Thread: Pens for markets

There doesn't appear to be a best pen for the markets hehe, if we knew we would just make them lol. The best pens are ones that are distintive and appealing and priced right,and that is always dependant on what types of markets you attend . You need craft markets to start with, trash and treasure are mostly a waste of time and effort.Times are a bit tough and it shows on spending trends ,pens over $50 are hard to sell at times up to that they seem to be ok .Seems to me they go in waves, sometimes I sell a run of bullet pens then none for months,same with most types sierras roller balls fountain pens pencils etc, I keep about 150 pens on hand at the markets just so I can have something for every taste and occasion , I find that the oddball types sell quickest ,coffee beans ,snakeskin,pinecones.coastal banksias and so on, and probably acrylics sell better than wood ,so you have to specialise in variation hehe,unless you have a good source of sales, company logo pens for clients on order, cheers ~ John

yeah i have noticed also ,
mind you ,tonight ive put up 3 new threads including the 2012 mystery swap
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f69/20...ration-153812/
i sell a heap of slims and sierra's and then its a on the day kit of buysbullets are selling well at moment for me

Originally Posted by mkypenturner

yeah i have noticed also ,
mind you ,tonight ive put up 3 new threads including the 2012 mystery swap
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f69/20...ration-153812/
i sell a heap of slims and sierra's and then its a on the day kit of buysbullets are selling well at moment for me

When you say bullet pens, which are you reffering to? Made from kits or real bullets? I've started making some from real bullets but I'm not so sure it's worth all the extra effort.
Good post!
Alfred

Originally Posted by ALA

When you say bullet pens, which are you reffering to? Made from kits or real bullets? I've started making some from real bullets but I'm not so sure it's worth all the extra effort.
Good post!
Alfred

at moment their only kits but looking at getting to plat with the real stuff soon

in my case ,the "real bullets " made into pens far outsell the kit ones ,people recognise the 308 or 306 cases and like the authenticity of "real" hand made hehe.Certainly more work than bought kits, and I usually polish and powder coat them as well , it's all about perception in the customers eyes ,but there are a lot more shooters out there than I would have imagined when I started making them a few years ago hehe. Cheers ~ John

Market here is a little different than over there, but close enough...
We hit all the local and some of the state wide gun shows with these,



By buying in bulk, my cost is close to $5.00 per pen and we sell them for $20.00 a pop.
I always take a good supply of other pens, and it seems the best sellers are the Sierra Elegants in just about any material, wood, acrylic or Corian, and the Princeton, (You know it as the Virage) also sells in any material...Men buy most of the bullet pens, women make up the bulk of my normal pen buyers, the two styles mentioned normaly sell out.
Seems most are purchased as gifts, though the last few shows we had both men and women buying for themselves.
I start those at $59.99 and up, depends on the material and the amount of work/bling I put in
...move some but not a lot of the higher end fountain and rollerball pens, mostly those with screw on caps, and start the pricing at $79.99 and up, all of those come with a box as part of the sale, the Sierrias and Virages get a velvet sleeve.
Average gun show sees about 150+ of the bullet pens selling and close to ten or so of normal pens.