Potential Ebonite bulk buy

[X-crAFt custom ink]

Hello Everyone,
I have been reading and learning about ebonite by the day now, and I actually reached out to SEM the manufacturer of one of the finest quality ebonite's in the world. I had the Idea of maybe doing a group buy, to see if I could finagle a discount out of them. I know there is a large group buy for Taps and Dies each year, so I figured I would sort of Structure it like that.
Below I have put an interest survey to kind of test the waters. They said they can do 6 to 36 mm in Diameter and as long as I wanted the pieces. I have put a small amount of thought into this but hopefully If interest arrases then I can figure out all the small details.
I had asked about limited editions, and I am awaiting a response, however I have heard from a fellow member (Cheng Wu) that they do sell the Limited editions. I have composed an email to SEM asking about bulk buy and discounts.
please leave your thoughts, comments, questions, etc below, and I will reply as soon as I can.

For the POLL You CAN select more then one answer


EDIT:

NEWS FROM SEM

After an Email conversation with Kai Kooperson from SEM, they will be open to doing a group buy with a discount. SEM didnt provide me with any % numbers or anything because they said it would be based on sheer quantity. So, If you would be interested in this, please look at the colors below on the document attacked to my next message, and please write down, the color code, Weather u want it UNI, MOTTLED or MARBLED, what diameter, hat length and how much you want.

So Ideally it would look like this:

Alex
05 Green 05/08 MOTTLED 20 MM diameter 1 meter in length total quantity 1
L.E. Female 00/07/17/20-8 MOTTLED 20 mm in Diameter 1 meter in length total quantity 1

TOTAL NUMBERS:
2 rods

Now, that's not my actual order but just for an example.

 

[X-crAFt custom ink]

Attached on this message is the colors form and list. I am still awaiting pricing, and information on maybe a discount or something, but in the meantime, Please comment the colors, and the diameters you would want to purchase if the buy happened. Mottled is 8 swirl and marbled is single swirl.
Unicolor is available in 16-28 mm diameter
Single and 8 swirl are available in 16-38 mm in Diameter
and lastly Limited Edition is available in 16-38mm in diameter.

please note, this document was sent to me by SEM and is their most recent and updated version as of 4 am this morning.

 

[PatrickR]

seeing the catalog is cool.they make a huge range of colors. It will be interesting to see what has to be met to get a discount. I Have only purchased a couple things from Germany and shipping was very high. Another consideration will be duties, which I believe starts at $800 declared value.

 

[Penchant 4]

Hello Everyone,
I have been reading and learning about ebonite by the day now, and I actually reached out to SEM the manufacturer of one of the finest quality ebonite's in the world. I had the Idea of maybe doing a group buy, to see if I could finagle a discount out of them. I know there is a large group buy for Taps and Dies each year, so I figured I would sort of Structure it like that.
Below I have put an interest survey to kind of test the waters. They said they can do 6 to 36 mm in Diameter and as long as I wanted the pieces. I have put a small amount of thought into this but hopefully If interest arrases then I can figure out all the small details.
I had asked about limited editions, and I am awaiting a response, however I have heard from a fellow member (Cheng Wu) that they do sell the Limited editions. I have composed an email to SEM asking about bulk buy and discounts.
please leave your thoughts, comments, questions, etc below, and I will reply as soon as I can.

For the POLL You CAN select more then one answer

Vermont Freehand is an ebonite source on this side of the Atlantic.

 

[X-crAFt custom ink]

Vermont Freehand is an ebonite source on this side of the Atlantic.

They do not have any limited edition and hardly anything in stock as of this morning.

 

[X-crAFt custom ink]

seeing the catalog is cool.they make a huge range of colors. It will be interesting to see what has to be met to get a discount. I Have only purchased a couple things from Germany and shipping was very high. Another consideration will be duties, which I believe starts at $800 declared value.

Patrick,
I agree with you on the patterns. I know nothing about duti3es and shipping costs. Based on a quick google search, DHL, UPS or FedEx will be our options, they are all under $100 if you get the slowest option, which im in no hurry.

