I have never made a pen and have only seen them on line or sometimes at sales. I would think their sales would be very limited. People use their phones for nearly everything that the  pen was  used for.  Notes, reminders, lists, voice memos and letters have been replaced by email and text. You get free pens at the dentist and in most businesses.  The biggest problem with me and pens.................I can't keep them, always lose them. 

 

Can pen makers make a profit,  considering supplies and paying themselves  minimum wage labor cost?

Ron, you have brought up a very good point about the use of pens and pencils. I think it depends on the area you can sell in and the customers. I for one, still use a pen and pencil daily, I think it is an age thing - the 20 somethings probably do not even know what a pen/pencil is. My 2 cents

I have never sold a pen but have given dozens away.  They may be a nice gift for the guy or gal that has everything.  Pen kits are not cheap and make the price of the pen too high.  Check the price of pen kits and then look to see what they sell for on Ebay. 

Ron for many uses you are correct. For some professions (pharmacist) pens are still used and a necessity. Pens also express to the receiver "I Care".  So what better gift could there be? And then the pen is always there as a reminder. I do not make may but this is one of the sets I gave my sons.

Very NICE

21 hours ago, Ron Altier said:

Very NICE

+1...I'd be proud to receive one of those for sure!

On 3/29/2017 at 0:13 PM, Ron Altier said:

You get free pens at the dentist

Man, all my dentist "gives" me is a tooth brush, small tube of toothpaste and roll of floss...

You would be surprised how many people like pens. I haven't made any for a while but the last time I made some I made around 20. I sold them all during lunch at work in two days. One guy bought around six.

But what price did you sell for?

 

Larry

$25 each.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I still believe a hand written letter to or from family members is a lot more personal than an e/mail that is printed on a computer. And it surely is a lot more private.

16 hours ago, It Was Al B said:

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I still believe a hand written letter to or from family members is a lot more personal than an e/mail that is printed on a computer. And it surely is a lot more private.

I agree 100%....  I also continue to write hand written notes in business, and believe it shows concern and involvement that matters.

I typically sell 75 - 100 pens a year @ $35 and up. not including the special order for 55 pens I had in January that were going to a state coaching association.

Some of the local schools around here have stopped teaching cursive writing, due to the electronic age. To me that says a lot about the demand for pens.

2 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

Some of the local schools around here have stopped teaching cursive writing, due to the electronic age. To me that says a lot about the demand for pens.

 

I stopped cursive writing in high school - I couldn't read my own writing.

Printing was always the best way for me to go for as long as I can remember.  I even print when writing checks except for the signature.

If I were purchasing a turned pen, I'd expect to pay a minimum of $35.00.

A local town where my great grand children go to school has stopped teaching cursive writing. Funny, last year my great grand daughter,  now in 5th grade could read cursive writing on her birthday cards. On her last birthday, she said she couldn't read cursive writing. What has happened to our educational system? 

While in college, I had several classes with a gal that printed her notes. I took notes in cursive. Even with my ersatz shorthand, she got far more info on paper than I did. Even better, a day after the class, hers were still readable. And, she used a pen. 

Charles Nicholls turned a couple for me a few years ago. We gave them as gifts to our sons. They still use them.  I have a few that have been gifts from other wood guys. They get used regularly.

 

8 hours ago, HandyDan said:

Printing was always the best way for me to go for as long as I can remember.  I even print when writing checks except for the signature.

Me too Dan...goes back to my wrench turning days I guess completing work orders, shop tickets, parts tickets etc...carried over into my manufacturing days doing reports & other paper work etc. teaching classes (chalk boards & eventually white boards)...actually in HS and Tech college I pretty much always printed as well...

On ‎4‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 9:15 AM, Chips N Dust said:

I stopped cursive writing in high school - I couldn't read my own writing.

I think it was my 4th grade teacher who told my parents to do every future teacher I would have a favor and buy me a typewriter!