My husband can make that!

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ed4copies

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
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Just saw a thread that reminded me of this, one of my all-time favorite stories, which has the additional benefit of being true:

EARLY in my penmaking, I was exhibiting at a show in Milwuakee. VERY EARLY, I was still making mostly wood pens. Lady came by and saw my pens (mostly slimlines) and informed me her "husband could do that"!! To which I said, "Probably!" and left it at that.

Next day, she returned, husband "in tow". She presents him to me (grabbed his elbow, pulled him forward), with the introduction, (faced to her husband), "I told this guy yesterday, YOU could do this!!!" So, the husband says to me: "Looks like nice work" I reply, "Thank you, its not real difficult". (He is nicely dressed and appears to be a decent sort) He continues:

"Do this on a lathe, don't you?" "Yes," I reply, "A lathe made for turning wood". He continues, "About 5, maybe 6 hundred dollars?" Me: "Well, yeah, that neighborhood".
Him: "Need some tools, what, maybe another hundred or so bucks?"
Me: "Well, I'm cheap, about $75, I guess"
Him: "Nice work, but not your first one, I'd bet!"
Me (chuckling a little): "Hardly, but it's not real difficult"
Him: "10-20 before you get a nice one?"
Me: "I'm a slow learner, you probably could get a nice one that quickly"
Him: "Kit run about 8 bucks?"
(this guy had done his homework, this was REAL close to the cost at that time)
Me: "Kept that sucker right in the ol ballpark, you a pro??"
Him: "Not a pro, just realistic!!"

Turns to his wife: "YES, DEAR, I CAN make one of those!!! The first ONE will cost you just shy of a grand. Don't be so CHEAP, buy the man's pens!!"

And she did---but HE gave me a story I have used hundreds of times. One of my favorite moments in "show history". Now, you can use it as YOUR story, if you like.



Later, I started making nearly all resins and polygems and such. THEN, when she says, "My husband can make that." I have usually replied, "Your husband quite probably COULD make a WOOD pen--unlikely he could make THIS pen!"
Once the distinction was drawn between wood and other materials, I have sold them pens.

FWIW
 
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That story got to wonder how much my first pen cost.
HF lathe $160.00
HF cheapo tools $10.80
HF cheapo DP $87.60
pen mill $39.96
mandrel $24.89
Woodcrafter Cigar $7.57
Woodcrafter blank $1.00
Walmart CA $3.26
Sand paper already had
Total 335.09
learning something I like doing, Priceless
 
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:biggrin:LOL, I get at almost every show someone that turns pens and as they walk by will say "honey here are pens just like mine",:rolleyes: they get a little closer and their eyes start to glaze ove rwhen they see all the colors, at that time I will with a smile on my face ask them "your just the guy I'm looking for, where are you getting your Bakelite, and do you have any cactus skeleton you might want to sell. And are you getting your pheasant from a hunter friend or do you hunt them yourself and lately I've had a hard time from my supplier of Polyresin in getting 5 gallons shipped. About then they say "well I'm just a hobbiest "whats a cactus skeleton"?:biggrin:
 
WOW, I just woke my wife up. I got to the husbands response to his wife and burst out loud. Very funny story. Thanks for sharing.
 
I had heard something similar to that, but it was with scrollsaw work. But it was the man who claimed he could make the item.... 20 minutes later came back and bought the item. Way to much work involved.
 
Ya my first pen cost about 500. The second pen was also about 500 after going out to get more tools to make it easier. I have added a few more tools and I want more more more.:biggrin:

When someone says "You want how much for that pen? Why?" or how much does it cost to make it?
I just say $10-$65 (kit/ blank dependent), an hour or 2. Before I say the next part they say something or start to. Then I add in "$6000 in tools and supplies and a few hundred hours to figure it out."
 
Really great story, Ed. I'm sure all of us at one time or another will have that someone come up to you and say the pens are to expensive buy. "I know how much the kit costs" They never look at the big picture.
 
Umm, my first pen cost about 150K.
Was a new hobby after the motorcycle didn't work out (after 20 years of riding), 8 hours of surgery to rebuild the knee (only 1 doc to attempt it, others in the dept just wanted to amputate... sigh), two surgeries later, the lathe etc. was a gift to keep me busy and in one peice in the garage...

And, BTW, Anyone know anyone who would smelt the titanium that came out of the knee? I think it might be fun to have something made of that...

Sorry if this is an overshare...
 
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Great story Ed. I really enjoyed that. Roy yours was pretty good too.