 

[RNelson]

I would be interested.

 

[dozuki]

I would be very interested.

 

[PatrickR]

They do not have any limited edition and hardly anything in stock as of this morning.

i just checked and they do have stock of limited edition and standard colors? The website is a little slow and clunky and I didn't look at all the colors but the ones I checked were in stock. There selection compared to the catalog is small though.

 

[RichAldrich]

Interested!

 

[X-crAFt custom ink]

i just checked and they do have stock of limited edition and standard colors? The website is a little slow and clunky and I didn't look at all the colors but the ones I checked were in stock. There selection compared to the catalog is small though.

They have very limited selection, very short lengths, and a lot of large diameters, but not smaller ones like most of us are looking for.

 

[Animeozzy]

Hello Everyone,
I have been reading and learning about ebonite by the day now, and I actually reached out to SEM the manufacturer of one of the finest quality ebonite's in the world. I had the Idea of maybe doing a group buy, to see if I could finagle a discount out of them. I know there is a large group buy for Taps and Dies each year, so I figured I would sort of Structure it like that.
Below I have put an interest survey to kind of test the waters. They said they can do 6 to 36 mm in Diameter and as long as I wanted the pieces. I have put a small amount of thought into this but hopefully If interest arrases then I can figure out all the small details.
I had asked about limited editions, and I am awaiting a response, however I have heard from a fellow member (Cheng Wu) that they do sell the Limited editions. I have composed an email to SEM asking about bulk buy and discounts.
please leave your thoughts, comments, questions, etc below, and I will reply as soon as I can.

For the POLL You CAN select more then one answer


EDIT:

NEWS FROM SEM

After an Email conversation with Kai Kooperson from SEM, they will be open to doing a group buy with a discount. SEM didnt provide me with any % numbers or anything because they said it would be based on sheer quantity. So, If you would be interested in this, please look at the colors below on the document attacked to my next message, and please write down, the color code, Weather u want it UNI, MOTTLED or MARBLED, what diameter, hat length and how much you want.

So Ideally it would look like this:

Alex
05 Green 05/08 MOTTLED 20 MM diameter 1 meter in length total quantity 1
L.E. Female 00/07/17/20-8 MOTTLED 20 mm in Diameter 1 meter in length total quantity 1

TOTAL NUMBERS:
2 rods

Now, that's not my actual order but just for an example.

I'm in for sure

 

[PatrickR]

@X-crAFt custom ink
i just noticed your edit of the original post and would suggest you add that info as its own post. Most folol owing this may not see the edit.

it is very hard to say what I would buy without knowing an approximate cost.

just to be sure have you checked the site Regs for group buys? I'm pretty sure it has to be approved by the admins.

 

[Monty]

just to be sure have you checked the site Regs for group buys? I'm pretty sure it has to be approved by the admins.

Just in case no one has noticed, Alex is 16 years old and can't run a Group Buy.

 

[X-crAFt custom ink]

@X-crAFt custom ink
i just noticed your edit of the original post and would suggest you add that info as its own post. Most folol owing this may not see the edit.

it is very hard to say what I would buy without knowing an approximate cost.

just to be sure have you checked the site Regs for group buys? I'm pretty sure it has to be approved by the admins.

@PatrickR
I am working it out. The buy will go on. I am sure about that. I won't let them stomp all over it and me.

 

[jeff]

@PatrickR
I am working it out. The buy will go on. I am sure about that. I won't let them stomp all over it and me.

Alex - We have a few rules here, many of which exist only to keep this a financially safe place for members. The other reason we have rules is that we are complying with the letter, spirit, or intent of the law. In Ohio, where Penturners.org LLC is incorporated, minors are not legally able to sign contracts. When you run a group buy, you aren't signing a contract, but you are entering into an implied contract with our members who participate. The law allows minors to break a written or implied contract for a wide variety of reasons, leaving no legal recourse against you. Basically, a nefarious person under legal age could take our money, deliver no product, and we'd have no way to attempt recovery. I agree that this is a very conservative approach, but that's the way we like it when money is involved. It's a "better safe than sorry" approach.

