PSI flash memory kit

[airrat]

I just got this email from PSI on the sale of their 512 megabyte Flash memory kit on sale for only $99.95 plus shipping. Just curious of what people think. I for one think they are way over priced. A 512 megabyte Flash memory stick from numerous places is approx $20-25.

The wood they are providing is an OS blank but its less then 2" long, Drill bit is 11/16 and cost $4.95, bushings $4.

Just using the cost of the memory sticks you can buy (yes, they come encased in something) and cost of a 1" sq x 5" blank approx $9 (couldn't find redheart on their site, bushings and drill bit. It comes up to less then $65.

If i was to make one of these I would have to sell it for more then someone can go out and buy a 1G.

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/e-10261.html

Again just curious what do you all think?

 

[gerryr]

I have a 512mb that cost about $25 a year ago. I think these things, like several other things that PSI sells, are obscenely overpriced.

 

[JimGo]

I agree; too over priced to be attractive to me. I looked at them, 'cause I carry one on my key ring. But there's no way I can use one of those kits and sell the resulting memory stick to a customer. They're too much of a commodity to be attractive to any but a handful of buyers (IMHO). A pen, now that's a different matter! I guess if we could make memory sticks a status symbol, then maybe we could justify charging $200 for a 512 MB memory stick with wood around it.

 

[alamocdc]

If anyone is turning them, they'll likely be the only one using them. I got a bit excited when I heard they were coming out with them. Then I saw the prices. You can probably create your own casing for the ones the Wally World sells and do better.

 

[jeff]

Here's a cheaper one:
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/pkfc512.html

 

[Geo in Winnipeg]

I can't see anyone getting rich on these - except PSI[]

 

[Dario]

FYI, You can get 512MB pen drive on eBay for about $15.00 (including shipping) up to 4GB for less than $100.00 []

 

[ed4copies]

Thanks guys!!

As an old far---mer, I decided some time ago that I would not know how to sell it, if I made it. Glad to hear my decision wasn't a bad one!!!

 

[woodbutcher]

Color me stupid. I got the same email. What is a memory stick and what does it do?
im[?][?]

 

[alamocdc]

Jim, they are sometimes referred to as Pin or Thumb drives. It is a storage device for your computer that plugs into a USB port. You can use them to safeguard, store and backup files, or transfer files easily to another computer. Does that help, or just confuse you more?[]

 

[Dario]

Jim,

It is an external storage for computers.

Works like your floppy diskettes just in much bigger scale. A floppy has about 1MB capacity. So a 512MB pen drive is like carrying 512 floppies, a 4 GB is like 4,000 [:0]...welll roughly at least.

 

[airrat]

Works great for someone to put an excel file or word file, pictures what not on and take them to another computer. Plugs in the USB port.

Its funny, PSI says out of stock. IF people are buying them up I really hope they are finding buyers. I hope other companies do not become as greedy.

 

[arioux]

Hi,

Please read the email carefully. The special is for TWO kits of 512 meg wich make them $50. each , including wood, bushing and drill bit. Yes they sells memory stick for $25.00 but they also sells pens for 1.00 and we still buy $50.00 kit to turn them. I made few of them and sold them all at the office where i work. People really love them, specially if you have them engraved with their initials.

Just my 2 cents here .

Edit to add: Offer them an assorted pen, it works great. You make less money on the usb stick but a lot on the pen []

Alfred

 

[airrat]

I know its for two kits I also listed the per item price, I don't know what they are paying for the memory. That is why I used the $25 from online prices. I seriuosly doubt they are using premium memory so I took an average of lower end memory cards.

Your paying $53 (with shipping) per kit. How much are you selling them for? The closest pen kit to that price is the Emperor. Most people probably sell that pen for $200 or more. I seriously doubt I can get that much or even close to that much for this. Pens at that price are more of a collectors item. I dont know anyone that is going to pay that much for a 512MB when they can get 2G or so for that price. That is what were referring to.

 

[woodbutcher]

Thanks guys, I do understand now. I have no market for such a device. At least they're trying.[penn state]
Jim[]

 

[whatwoodido]

The price on USB Drives dropped quickly, it is possible that PSI bought the kits when the price was much higher and now is stuck with expensive stock. They may just be moving enough of them that it would be a bad business decision for them to lower the price.

 

[woodwish]

I might make one for myself, but not from a PSI kit, just for the novelty of it. If one of my fellow technogeeks at work wanted one I may make them one as a gift, don't think I would ever even try to sell one. I haven't seen the PSI kit but the biggest problem I see people having USB drives is the cases on some of the commerical ones will not fit down in the USB ports. I have had to trim the plastic off of more than one to allow others to use them, seems like turned wood would be an even bigger problem on some computers.

 

[airrat]

I didnt even think of them fitting into the USB slot.

 

[Chris Hare]

I like the idea. I know that I could sell them but I would need to add the size drive that the customer wants. Does anyone know where you can get the kit without the drive? That way I can go down to bestbuy and get the size drive that the customer wants and put it in the kit.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Dario]

Originally posted by woodwish
<br />...the biggest problem I see people having USB drives is the cases on some of the commerical ones will not fit down in the USB ports. I have had to trim the plastic off of more than one to allow others to use them, seems like turned wood would be an even bigger problem on some computers.

I agree [^]