its component parts) by people, then working to do more of "what I do" seems a fair thing to apply the additional income to ..... isn't that what the Montblancs, Porsches, Hugo Bosses and Apples of the world (and in fact, most enterprises) are doing?

Finally, as far as the idea that I should instead take what "discretionary" money I have and give it to a needy student - really? That's what I should do with any additional money I have through application of my skills and effort? I spend 30+ hours each week in community service - my wife flies into harm's way with the Red Cross. Our region was devastated by our nation's worst natural disaster and I spent a year helping other people rebuild their lives and we became nearly destitute ourselves, doing so .....

...and I own one Montblanc pen that I paid more than a thousand dollars for. Got any other suggestions about how I should live my life as a better citizen? Think about it, would you?
 
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For anyone who would like to see some truly beautifully designed and made pens, I uploaded several to my photobucket page.

True Beauties pictures by Steve_Ansell - Photobucket

.... here is just one example, that love it or hate it, you have to appreciate the work that has gone into it - for what it's worth (nothing!) I love it:

graphyscaph.jpg
 
IPD_Mr said:
You know the funny part is I have seen that MB and it is not at all impressive. The only neat thing is the suspended diamond chip in the cap finial, but it doesn't make it worth that in my book.
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I bet there are member here that could cast that diamond suspended and it would look just as nice. Whose up for the challenge? Cubic zirconium would work. :biggrin:
 
Leviblue said:
IPD_Mr said:
You know the funny part is I have seen that MB and it is not at all impressive. The only neat thing is the suspended diamond chip in the cap finial, but it doesn't make it worth that in my book.
Click to expand...

I bet there are member here that could cast that diamond suspended and it would look just as nice. Whose up for the challenge? Cubic zirconium would work. :biggrin:
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The Chinese knockoff makers have done it and it looks exactly the same - Helen Keller said so.

:biggrin:
 
Hank,

Thank you for posting your simple unadorned heading and short prose

I received it in the good faith you indicated, somehow personally it was not one I would choose (up to me) however it shows the market exists and flourishes.

As the messenger I commend you.

Kind regards Peter.
 
pwhay said:
Hank,

Thank you for posting your simple unadorned heading and short prose

I received it in the good faith you indicated, somehow personally it was not one I would choose (up to me) however it shows the market exists and flourishes.

As the messenger I commend you.

Kind regards Peter.
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Peter,

Thank You!
 
Interesting, but i get enough enjoyment form somebody buying on of my slimline pens for $15. I just like knowing that they like what i've done enough to want to buy it.
 
I was on you-tube and was looking at some pens on there that wqere made by Mont Blanc...$160,000 for one. Incredible. It was completely encased in diamonds. Whoever buys it...well lets just say...I wish I was in their shoes. Hell...who'd ever thought...a pen.
 
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