So, we're not stomping on you, we're just asking you to be mindful of our rules. I can think of several ways you could make this happen by partnering with one of our members to take on the financial responsibility.

If you feel the need to discuss in more depth, my phone number is in my profile, or feel free to send me a PM or email.

Jeff

 

[Tailored Pen Company]

I'm interested please included me if this takes off.

 

[Weldon0405]

I'm also interested in multiple variations. Volume will depend on product pricing, duties/taxes, and shipping costs.

 

[darrin1200]

I am interested in this buy, it would help to have a base price (pre-discount) to start from. While I would love a 1m rod of each, my funds are limited. To give you a reasonably accurate order quantity, I need to approximate how many will fit my budget.
Can SEM give you a pricing sheet for the catalogue with base pricing?

 

[X-crAFt custom ink]

Hello Again,
Over the weekend there have been several developments.. first of all I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend. Secondly, Because of Ohio laws I am not allowed to collect payment. I need someone who will take care of the financial side. I can handle everything else. If you are interested send me an email ( xcraftink@gmail.com) all lowercase, say your name, and that you are from IAP so i dont think its spam.
From SEM,
They are very feisty with giving me the discount before i give them quantity. But I did receive something from them. Kai stated that because I haven't given the quantities that they have to send me their wholesalers discount and then upon full quantity they would send the exact discount. Here are their wholesale discounts: from $5920.00 to $10,656.00 they will five us a 5% discount, up from $11841 up to $23,000 we would receive 10%, and up from $23,863 would be a 20%. Those are their Wholesale discounts, and she said they would give us an exact after we provide quantities because they did not want to upset their large clients they couldn't disclose yet.

As Far as shipping, she said $54.00 for the customs documents plus whatever the fee is. Which she said to contact the US customs agency, which is nearly impossible so I will try and find information later on. Shipping is done via FedEx to the us, and no cost has been provided yet.

Now, that is all the basic information I received. As far as size of the rods, there are infinite possibilities. I think that the best way to do it would be to pick one diameter and stick with it. 20 mm seems to be a very popular diameter. what are peoples opinions on that? as far as length, they charge per cut, so instead of paying extra to have them cut it, I will cut it when it arrives before i ship it out to everyone. If that is ok with people of course.

So please leave your comments, questions or concerns below, i am happy to answer, and If anyone is willing to team up with me to handle the financial aspect please let me know because if nobody volunteers then the buy cannot happen.
@dozuki @NJturner @RichAldrich @Mike8850 @mrburls @moke @darrin1200 @Jarod888 @Bryguy @TonyL @hippi @Jontello @djrljr @Penman1947 @PatrickR @johnjohnson42 @Penchant 4 @Brandy @mrmotto @TDahl @henry1164 @Bats @Stakhaus @Animeozzy @Aurelius @Oliver X @Weldon0405 @Mr Vic @RNelson @magpens @Pen Zen @Aces-High @SabertoothBunny @Tailored Pen Company @Brooks803 @RobS @Skogsy @MythicPens

 

[X-crAFt custom ink]

Hello Again,
Over the weekend there have been several developments.. first of all I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend. Secondly, Because of Ohio laws I am not allowed to collect payment. I need someone who will take care of the financial side. I can handle everything else. If you are interested send me an email ( xcraftink@gmail.com) all lowercase, say your name, and that you are from IAP so i dont think its spam.
From SEM,
They are very feisty with giving me the discount before i give them quantity. But I did receive something from them. Kai stated that because I haven't given the quantities that they have to send me their wholesalers discount and then upon full quantity they would send the exact discount. Here are their wholesale discounts: from $5920.00 to $10,656.00 they will five us a 5% discount, up from $11841 up to $23,000 we would receive 10%, and up from $23,863 would be a 20%. Those are their Wholesale discounts, and she said they would give us an exact after we provide quantities because they did not want to upset their large clients they couldn't disclose yet.

