Bottle stopper----?????

[Gary Max]

I need some thoughts about Bottle Stoppers. I have been thinking about making some for resale but really have no ideal where to go with pricing. I am thinking Stainless Steel kits.
Anyone here sell the finished product ????
Thanks

[Greg Just]

I use the Ruth Niles stoppers and I have been selling them in the low $20's. The stainless steel stoppers are not inexpensive, but they work and l like the looks of them. With regards to pricing, it all depends on where you are selling and what people are willing to pay.

Good luck.

[Dave Wagner]

I would think average is $15-$25+ depending.

[Kenneth Hertzog]

To take what Greg said one step further
it depends on what is on it for the knob
wood laying around can be one price and custom acrylic is more
but his price is right on
Ken

[Gary Max]

Hummm------ I may have to rethink this-----after buying the hardware plus the value of the blank a $20.00 is kinda lite.

[Jim Burr]

We have a local shop that allows you to make your own wine, or they will custom make a blend for you. I sell to them and have a small display that generates about 10-12 sales a month, sometimes 20. They all sell for $40.

[David E Keller]

I've gotten $20-25 on the few that I've sold. There's not much margin after raw materials, but they really don't take any time at all to make.

[Gary Max]

Ok----that might work if I sell them at a price range from $20 to $40 bucks----figure most will be the cheaper ones.
Anyone got a pic of a few of their stoppers-------- give me some ideal of forms to think about.

[Lee Koepke]

I am a novice, but here's a couple of mine ...

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[Gary Max]

Heck those look great to me------remember I have never turned even one bottle stopper so pics are going to help a bunch----thanks for taking the time to post your pic.

[George Guadiane]

Here are the first few I have done.
Rosewood and curly ash. I used some gemstones and an antique enameled silver watch back (the rest of the watch was ruined) for tops.

[Steve LaFara]

I've only made a few as gifts so I can't help with pricing, but I would think that $25-$30 for exotic woods if you are selling retail. Here's a couple that I did out of palm and cocobolo w/ mother of pearl inlays for some ideas.

179500

[brian watts]

We have a local shop that allows you to make your own wine, or they will custom make a blend for you. I sell to them and have a small display that generates about 10-12 sales a month, sometimes 20. They all sell for $40.


i think people around would think I was crazy asking 40$ but around 20-25 should be ok.just have to shop around for wood to get the best price..

[Ron McKinley]

I have made a lot of stoppers and use them as gifts for friends and relatives. I have never sold one. I've used a lot of Ruth's SS stoppers and have found they don't fit all wine bottles. Most I make are the teflon and cork stoppers. They are cheap to make and I use up my scraps so I can afford to give them away. I found out early on not to put a point on the top since most people are used to using their palm to seat the stopper which can be painful! Ruth has a lot of examples on her website: http://torne-lignum.com/Finished_Designs.htm

[Gary Max]

Thanks Ron----- I needed to check out her prices also.

[Ken Hill]

Ive sold every stopper i've made, domestics $25, exotics $35 using Niles stoppers. Just because the wood may be scrap doesnt mean its worthless! Don't under sell yourself or your work! You need to be prepared to offer a replacemnet if an issue arises, have a few for give away etc. Every dollar that can be made helps cover those costs. I know most do not consider themselves doing turing for a living, but you can quickly go backwards trying to break even!

[Alan Zenreich]

Here are some I made a few months back... redheart and zebrawood.

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[Gary Max]

After doing some shopping looks like the folks over at Penn State have the best price by far. Anyone know of a better place to buy good stainless hardware????

[Bernie Weishapl]

Gary I use Ruth Niles SS stoppers and sell them in the $20 to $30 range. In my area anything over that just sits. Sold about 20 over Christmas for a average of $28.

[Rob Wachala Jr]

I price stainless steel from 29.95 - 39.95 dependent upon material/design. I'm also going to be trying silicone here soon which is a lower material cost than stainless but I will probably still price them around the same. (though the lower material cost will give me some wiggle room on pricing) I have gone down to $18 per but that was on a couple corporate orders for 75+ stoppers.

[Gary Max]

Well I went ahead and jumped in and ordered 150 stoppers today. We do a lot of shows and I really don't see any for sale.

