Pricing pens

[Edward Henry]

I am about to try and assemble my Grizzly T25920 - 12" x 18" Variable-Speed Wood Lathe to learn pen turning. I was strongly advised by a local pen crafter to not sell Slimlines for under $25 because that was the normal minimum price in this area (Springfield, Mo). So that as a guide How much should I ask for Cigar pens? I only have the two styles in different metals no fancy kits like gear shifts, bullets etc . As I said I am new to this and have only turned 2 pens with help and these were pre drilled and the tubes already glued so these will be my first from start to finish.
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[Chris A Lawrence]

If you have any craft shows coming up in your area i would goto one and see what others are selling them for. Craft shows can also be an inspiration to find other things to make that sell as well. This time of year i invest more time making ornaments then anything else for craft shows.

[John K Jordan]

I've seen elegant pens offered at a craft fair for $60+, shape, styling, wood and finish all excellent. Don't know how many they sell at that price or if it would be appropriate in your area.

I've made a bunch of pens but only under duress! (I don't enjoy it much). Never tried to sell one - generally only make them when a kid or teen wants to "make" them for presents. We mostly used exotic woods - cocobolo, kingwood, tulip, etc. I've had people try to buy my samples, though!

I suggest looking for fine-grained wood with close rings and figure with good contrast and save bland wood for practice. Those times I've cut pen blanks for our club auctions, interesting exotics like that have been popular. Olive with a lot of figure makes an especially nice pen. Spalted wood with lots of tight zone lines also stands out in a row of pens. Tight burl is always good. If cutting your own blanks (a lot cheaper) pay close attention to the figure - cutting the blank on a slight angle, for example, can make otherwise average straight-grained figure look more interesting.

I am about to try and assemble my Grizzly T25920 - 12" x 18" Variable-Speed Wood Lathe to learn pen turning. I was strongly advised by a local pen crafter to not sell Slimlines for under $25 because that was the normal minimum price in this area (Springfield, Mo). So that as a guide How much should I ask for Cigar pens? I only have the two styles in different metals no fancy kits like gear shifts, bullets etc . As I said I am new to this and have only turned 2 pens with help and these were pre drilled and the tubes already glued so these will be my first from start to finish.
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[Peter Christensen]

One generally accepted method as a starting point is to triple the cost of making the pen. So kit cost of kit, blank, glues, finish, sandpapers, electrical, waste disposal, mailing costs to get the parts and materials, etc. If that works out to $8.00 then the pen should sell for about $25. You also need to understand a pen you sell has to have the workmanship to match. So no mismatch or out of roundness between the turned blank and parts. No sanding scratches or finish flaws and you want a durable finish, usually highly polished. You might like the feel of wood but most of the public likes shinny stuff so that rules out friction polishes and puts you into CA (Cyanoacrylate / superglue), polyurethane or lacquer finishes. And as you were advised the area you sell in influences what you can get for a pen too. Some places you are lucky to get the cost of materials back but others will support high end kits and blanks selling for hundreds of dollars. Selling too cheap just hurts the other turners selling in your area and makes it harder to sell yours for a better price down the road when you are better and have higher end pens. Lastly your display and salesmanship play a big role in what you can sell for too. A few pens laying on a table with you in grub clothes, sitting in a chair, head in your phone doesn't work. Clean well lit and organized display with you standing, smiling, ready to greet customers but not pouncing on them goes a long way. Keep those to pens and look at them every month or two to see how far you progress. The difference in a year will amaze you.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I have seen a great many turned pens. Once in a while, I see one that is truly amazingly extraordinary that could be worth a lot more. Most pens do not impress me. If they have something special about them, the wood came from Monticello, or from some other famous landmark or historical item. I met a man 20 years ago that made custom pens from a deer antler. So a hunter who got a spike buck, or other less than stellar rack could get a pen made. The guy also made custom pipes from antler and other woods. He had one made from a wood supposedly taken from the statehouse in Annapolis during a renovation. I think the going rate for run of the mill pens here is about $20 to $25. I have also see some, IMO, that were not worth the cost of the supplies. I have also built long rifles. Prime parts for one easily cost $700. Over the years, I have seen many rifles that were not worth the cost of the parts used to build them. My club sets up a few lathes at places. It charges $20 for an experienced turner to baby sit a person through the turning process and the customer gets a pen, they helped turn. They get a waiting line of people wanting to say they made a pen. Items made in front of the customer seem to bring more than a stock of pens you made last month. A turner shows up at a nearby Christmas market. He brings his lathe and makes little 7 inch tall wooden Christmas trees. They honestly are not very good, but he gets $10 a piece. It takes him 5 or 6 minutes and people wait in line to buy ones made in front of them while they wait.

[Marvin Hasenak]

My wife was a craft show junkie, being the "good" husband I tagged a long to most of the shows to keep my dollars safe. I have also seen pens that were so poorly made that I wouldn't show them in public listed for top dollar, and I have seen perfectly made pens out of expensive kits being sold for very low prices. Go to the shows, watch the sellers, see what is selling, and for what prices, then ask yourself if yours is as good or better than theirs. Come up with what YOU THINK is a fair price. Price your stuff to high, you haul it home.

Until a few years ago I also did the shows, 3 or 4 a year, my prices were in line with what I knew was a fair price for me and the customer. I knew my market and I knew what I had invested in my inventory both in cost and time. I mostly made game calls, and had for about 50 years. I only had one other vendor jump in my case telling me I was selling to cheap. I explained it was my business, and if I hurt his sales, it was his fault. He claimed it took an hour to make his calls, I had a production system and tooling that I could make them in about 15 minutes. I was happy and my customers got a good deal.

[Edward Henry]

I thought about using 2x4 pieces to practice turning pens, cut them to blank sizes and practice, I also thought about going to the local Habitats for Humanity and getting scrap 2x4 from their current house and make a pen and case set for practice and give the set to them to present to whoever got the house. is this silly?

[John K Jordan]

I thought about using 2x4 pieces to practice turning pens, cut them to blank sizes and practice, I also thought about going to the local Habitats for Humanity and getting scrap 2x4 from their current house and make a pen and case set for practice and give the set to them to present to whoever got the house. is this silly?

Making things to give away is never silly.

Pine might be fine, but I planned on turning quality pens from a type of wood I'd rather practice with use similar wood. For example, if turning pens from a very hard wood you might want to practice with a hard wood.

If you scrounge or buy a board to make pen blanks there may be some parts of the board that are less interesting that would be great for practice.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

There is pen sized hard wood almost every where. Drive down the road and pick up a stick about an inch in diameter. Almost any tree with leaves will do. Cherry, maple, even oak.

[Edward Henry]

I have a small collection of tree limbs like redbud, some cherry and such.

[John K Jordan]

I have a small collection of tree limbs like redbud, some cherry and such.

Redbud can be beautiful.

[Frank Denny]

What I have done is made a few personal pens from a piece of wood from an old building that had sentimental memories for someone. One year I made 17 pens from a piece of wood from my grandfathers old barn that was falling down. Gave one to each of the grand children. Was a big hit.

[Edward Henry]

What I have done is made a few personal pens from a piece of wood from an old building that had sentimental memories for someone. One year I made 17 pens from a piece of wood from my grandfathers old barn that was falling down. Gave one to each of the grand children. Was a big hit.

I like that idea.

[Derek Voigt]

I've turned 2x4 before and thought it sucked. Pen blanks are easy to come by, i have more then I'll ever use. Send me a message and I'll mail you a small flat rate box full of some to try out.

[Dean S Walker]

WOW 10 bucks for 5 minutes if I do my math right 120 bucks an hour. Hum