Thread: 11 pen blanks in excange for a finished pen!

Nice offer and since my girlfriend is wearing out my lathe making pens, some of your woods would tickle her to no end. Unless we look for commercially sold blanks most of what you have isn't readily available here. Maybe 2 pens for more samples? We could work out a swap, but sending you a prepaid mailer form here probably won't work with the mailing companies. Are you interested in pens with wood from western Canada?

Hehe! great idea for energy exchange , count me in . Pm sent

Sounds like fun. Count me in! PM sent.

Hi there,

Interesting offer, but I think I'm swamped with other stuff at the moment.

Looking at the economics of the situation, I'd see it running like this

1. Sending you a prepaid envelope $9.60 + $1 tough bag + $1.10 postage
2. Pen Kit - avg cheaper but decent kit $10
3. Avg consumables per pen $1
4. Velvet sleeve for protection $0.30c
5. Postage back to you - prepaid 500g padded bag $5.50

Sub-total $28.50. I think I've covered actual costs except for things like transport to/from the post office. Obviously kit choice can vary down to about $3 for the cheapest, and upwards by $80+.

So that's the minimum "value" that the blanks should be measured against.

From there it becomes a measure of how generous people are with the cost of their effort vs the worth they place on the timbers you have. General blank costs for non-burl timbers run about $1 - $2 per blank, plus postage.

Russell.

For some reason I've lost my pm function... Maybe I can grab you on a past msg.

I haven't done a pen yet, but I've done a few keyrings. Trust me?

NO GUM!!! It's HARD!!!!!! LOL

I'll go see if an old PM of ours is around.

Interesting idea ...

PM Sent.

Originally Posted by BoomerangInfo

Hi there,

Interesting offer, but I think I'm swamped with other stuff at the moment.

Looking at the economics of the situation, I'd see it running like this

1. Sending you a prepaid envelope $9.60 + $1 tough bag + $1.10 postage
2. Pen Kit - avg cheaper but decent kit $10
3. Avg consumables per pen $1
4. Velvet sleeve for protection $0.30c
5. Postage back to you - prepaid 500g padded bag $5.50

Sub-total $28.50. I think I've covered actual costs except for things like transport to/from the post office. Obviously kit choice can vary down to about $3 for the cheapest, and upwards by $80+.

So that's the minimum "value" that the blanks should be measured against.

From there it becomes a measure of how generous people are with the cost of their effort vs the worth they place on the timbers you have. General blank costs for non-burl timbers run about $1 - $2 per blank, plus postage.

Russell.

Hi Russel,

You're right - this offer has more appeal based on variety and having a bit of fun than on pure economics, unless robutacion wants to up the number of pen blanks included

cheers,
Dave

I would be interested in this. A couple of points come to mind

Will you be marking up the blanks with the wood identification?

I would prefer the blanks to be in pairs, so that there will be the oportunity to make pen sets in matching woods.

You lucky downunder dawgs! Pity I live in the upover... Such a deal!!!

Originally Posted by QC Inspector

Nice offer and since my girlfriend is wearing out my lathe making pens, some of your woods would tickle her to no end. Unless we look for commercially sold blanks most of what you have isn't readily available here. Maybe 2 pens for more samples? We could work out a swap, but sending you a prepaid mailer form here probably won't work with the mailing companies. Are you interested in pens with wood from western Canada?

G'day QC Inspector,

I had early today a similar request from overseas which make me realize that some procedures need to be different for overseas forumates. This is not problem, if you read my Update on the original thread, you will see that I've counted for you guys & girls. In within Australia territory, the pre-paid and self addressed bags are indeed a great tool from the Australian Post Service, for this type of situations, where voids all the troubles of the money transfers, etc, but when necessary, and no other easier option is available, a man got to do what a man got to do...!huh...???

Lots of people have a Paypal account in our days, one of the most effective, safer and quicker ways to get things paid in places like eBay. Transfer money in between Paypal account holders, is the easiest thing in the world, very fast, no questions asked...! free for the person that pays (transfer), a little cost % for the receiver, but well worth it, just for its simplicity!

For the time that takes to open an account with Paypal and what is needed, I would suggest for you to have a look and decide if this would make things easier for international or not money transfers. Your choice!
No, I don't have any connection with Paypal interests, apart from being a normal account holder!

Cheers
RBTCO

Originally Posted by BoomerangInfo

Hi there,

Interesting offer, but I think I'm swamped with other stuff at the moment.