[Wayne Hendrix]

What finish do most apply to the stoppers?

[Dave Kartzman]

I have been making stoppers with corks for my clients, as small gifts, whenever I visit them. They appreciate them and it helps me better my skills. I am going to be in a town fair this spring where I live and plan on trying to sell stoppers, small bowls and tops. There are several very experienced woodturners who will also be there and they sell their stoppers for $25-30 (usually chrome stoppers). Since I have only been turning for a little over a year, I felt that I could not offer stoppers at those prices. I looked at the cost of the materials, corks, dowels and Ruth's stainless steel stoppers and figured I could make a small profit if I sold mine for $12 with cork and $17 using Ruth's stoppers.

I agree with a number of others that you shouldn't undersell yourself, but I think you have to start somewhere until you are able to build up a reputation. At that point, you can certainly start charging what the market will bear.

We have a number of gift and consignment shops that sell stoppers for $30-40 and pens for $40+. These turners are known in the community and as as a result can command a higher price.

Here are a couple of photos of stoppers I turned for the people I work with (gifts at Christmas).

One last remark with respect to the finish I use for my stoppers. I generally use 2 coats of Shellawax with one exception. If I am turning spalted wood, because there is some punkiness to alot of them, I will initially use wood hardener on it and then polyurethane semi-gloss (2 or more coats). I prefer shellawax because it is easy to apply and seals pretty fast with friction. I always tell my clients that if the shine starts to diminish to take any wax to repolish it (it works).

Best of luck turning...

Dave

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[Gary Max]

Dave your stoppers are better than what you have them priced at, in my opinion. Lots of detail and the finish looks great.

[Barry Stratton]

I think Keith Burns posted some of his stoppers awhile back. Like all of his turnings, they were flawless and unique! Definitely worth finding them for inspiration.:cool:

Good luck polishing your skills on them!

[Jim Burr]

Keep in mind your market. When someone comes in the the outlet I sell through, they plunk down $300 for a case of custom made wine, so what's another $40? I usually use Ruth's stuff, but some folks like gold plate, some like the tear-drop shape. Be able to offer what someone wants at a fair price and your good. If you have a generator and a mini...do "while-you-wait" pens and stoppers. If someone see's it made before their eyes...twice the price. We have Vintage Days at Fresno State...huge craft thing, food, music. We also have 4 Farmers Markets that draw thousands during peak season. Fun selling!!!!

[Ian Parish]

Many of the vendors(CUSA, and PSI) have new styles in Stainless Steel. I have used the cheap coating stopper in the past and I regret every single one of them. I made 20 of the cheap one and All of my Mom's friends have them. They love them but I will regret the day they all start to complain about the coatings breaking down. Red Wine produces a white odizided coating and crumbs on the cheap coating on the cheap toppers. The different between $2.50-$3.00 vs. $5.00-$6.00 for Stainless seem like a lot and adds up, but it is well worth the extra. $20-$40 is a good price range to charge.

http://www.turninground.biz/bottletoppers/Anigre/AnigreStopper3.jpg

This is a fun style I have turned. This has a Ruth Niles SS stopper and Anigre wood.

Ian

[Greg Just]

Well I went ahead and jumped in and ordered 150 stoppers today. We do a lot of shows and I really don't see any for sale.

150! you jumped in head first! Good luck.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I only use the Ruth Niles SS stoppers, chrome or other color plated ones will corrode and have the plating come off, not something I'm willing to risk, besides the buyers coming back for replacement and me and my products getting a bad name maybe.
I also make wine myself at home and have done so for quite a few years, I have many different bottles and did try the Ruth Niles SS stoppers, there were a few where the stopper had to be forced a bit more but they did go into every bottle I tried, so I'm quite confident they fit pretty well every wine bottle out there.
I was selling them at $24.95 in the beginning with domestic woods, later upped the price to $29.95 and special ones (still use only domestic woods) for $39.95
You start selling cheap and you will be classed cheap from then on :-((

Here are a couple shapes to look at ;-))

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[Kieran Kammerer]

Some stoppers I turned last year. Usually ask about 20-25 for them