Do you track your pens?

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Ehunt

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I was thinking of starting a spreadsheet to track information about the pens I make, since I've only made two figured it would be a good time to start. I was thinking of pen type, wood, date, notes and disposition. Do you track what you make? If so how do you do it and what information do you keep? For those that don't, do you wish you had?
 
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I do keep a database in excel and track the following -
Pen style (jr. gentleman, slimline, etc. )
Pen finish (ie chrome, gold, gun metal, etc. )
Refill type (Parker ballpoint, Schmidt rollerball, fountain w/medium nib)
Blank type (acrylic and name, or wood and name )
Sold or gift (if I know who it went to then I record that)
Selling price

Hope that helps.
 
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I hadn't turned a pen for 7 years before I came back to the hobby last summer. In the early years I didn't track my pens. I ran into a person last fall who still has a pen I made for her 10 or 12 years ago - I had completely forgotten that I had given her one - and I see her every week. Turns out there are probably 50 people in my church that I have given pens to and I don't have a record of any of them!

When I picked up the hobby again (at the request of people who had received pens from me in the past and wanted another one - weirdly some people actually LOSE pens I have given them...) I decided that tracking what I sold or gave away would be a good idea.

I now track mine on excel. I add the following to what Skip tracks:

Where I bought the kit and the price I paid for it.
Where I got the blank and the price I paid for it.

Because of including those two pieces of information I am able to see what my "profit" was on each pen I have sold (or how much the gift cost me. I do not include anything in the spreadsheet to track shop expenses (like sandpaper, finish, electricity etc)

Steve
 
I also keep a log in excel similar to sbrant above. I might start adding the cost of the kit. The problem is that I have kits that I no longer remember where I bought them, or what I paid.
 
I keep a Microsoft Access Data Base with this info
 

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I have always tracked mine. Way to detailed but i include kit, materials, costs, actual labor time, where sold, to whom, MSRP, actual selling price, etc all in excel. Just recently I have added a column for a photo.
 
I keep track of mine in a spreadsheet with two tabs. One tab contains my current inventory with date created, kit name, kit plating, blank, pen kit cost, blank cost and price. When I sell or give away a pen I move the line from the inventory tab to a sales tab and I include the date, the name to whom the pen went, the sale price and a comment.
 
I keep two spreadsheets, one to track the pen components that I have on hand by supplier, date purchased, price, style, and coating. In addition, I track number purchased, on hand and those used.
On the other spreadsheet I keep what seems to be standard information. I have an inventory that includes a pen number, date made, type and color of blank, pen components, and finish. I also have a suggested price on those for a guideline.

When a pen is sold, I move that pen information to another worksheet with the disposition, price, where and when sold. This allows me to track where and when the pen was sold.
This impressed a good customer when he asked for a pen from the same set of components that he bought 18 months ago. I have this on my computer and in Dropbox so I can access it from my smartphone. I also use dropbox to keep a public folder of pictures for those wanting to know what I can make for them or have on hand. I do not yet have a website.
This works well for me.
 
Sheesh. I use to but gave up. Now I rely on pictures with a short description and price. I just look at the cost to make, set the price to cover my a_ _. Then open Excel, import the picture, make a description, post price and then print two copies. One goes with the pen as instruction and description and the other is kept in a file.

Wanta see a copy??
 
I've only been turning for about a year. So far all i have kept is a photo record of most of my pens and bottle stoppers. i never realy thought of keeping more complete records but thanks for the ideas. I know it will turn out to be helpful in the long run.
 
These are the Excel fields I use for my inventory. The Pen Cost is a total of Kit+Wood. The retail Self calculates with escalators for both Kit and Wood plus straight labor cost.

Item # - text
Sold - Calculated - when logged as sold
Retail - calculated
Type - text
Style - text
Wood/Materials - text
Kit Cost - accounting
Wood - accounting
Other Cost - accounting
Labor Cost - accounting
Cost - Calculated
Mfg Yr - text

I can create an invoice by simply entering the Item Number which is also the pens serial number. On another page I log the item and date of sale and it calculates the various sales taxes, commisions, credit card fees and goss/net profits. Makes thing simpler at tax time.

Oh yeah...I'm an Inventory manager and spreadsheet freak.....
 
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I track every pen I sell using Excel

I track style, type ( RB or Fountain), material, sales price and any add-ons ( upgraded box, refills, nib, etc)

I have found this to be very helpful in tracking trends. It always amazes me how often what I perceive as reality is not.
 
i am stsrting to to use penventory.com now i have never tracked my pens before but i looked at the site and i love the way it works i will be putting the info into the program this weekend.
 
RI keep a spreadsheet, too, so when Mrs. GotRocks wants another one "just like the one she lost," I have a clue as to what to make. Or so I don't give Uncle Hector the same thing two birthdays in a row!
 
I also keep pretty meticulous records, but more just for business purposes. I log materials, selling prices, shipping costs, fees, etc. I don't see much point logging all the pen "demographics". I have pictures of all my work :)
 
Every piece I make goes into a spreadsheet which feeds several reports including sales tax and schedule C for income tax reporting.
 
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