Looking at the economics of the situation, I'd see it running like this

1. Sending you a prepaid envelope $9.60 + $1 tough bag + $1.10 postage
2. Pen Kit - avg cheaper but decent kit $10
3. Avg consumables per pen $1
4. Velvet sleeve for protection $0.30c
5. Postage back to you - prepaid 500g padded bag $5.50

Sub-total $28.50. I think I've covered actual costs except for things like transport to/from the post office. Obviously kit choice can vary down to about $3 for the cheapest, and upwards by $80+.

So that's the minimum "value" that the blanks should be measured against.

From there it becomes a measure of how generous people are with the cost of their effort vs the worth they place on the timbers you have. General blank costs for non-burl timbers run about $1 - $2 per blank, plus postage.

Russell.

Hi Russel,

Thanks for your thoughts and your economics on this idea of mine. I had done a "preliminary" estimation on the costs for the pen maker, and my figures are a little lower, based on some information that I collected. One of the savings is with the way the bag is sent to me, if folded properly and inserted in a normal size envelope, it will cost you .55c (a had dozens sent like that), which will total $9.60+.55c=$10.15 for the prepaid, self addressed bag. For sending the pen back to me, you should be able to do better then the $5.50 but, I will go and see the local Post Office manager and discuss the options. I will report here, as soon as I know more!
In relation to the pen kit each person is going to use, I have made no specifications of any styles, models, colours, sizes or other, which mean that I'm working on the bases of being reasonable and fair. I did not put any price on any of my various timber species blanks, for that same reason. You can by pen blanks for as low as .50c each, and the average prices for non-burl blanks can possibly be what you say, and I have no problem with that, I should say tough that I have some timbers that will be cut as pen blanks for this offer of mine, that can worth as much as the more expensive pen kit ones can buy (not gold, obviously). These will be supplied as a one the varieties I'm sending in the bag. I will be asking for people to make a pen out of such type bank but, I'm offering another one the same for this same person to keep. Is very difficult to put a price on people's art work or time to produce (make) a pen, nor is possible to put a price on what people are prepare to pay for some timber pieces.
I have modestly asked for people opinions about how fair they think my offer is, and you done just that which I very much appreciate. At the same times, this gives me the opportunity to explain some reasons of my own, hoping that people see it for what it is. I can understand some people's hesitation with my offer at first, I can guarantee there are no "monkey business" or "oakers-poakers" with any of this. I don't have the available money to buy pens from everyone, but I have timbers that are capable of producing the best pens in the world. Putting my timbers the time of making the blanks and the time necessary to select-pack-post & keep the paper work in order so that I know what I'm doing, against a single pen, can be a little risky for me also. After all, I'm accepting what people is willing to give in return, I win some I will lose some BUT, no questions asked!

Each one of the pens will be shown on a thread, together with a little story/explanation of what it is, the maker, etc. In the end of the day, I am fully confident that people will do what they thing is right, the positives of such idea will become "obvious" for all parts involved, as the different stages progress.

The original number of blanks offered has to do also but not only, with the total weight of some very heavy timbers, at this time I would like to keep it as is, and if I believe that I can do better, I will!

I hope that my answer is satisfactory to you Russel!

Cheers
RBTCO

Originally Posted by chrisb691

I would be interested in this. A couple of points come to mind

Will you be marking up the blanks with the wood identification?

I would prefer the blanks to be in pairs, so that there will be the oportunity to make pen sets in matching woods.

Hi chrisb691,

Yes, all blanks will be identified. The only thing you need to do is print the list I gave on my first thread, instead of writing the names on the blanks, each one will have a number, that number will correspond with the list I provided, making thinks a little let confusing. How you are going to mark (identify) that blank after in your possession, is up to you.

I have no problems is supplying you with blanks in pairs, I understand the reasons why so, you have no problems with that. The only negative of that is that you only get 6 species max., unless...!

Hummmm, I can just see peoples thoughts on this, well if "he" order a second lot then he will get all the species originally supplied in a bag, huh?

At this time, I would like to say YES but, I will keep that decision for a little latter on, depending of how many people want to do this, and how much timber I need to cut for this purpose alone! Sounds fair?

Cheers
RBTCO

Originally Posted by OGYT

You lucky downunder dawgs! Pity I live in the upover... Such a deal!!!

Hi OGYT,
Not really...! is all up to you this time.

Cheers
RBTCO

well put all round,pretty clear as to what is what Sounds like a real "pen Swap" hehe , my only concern is you may get swamped with offers ,sounds like a major undertaking to me , in the main it's a matter of whats fair all round to everybody , most folk are pretty generous with their time and skills, only gotta see what happens in "pen swaps" to see that. To me whatever the costs I know it will come back to me , like most I give pens away sometimes to friends ,sometimes to relatives , and always to wood suppliers hehe. Cheers