8 week pen hoard

As mentioned in my post on "What's New In Your Life", while I was staying abroad, I sat on Ebay and made a big number of purchases. Here's what came out:

 

 

Edited by marcshiman, 14 September 2014 - 06:31 PM.

Marc, that is quite a haul!  Think I bid against you on a couple of those.

In another life, I'll be made of money, too. Congrats, I think.

Marc Can I ask why you buy the pens? ie. Just for collection re-sale repair etc. I buy quite a lot of pens mainly to repair. I usually wish to retain 1 or 2 pens for various reasons eg. superb writers, appeal to the eye, fit in with a perceived collection etc. My problem is disposing my surplus pens. I have tried E Bay and end up losing about 50% of purchase price after repairing and making the pen look superb. Obviously I can't keep taking such a loss indefinitely. I want to continue honing my repair skills but how do I make it pay?

Widget, the entire lot is for the purpose of selling at shows (minus one or two that will go firmly into my collection). 95% of those pens are ones I like having, so I'm not feeling a lot of urgency to sell them if they don't sell at the show - that's why I wouldn't ebay them, and risk losing money. I've taken big losses selling on Ebay as well. I'd much rather sell on the Green Board, or FPN (a friend does the selling for me).

 

At shows I haven't sold so much in the past, and they are a little expensive to get to - but I enjoy the relationships and then I build customers that way. Over the years, my best selling has been with people I originally met at shows and now I know well - I actually send them a tray of pens they have an interest in, with a return label. They send back the ones they don't want with a check for the rest. I think there's no better way to buy a pen than to use it in your own home, with your own ink, and your own paper. Without someone standing over you while you try it. 

 

Just about every pen in there is a project of sorts - missing clips, missing nibs, etc. Repair jobs too, although I don't buy with cracks (except for that oversize cathay Doric). Finding parts is the next part of the hunt:

 

2xParker Duofold O/S clips

1xWingflow nib

1x #6 Tempoint nib

1x Doric O/S nib (I might have that one)

1x Lebeouf clip

1x Swan RHR barrel

... you get the idea

 

The two I will keep are the Swan in the second row (#8) and the BCHR in the 3rd row (#6) - the latter is a Bankers Masterpen, one of Schnell's products before he started his own company. 

I'm not a very good sales person.  I think I am just too honest.  I sold a pen on E Bay and the chap asked if he could pay cash on collection as he only lived a mile away.  He was going away for a week but on his return he called for the pen.  It was a MB 22 clearly described.  When he saw the pen his face dropped.  I provided him with ink ,paper and tissues.  He filled the pen and it looked awful in his big beefy hands.  I showed him my MB 146 in Burgundy and he loved it until I told him the price.  I had some P51's that I wanted to sell but after inking about 10 of them (I had to flush them all after he had gone) he decided that only a MB 146 would do.  I got him a 146 and charged him exactly what I paid for it.  Lot of work no profit.

Love your idea of sending a tray of pens but postage would be prohibitive in the UK but great if you live near by and can deliver and collect.  Wish someone would send me a tray of pens.  No forget that I've about 3 trays I haven't test writen yet.

Widget,

 

There are a couple of rules to make that work - one is that you really have to know the person. Never someone who I just corresponded with by mail. Someone who has bought pens from me before, or traded with me. That's why the pen shows are so valuable, because you meet people. At the very least, they have to come recommended by someone I know and trust deeply. 

 

You don't have to be dishonest to be a good salesperson. You just have to know your customer and what they like. If your product is as good as you say, usually its as simple as putting the right pen in the right person's hands. The rest happens by itself. 

I wasn't implying you had to be dishonest but I said 'You can't buy that pen it looks ridiculous'. I think most people would have kept their thoughts to themselves. My tact button is a little off. Another of my symptoms. As it happens he bought the 22 because he loved the way it wrote. He just posts it so it looks OK

I don't know if its true that most people would have kept their thoughts to themselves. A good salesperson knows his customer and knows what works for them. Maybe I would have said "Are you sure you are comfortable with that? It looks a little small for your hand" - but just the same, I'd try to steer them towards a pen that works better for them. The trouble comes when they want a pen that you don't have - then you have to make a choice. Do you try to sell them something that sort of meets their profile or do you help them find another seller that has what meets their profile? Again, I prefer to guide them to someone else.

 

The question is that now that you've built goodwill with this particular customer, have you contacted him when you've got other pens that fit his profile? If you don't take advantage later of having broken even on a deal to make someone happy, then its a lost opportunity.

 

I would think that a key to being successful selling pens is to establish repeat buyers. But there are others that frequent these boards that know better than me.

What are the two pens (6 and 7) in the second row between the Conklins and the Swan?  I don't recognize the plastic. 

What are the two pens (6 and 7) in the second row between the Conklins and the Swan?  I don't recognize the plastic. 

Very expensive, very rare - one is a prototype, no name on it. 

 

Wearevers. Deluxe 100. 

 

They have the gold-nib-in-a-steel-holder thing which is cool I guess. 

 

I am buying NY/NJ pens and unfortunately that includes Wearever. I'm trying to find some that I don't hate. I still need a Pacemaker, I've lost a few shots at them on the bay.

lmao, that explains why I don't recognize the plastic.  I throw all of the Wearevers in the parts box.

 

Row three, pens five and six, between the Lebeoufs and the Wahls?

Next to the Lebeouf are 4 Diamond Points including the little one (5). 

 

The BHCR pen is a Bankers Masterpen

Nowt wrong with Wearevers if you take them in context. Just cheap pens that work passably. Anyway, I'd sooner have a Wearever than their excruciatingly bad British equivalent - the Platignum.