BobBurt
Member
Been thinking of giving these a try at my next sale.....What are you folks asking for these????
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
Seam Rippers
- Thread starter BobBurt
- Start date
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bitshird
Member
Bob, I've gotten between 10.00 at a local very small show to 15.00 at a pretty large show in a well funded area, I think about 12.00 average for mine, Gary Max says he and Margie get 10 for his, but, I've had no trouble or people trying to talk me down yet.
Pioneerpens
Member
i've been getting $10.00 for mine...I could probably get more the way people have been ordering them. I just got another order for 8...But the $10 has been good so far.
W.Y.
Member
Good for you. Glad to hear it.
It is hard to imagine the number of those things that some are selling. It must be something to do with location.
I have only made ten to see how they go and priced at $8.00 , I have only sold two although I do get a lot of ooh's and aahh's about them. Maybe closer to Christmas they will go as stocking stuffers .
On the other hand it also amazes me the way some that won't buy a $8.00 item will cough up $80.00 in a heartbeat for a little segmented bowl or hollow turning.
Can never figure out craft sales. The secret to them is to have a wide variety of offerings to make every one a successful one.
Timbo
Member
I charged $12 for wood and $15 for Corian. Took 6 wood and 2 corian to the show came back with 2 corian.
Jgrden
Member
:thunder:I told you. When you say Corian to a woman, an immediate glaze goes over her eyes. No way will they be associated with a kitchen in any way.
W.Y.
Member
Way to go . I'm happy for you .
I have been doing a craft sale every Saturday morning from Sept 25 and going to December 18 . Thirteen consecutive ones in all . Still only sold two rippers and not a single pen yesterday but still maintaining my $300.00 average per weekly sale by selling lots of other items.
It surprises me because this town has a lot of seniors and at lot of quilters and lots of people that sew other things . .
Rangertrek
Member
I have been selling all of mine for $10 each.
A few have some upgrade wood and those go for $15.
So far, sold all I have made at craft shows.
A few have some upgrade wood and those go for $15.
So far, sold all I have made at craft shows.
PenMan1
Member
My problem with the seam ripper is ME! I like to put them in a snazzy body and cut threads to make a matching cap. By the time I do all that and cut the threads so the grain matchs when the ripper is closed, I have more time than if I just made a pen.
I really need to simplify these. I think you guys are dead on target a $10-20 for these.
I really need to simplify these. I think you guys are dead on target a $10-20 for these.
tim self
Member
Simplify them
You're putting to much thought into them. I simply pull the metal part out of the body, turn a small tenon that the plastic cap will seat on. Drill a small hole (7/32) I think, drop of CA then insert the metal. sell for $12 for wood. Have sold all I've made like that.
You're putting to much thought into them. I simply pull the metal part out of the body, turn a small tenon that the plastic cap will seat on. Drill a small hole (7/32) I think, drop of CA then insert the metal. sell for $12 for wood. Have sold all I've made like that.
W.Y.
Member
What type of tools are you using for cutting the threads. ?
Please show pictures of the tools plus the seam rippers showing the threaded parts.
jttheclockman
Member
OK, I got to ask. I have seen these talked about on a couple forums and now people are doing them here. What is a seam ripper and what is it used for??? Why would these be so popular?? Is there a certain clientel you are targeting with these??? May have to add these to the arsenel. They look quite easy to make. Thanks
W.Y.
Member
My edit button vanished so I am repeating this one rather than try to edit it.
underdog
Member
A seam ripper is made for ripping seams back out. Y'know when you sew a seam in wrong? Oh.. well maybe you've never sewn anything and wouldn't get caught dead running a needle and thread, much less a sewing machine?
I'm going back to making my quilt now...
Gary Max
Member
Quilters are the best customers for these.
jttheclockman
Member
underdog
Member
Same kind of idea actually...
I had thought of getting some of these when that guy offered them for sale on here real cheap recently, but I didn't bite... Dunno if he has 'em for sale still or not.
I had thought of getting some of these when that guy offered them for sale on here real cheap recently, but I didn't bite... Dunno if he has 'em for sale still or not.
W.Y.
Member
Lots of quilters and quilting bee's and seamstress's around here but keep in mind this is a retirement area with over half the population on government pension. . Most of them are so tight they squeak :biggrin: and would rather fight away with their arthritic hands with a $1.00 plastic handle one than spend five bucks on a wood one. They all say what a wonderful idea but hate to part with five bucks . I have managed to sell a total of three out of six consecutive craft sales. Hoping to sell a few more in the next seven consecutive ones leading up to Dec. 18 .
