What is the Fascination???

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Being I am going to be a new comer to this fast growing fascination of pen turning, I thought I would ask a few questions to get me in the mindset. First question is why all the hoopla about turning wooden Pens??? Who seems to buy these and why??? Is the market that broad and is there a style that seems to be what people are looking for??? What characteristics make for a good selling pen??? Are acylics more likly to sell than wooden or are they on an even pace??? I know some of the questions that get asked alot about scrollsawn works for I have been doing it for quite along time but now I am entering a phase that I am not used to. So what kinds of questions should I expect to hear as I try to sell my pens??? Are there small tricks when displaying pens??? I know area has alot to do with pricing but is there some sort of formula you all follow when trying to price such a practical item??? Are you pricing for collection sake or for personal use??? I thank all those that reply in advance as I take another step in the world of turning. :)

[PaulD]

Here is a modest stab at your questions:

- No real hoopla about pen making, just that they are immediately useful and relatively low cost and easy to get started with if you have a light touch with a skew and are patient.
- Who seems to buy them? literally all sorts of folks from blue collar to professionals. People that seem to value handmade and unique items are the best prospects.
- Pronounced wood grain, style and finish seem to decide a sale. All of the above are unique to the preferences of the buyer.
- I've made everything from wood to acrylics to polymer. Wood outsells acrylic for me. Polymer is a unique sale that I haven't really tried to generally market yet.
- Typical questions: did you make that, what kind of wood, how does it work, can you refill it, how much, do you have a matching pencil, do have have cases?
- Selling tricks: hands on is a must. You can't sell through glass or plastic. Having enough variety to catch the eye is also important. You can sell through signs on bulletin boards. I did really well with pens and eggoscopes this Christmas with this approach.
- I expect to sell everything I make and have yet to take the collection approach (although my family tends to try to grab anything new first). I price it fairly to cover costs, investments and enough profit so I can keep buying new toys, woods, plastics and pen styles with the proceeds. I try to price things so they move off my racks. Keeping an ever growing inventory of pens, eggs and boxes is boring to me.

Hope that helps. PaulD

[William Young]

Hi John.
After you saying you were not interested in making pens when you first got your little lathe it is nice to see that you are now thinking about it. Bet ya can't stop after making one or a dozen or a hundred . . . .

I agree . . no real hoopla. Variety and display is key and yes, hands on is a must.
The more variety of styles you make the more sales you will have . If you keep your profit level around $20.00 an hour you will sell lots of them. If you push for higher than that yours sales will go down propotionatly to how much you "think" your pens are worth.

I made a bunch of display stands custom sized to fit various styles and so far they are my best selling "tool" apart from a guaranteed finish and a wide variety of woods and acrylics and styles..
W.Y.

Darn it . . . I hate it when some boards here support pictures while other won't . Can't figure out why a site would be set up that way. So with that little rant and pet peeve over with :( the picture I intended to show can be found under the link provided.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/WillysWoodcrafting/PenDisplays.jpg

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Bill

You are correct that I mentioned I was not interested in pen making and let me say this now I am still not sure it is something I want to fully dedicate what little time I have to. I did 3 craft shows this past year and in all 3 there were at least two other crafters selling pens. One person was selling inlayed and segmented pens that were beautiful. But did not do well. He also had the basic slimlines and those too were not big sellers. Not sure what the market in my area will bear but I will produce a few and test the waters. I realize fit and finish are the main qualities to go after and that will not be a problem for that is what I strive for in anything I make. I will say this and not sure if it is a good thing or not but when I do try something I jump in with both feet so I will give a fair chance and does look like a fun little project. As I get going I know I will have lots of questions. :eek:

[Gunny]

It has been my experience not only with friends and family but also with total strangers who come to my table, that many people who buy wood pens are collectors (a good 30% actually... many more than I ever would have expected and as a writer, I've been collecting fountain pens myself for years).
The others are usually looking for a special, one of a kind gift for a family member, colleague, teacher, college student, employer... whatever.
I don't cater to any particular market because turning is something I do for me, but the aforementioned groups make up the great majority of my sales.
I wouldn't think many people go to a craft show to pick up pen for doing their grocery lists. However, I have had a couple dozen customers who were there with their wife, or were just browsing, picked up one of my pens because they thought it looked interesting and then decided they liked the feel of it.
Another thing I've noticed is that many people in my neck of the woods like the idea of having a pen made out of a tree from this same neck of the woods and I've had a number of customers ask if I could make a pen and pencil set (for their son or daughter who's away at school) from a tree in the yard they played in as a child... Those are proving as popular as ones I make from old family furniture or broken heirlooms.
What it all comes down to I guess is that a pen is a personal, portable artifact that says something to, for or about the person who uses it.
The incredible clocks that you make JT and the beautifully scrolled scripts and plaques that Fred creates are works of art that can be displayed with pride in the home or office.
But a pen or pencil is something that can be used everyday and carried in a pocket or briefcase.
It can be a special piece of home if it was made from a tree in the yard where you played catch with your father, or from the leg of the broken chair that your grandmother sat on while she watched your father play catch with YOUR grandfather and knitted the little pink cap that is now being worn by YOUR grandaughter.
We work in wood because wood talks to us and we understand the language... I like to think my creations talk to the people who purchase them and they like what they hear...