As Far as shipping, she said $54.00 for the customs documents plus whatever the fee is. Which she said to contact the US customs agency, which is nearly impossible so I will try and find information later on. Shipping is done via FedEx to the us, and no cost has been provided yet.

Now, that is all the basic information I received. As far as size of the rods, there are infinite possibilities. I think that the best way to do it would be to pick one diameter and stick with it. 20 mm seems to be a very popular diameter. what are peoples opinions on that? as far as length, they charge per cut, so instead of paying extra to have them cut it, I will cut it when it arrives before i ship it out to everyone. If that is ok with people of course.

So please leave your comments, questions or concerns below, i am happy to answer, and If anyone is willing to team up with me to handle the financial aspect please let me know because if nobody volunteers then the buy cannot happen.
@dozuki @NJturner @RichAldrich @Mike8850 @mrburls @moke @darrin1200 @Jarod888 @Bryguy @TonyL @hippi @Jontello @djrljr @Penman1947 @PatrickR @johnjohnson42 @Penchant 4 @Brandy @mrmotto @TDahl @henry1164 @Bats @Stakhaus @Animeozzy @Aurelius @Oliver X @Weldon0405 @Mr Vic @RNelson @magpens @Pen Zen @Aces-High @SabertoothBunny @Tailored Pen Company @Brooks803 @RobS @Skogsy @MythicPens

If I do find someone to team up with, then I will begin the process by gaining approval from @jeff and @Monty and then I will post a new thread and create a spreadsheet and I will post all the forms and catalogs SEM sent me.

 

[X-crAFt custom ink]

I am interested in this buy, it would help to have a base price (pre-discount) to start from. While I would love a 1m rod of each, my funds are limited. To give you a reasonably accurate order quantity, I need to approximate how many will fit my budget.
Can SEM give you a pricing sheet for the catalogue with base pricing?

Yes, I can post the catalog again, and include the base pricing sheet as well.

 

[X-crAFt custom ink]

If I do find someone to team up with, then I will begin the process by gaining approval from @jeff and @Monty and then I will post a new thread and create a spreadsheet and I will post all the forms and catalogs SEM sent me.

@darrin1200

Also for Everyone to look at, here are the catalogs, I split them up in PDF form into UNI, Stock, and Limited Edition. then there are also the price lists for each.

 

[jeff]

Hello Again,
Over the weekend there have been several developments.. first of all I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend. Secondly, Because of Ohio laws I am not allowed to collect payment.

Just to clarify... there's an implied endorsement by IAP, based in Ohio, when you conduct the buy on our forum. To keep IAP totally in the clear in the unlikely event this goes into the weeds, I want to be mindful of Ohio laws, which have some limitations in the way contracts with minors can be enforced (i.e. they can't be!)

BUT THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE!

1. You can make a single post that you're conducting a bulk buy, provide your email address, and ask people to contact you directly.
2. Then I'll make a followup post that there is no express or implied endorsement of this buy by IAP.
3. I'll delete all the other posts, then everybody is happy.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

If you want the convenience of discussing this in an open forum (which I totally understand), you could create a Facebook group, and conduct the buy there. As I understand it, you can do pretty much anything you want there. I'd be glad to make a post pointing people to that FB location.

 

[PatrickR]

@X-crAFt custom ink
for the customs duties fees try contacting fedex. That is who would bill for it.
As for me, some quick calculations lead me to believe the savings would be minimal for the amount I would purchase.

 

[jeff]

I understand that my prior post may have been confusing.

Alex can run the buy here with adult help on the finances.
If he want's to handle the money himself, I threw out a couple ideas for doing it somewhere else.

 

[jeff]

@X-crAFt custom ink any status on the buy?

 

[jeff]

Thread is closed. If I hear that this buy will go forward, we'll re-open.