They are so easy to make and still pretty darn good profit at five bucks.
I started at $12.00 and came down to $8.00 and will try some more at $5.00.
It is all about location for some of us.
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Gary Max
Member
I would never take my stuff to a show where I know it would not sell. In this part of the world a tank of gas will take you to a better market place.
alphageek
Former Moderator
Thats probably true Gary, but William has a really good market right now, not just for seam rippers. And taking more with him can't hurt if he's happy with the addition amount, no matter how small..
Personally, I've been pricing them at $15. They sell ok for me at that price. I think I could sell more at $5-$10, but I'm not really into selling that many more yet - this is still a hobby for me.
Gary Max
Member
Heck I could move a bunch of seam rippers -- if I gave them away. My point is you have to sell where folks are buying. We don't do loacl shows thinking that we are going to haul in the money. Southern Ky has to be one of the poorest parts of the country.
PenMan1
Member
William:
Apparently, I didn't do any better job of explaining my process than I do making the rippers.
No special tools needed. Just remove the ripper from the plastic housing. Put it in a wooden handle with a tenon, then thread the tenon and the cap.
I am really busy right now getting ready for a Christmas pen show, but I'll try to get some photos next week.
Respectfully submitted.
Timbo
Member
Just realized a made a typo. I started with 6 wood and 5 Corian, sold everything but 2 of the Corian.
W.Y.
Member
Yes , that is true that I do have a good market right now and where I live in the mountains the closest sightly "better market place" is 120 km in either direction and the closest much better market place would be 6.5 hour drive each way which would necessitate lots of time and gas and motel room etc which would eat into the extra profit made by going that far. . I am not complaining about the quantity of seam rippers I sell . They are just peanuts compared to other things I sell at craft sales. Different things sell in different areas . I am still averaging well over $300.00 each for my little three hour Saturday morning craft sales . Thirteen of them in all for this pre-Christmas season. I just have better luck with things like pepper mills and toothpick dispensers and rolling pins and bowls and platters and turned wall clocks and back scratchers and long handled shoe horns and wood coffee mugs and spin tops and vase's and captive ring goblets and cutting boards and candle holders and ice cream scoops and tea lights and potporri bowls and pyrography burnings and an odd scrollsawed item (although scrollsawed fretwork sales have died off to close to nil) . I do pick up requests fairly often at craft sales for cetain commission jobs for things I have never made before but am always up to a challenge and generally oblige if at all possible and usually at an excellent profit rate. . .
Yes the economy is the pits but with enough variety of offereings and at a sensible price people will still part with some of their hard earned cash.
Like I have said before, the secret to sucessful craft sales in some areas is variety , variety, . . variety,
If anyone can have as much sucess with just pens and 100 seam rippers and a couple other things and make as much as I do every week this time of year in three hours at a time then more power to them .
We have to do what works best for our particular situations.
Timbo
Member
Just realized a made a typo. I started with 6 wood and 5 Corian, sold everything but 2 of the Corian.
W.Y.
Member
Thanks for your reply .
First I though you are using a different kind of rippers than some of us because I have not seen any with threads like when you mentioned **then thread the tenon on the cap** Then I got to thinking (which can sometimes be dangerous . lol . .) that maybe when you meantioned *threading* it on you were actually referring to pushing and twisting it on for a snug fit but no actual threads.
At first I thought you were doing a male and female thread and I can well imagine how that would take longer with special equipment but would surely look beautiful.
That was why I asked for a picture because as the saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words.
Looking forward to your picture(s) just whenever you get time.
Just got back from a craft sale and sold lots of stuff but not a single pen . . again . . although I only had 50 pens on display. More people stopped to oooh and aahhhh my pens as usual and looked them all over but said they have friends that give them pens they make on midi/mini lathes. Makes it hard with so many people buying small lathes and cranking out nothing but pens. .
Pens are so easy to make but many of us reach a saturation point like I have and get stuck with a bunch of non saleable hardware . In the very near future I will be offering a bunch of pen kits on the buy/sell board in my own site (below my actual cost) just to get rid of them and put the money into hardware for faster selling items.
That is why I started making all kinds of other lathe turned items several years ago that the dedicated pen turners are not making .
I wish you complete success in your upcoming Christmas pen sale . If you are in a city you will probably do just fine. About the only time I ever sell a pen anymore is when people are visitng here from big cities.
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W.Y.
Member
OH NO . . not a typo . We'll forgive you this time but . . . . . :biggrin:
:wink:.Wish I had just a nickle for every typo I have made in my computing years . I would have to take them to the bank in a wheelbarrow . Maybe an armored truck ? ? ? :biggrin: