Selling Your Pens

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grub32

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Joined
Jan 1, 2008
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342
Location
Ohio, USA.
I had an unusual situation occur. First of all, I must say that I am a hobbyist and rarely work in the "shop" more than one day a week. I have been making pens for about a year now, just as long as I have had my lathe. I have been giving pens out as gifts since then. This past week, I gave a pen to a guy who helped me buy a car from the large dealership in town and I quickly sold six slims to his colleagues.

I was curious to find out how you guys and gals started in the pen selling business. I dont really want to do it full time, but I love making them and I can only write with one at a time : )

Grub32
 
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I started just like you. Giving away to friends and family. Sooner or later someone asks how much. Next thing you know you're selling them left and right.
 
Your on the right track. My first two years I gave away many pens and some I got a return order from. I still donate to any non profit groups for fundraisers.
 
We started with give-aways to family and friends. Linda gave her employees one for their birthdays. It was amazing to see the difference in what they got through the first year. The first ones we not nearly as well finished as the last ones of the first year. From there the recipients wanted to buy pens for gifts. This was great as it helped to pay for the addiction. From there we added them to a counter display at our hardware shop and then later a web site. It is by no means full time, but something we think about all the time.

Mike
 
I started the same way, I gave away a handfull, then I started selling them, as I got better my price started going up, and, for now, I am pretty happy about where I'm at.
 
You have hit the magic button. People saw your work and liked the pens. Then they bought. I couldn't sell pens until I went to higher priced styles (e.g. Jr. Gent/Gent) and started offering to a higher class market. I only carry a pen I am proud of and just taking a good pen out of my pocket is a great salesman. Keep it up.
 
I've given away very few of my pens... usually to immediate family, but I started doing little shows at churches and schools while I was still in Houston... I still do a few shows per year here in TN and see a fair number of pens... but have mostly moved on to other items that are doing well at the shows... I don't do a lot of shows though.. they are a lot of work.. sometimes worth it, sometimes not.
 
I still give away pens. I just gave 3 to some flight attendants that stays 45 min past their shift unpaid and help me board a flight while waiting for the attendants to arrive to take the plane out. I also give to numerous non-profit organizations. Just had a pen sell in an auction for twice as much as it was to sell. Lets see if I get any calls from that.

My main give away is to military personal. When I am going from gate to gate at the airport, if I see someone in the military and I have a pen on me (usually have a couple) I walk up to them and start a conversation. I end it by shanking their hand and giving them the pen. If I have a copy of the poem my wife wrote (one of the ones we did for the center for the Intrepid) I slip that to them as well. I usually get a blank stare and a thank you sir. Everytime I get the same feeling deep down and I relish it.

I sell pens in 2 shops ( 4 or more during the holidays) at work and by word of mouth.
 
I made pens for members of my family. That took care of about the first three dozen or so. Then I made 2 dozen just to give away to people I knew would show them off. I did a few craft shows then made my web site. Sales just keep coming, I really do not try to sell my pens. My saying is "everyone loves them, but nobody wants to buy them" well at least a few do so I just wait for them to talk themselves into it. I don't sell a lot of pens maybe 20 a year. but it keeps me going.
 
Took some pens to work with me one day to show off. I think they were about the 6th or seventh pen I had turned and were the first non-slimlines.

On my way home I pulled them out on the train to show a buddy who has an irish heritage (one was a IBO platinum Cigar). A couple minutes later he brought the pens back. A couple minutes went by and another friend comes back and says "give us our pens" and hands me two checks.

That sale led to two more almost immediately, then about a dozen over the holidays, and a couple more recently. So far I've sold one on ebay, maybe 20 on the train, and one at my new job.

My sister is asking me about some for Graduation presents.

I've given about 40 pens away. 20 to the freedom pens project, others to family and friends.

This year I hope to develope enough inventory to do some local shows next year. I'm figuring that I'll need to have 150 pens ready to do a show.
 
I've always been a business man. I was in finance for seven years. So after I got addicted to woodwork as a hobby I wanted money to fuel the addiction. Pens are the easiest to sell. I started at a craft fair, did really well then it all snowballed. I now have a store front at a mall in Honolulu and I'm working on my second location. It definitely beats financial planning!

I'm currently working on a business model to help wood artists market themselves and their products.
 
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