RANT

[Ted iin Michigan]

I don't do rants (very often at least) but this one has been sticking in my mind for a while now and I just have to get it out so I can move on.

Here goes: There are pen component sets out there for ABSOLUTELY anyone. Personally, I'm more of a traditionalist and I don't like the recent trending toward gadget or theme pens. But that's okay. Different strokes for different folk, right? But how do pen component set retailers (PSI in this case) set the prices for their offerings. They (PSI) have a really nifty new offering in their Icon pen component set. Cool, I think. It's different and VERY, VERY simple. Based on a BIC. But they cost about $7 a set!!!

WHY?!?!

A Slimline goes for about $2.20 if you buy them in bulk. With the Icon the refill is so simple - they just provide a Bic. You pull the refill out and stick it in the new pen. The tip is pretty much the same as a Slimline save for a slight modification to adapt to the Bic refill. There is no transmission. The only real new stuff is the end and the cap.

I get part of it. Anything new has startup costs that need to be recovered and the Slimline styles have been around for so long the makers can probably do them while they are sleeping. But more than three times the cost for a MUCH simpler pen? With fewer, less expensive parts?

It just ain't right, gang. It just ain't right.

Sorry for the rant. I feel better now.

 

[WriteON]

Gotta pay to play. Lately everything is outrageous. Especially food …oh well. Expensive stuff is better than no stuff. ( I guess). I do sympathize with you. Group hug.

 

[montmill]

That's the way business works. New stuff costs more hoping buyers will have to have the latest and greatest. It works if you look at iPhones and other gadgets. Get it made as cheaply as possible and sell it for the most possible, satisfy the stockholders or owners. The consumer's option is to not participate. You pay your money and take your choice.

 

[SabertoothBunny]

Well everything is going up in price right now because of shipping and shipping from China/Taiwan is already stupid expensive. There isn't as much price gouging involved in as some think. Between item cost, shipping, warehousing, employee costs, etc. Lost of hidden costs in a business in addition to the actual need to make a profit. Not justifying but it is part of the reality of business.

I do agree though, too many niche pens. Not a big fan of most of the either.

 

[KenB259]

I'm guessing there are royalties having to be paid to BIC, but I agree that that kit seems a little high based on what you get.

 

[Roly]

I agree with what's been said but I must confess to a liking for the style. As for postage, it kills me over here so I am limited anyway.

 

[egnald]

If I had to guess, I would say that the price differential in part is age and volume related. The suppliers of Slimline kits have been tooled up since the late 1980's so there likely hasn't been much capital required for a long time. (I'm sure that Ed from Exotic Blanks could supply much better historical details). For new designs, in addition to recouping R&D expenses, there would be a capital investment in new tooling for production. Plus the production volume is likely very low to start with which increases cost. Production setup costs are typically fixed for a production run. When the fixed costs get spread out to fewer units it results in a higher per unit cost. To a lesser degree, the direct costs, the cost of the raw materials, also varies depending volume due to the price pressure that purchasing departments can put on suppliers when buying in higher volumes. There are of course many other contributing factors such as the relatively new volatility in the metals market for plating materials, especially involving Gold and the Platinum family of metals.

My intention is not to rationalize or condone the higher costs, but just to provide insight based on my experience coming from a large manufacturing company on some of the factors associated with these kind of cost differentials.

I'm also guessing that the sales volume for new designs and the "specialty themed" pens is predictably lower than the sales volume for the more established and "plain" styles like Jr. Gent, Sierra, Cigar, and Slimlines.

Dave

 

[magpens]

I don't think the price is really very much out of line from what I can see.

There seems to be a lot more "style" to the new "Icon" pen than there is in the most basic of slimlines.

I do not get the impression that the "Icon" is simpler than the average slimline.

I think there must be a lot of costs in bringing a new pen kit to market.
There are 3 components of the kit that have obviously incurred considerable design and development costs.
Those are the parts labelled "Cap", "Refill Holder", and "End Cap", all of which are nothing like any other PSI kit components I'm familiar with.
On top of that PSI has done a really good job of their instruction sheet, which they always do compared to most other vendors.

It's not a kit that I want to rush out and buy, but I would suggest that it is not overpriced by comparison to other kits.

I think it is a kit that will find its niche in the market because I have often held the disassemble parts of a BIC and thought that it would be neat to turn a pen barrel that would accept a BIC refill. . I have not yet done that, but it certainly would not be much of a challenge to "jazz up" a BIC refill with a classy, vintage, piece of cellulose acetate, or even a non-translucent modern acrylic or Alumilite.

Just my two-bits-worth !! .

 

[Ted iin Michigan]

Thanks for all the comments, gang. Glad my little rant didn't start a war.