I have to keep these things in mind when someone says something like that.

Keith "mrburls"
 
lazyguy said:
That story got to wonder how much my first pen cost.
HF lathe $160.00
HF cheapo tools $10.80
HF cheapo DP $87.60
pen mill $39.96
mandrel $24.89
Woodcrafter Cigar $7.57
Woodcrafter blank $1.00
Walmart CA $3.26
Sand paper already had
Total 335.09
learning something I like doing, Priceless
Click to expand...

That's great! I think I have you beat. I got the cheapo HF DP at 50% off ($40), then bought a $20 drill press lathe attachment from Grizzly!
 
I was at a craft sale one time, buying not selling, and saw a sign in a booth that stuck with me. It said "Sure you can make it, but will you?". Great quote for when the wife starts asking if I think I can make whatever she sees.
 
I have always been grateful that for once I did not start a hobby by scraping together a little money here and a little money there when I started making pens. I did a lot of homework and actually came up with a bottom line cost to get started. then went and go that money and placed my orders. I already had most of the shop tools but wanted to be able to do craft shows. It cost me $2000 to make my first 20 pens. then I either gave them away or sold them for around $25 each. fully aware that I lost $75 to $100 per pen. Although the per pen cost has come down considerable, Not nearly as considerable as I would like though. The cost of making pens has been nothing but a steady climb. from $200 band saws to $600 ones. a grand or more for dust collection. from a $100 lathe to nearly $1000 invested in two lathes (one is never enough)
A $30 set of turning tools to individual tools that cost as much as $100. Materials that would have been laughed out of the craft because they where priced so high are now common. I almost feel guilty for using those ultra cheap $2 blanks. When I first turned pens a $4.00 blank from AS was about as high priced as it got.
My best guess is that it has cost me $15000 to turn pens over the years. Not sure at all what that makes the average pen cost but my guess would be between 30 and 40 dollars per pen.
Hope some of you keep that in mind when you are looking at that slim line pen wondering if $30 is to much to price it at. My bet is you probably paid more than that to make it.
 
I like the people that say they loose their pens. I just tell them that's because they don't own a pen worth not loosing. I also tell them about how my pens (Unless outright stolen) actually tend to find there way back. everyone knows who they belong to. That has made me more than a few sales.
 
At the few shows I have done, I have always kept a plain walnut blank, a gold slimline kit and a piece of sandpaper wrapped in a rubberband on the back corner of my table. It's an almost surefire conversation starter.

"what's that back there?"

"Oh, That's a do it yourself-er, it's $2.95, and only takes a few thousand dollars of equipment to put together. Now this one over here is only..........." :-)

I know I got that bit from somebody here, I sure wish I could remember who or where, to thank them. It's worked great.
 
Daniel said:
I like the people that say they loose their pens. I just tell them that's because they don't own a pen worth not loosing. I also tell them about how my pens (Unless outright stolen) actually tend to find there way back. everyone knows who they belong to. That has made me more than a few sales.
Click to expand...

That's also good to remember...
 
Gin N' Tonic said:
I can get a Bic for less than a buck!
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I keep a box of the Staples generic stick pens (get a coupon for a free box every 6 months or so in the mail) behind my display. When I get one of the "scoffers" who says they can buy a pen for a quarter, obviously not a buyer, I hand them one and say "I can beat that, here's a free one, have a nice day....Next!" usually good for a laugh from whoever is really looking.
 
Another true story related to "coming back".

I made a pen for the regional sales manager of Mita (at the time a major copier maker). He traveled extensively. When I saw him in Chicago one time he said he had lost his pen (a large man, a large cigar pen). Of course, I said I would make another, which I did in the next week or so. Then, called him to ask his shipping address (near NY). He said he did not need the pen.

Of course, I was a little curious (Having already made another one), so I asked why not. He replied that his original pen was found. Seems it was shipped to him in NY when the cleaning staff found it in his room, at the Mariott in Chicago. THEY knew it was not a NORMAL pen.

(When you do this stuff long enough, you get a story for every occasion--at least this one was short!!)
 
ed4copies said:
High end hotels used to plant things in rooms to make certain their employees would return them.

Don't know if it's still the case, I don't travel much any more.
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I think the disappearance of cheap easily replaced manual labor put an end to this practice. It's easier to replace customers than staff when you can't pay them $1.50 cash an hour and tell them at the end of the day if they can come back tomorrow. (so I hear anyway)
 
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