Thinking Of Buying A Desiderata Pen Instead Of A Waterman 52

[Cob]

Another word on postal prices from the USA to UK.

 

Finishing today on eBay is a tempting pen indeed: a Waterman's 14 eye-dropper; pricey enough most likely it will be, but the seller is outrageously asking $43.50 for US priority International postage.

 

PIRATE!

 

If I were shipping the pen to him I would charge £8.50 ($13.00) and bear the little bit extra for insurance myself.

 

What's the matter? Is it a case of "greed is good?"

 

Cob

[domnortheast]

£28 postage! Ouch! I reckon it will go for over £100GBP (it's up to £63 already with 4 hours to go), then there's the Royal Mail 'handling fee' on top of that.

Edited January 13, 2015 by domnortheast

[Cob]

£28 postage! Ouch! I reckon it will go for over £100GBP (it's up to £63 already with 4 hours to go), then there's the Royal Mail 'handling fee' on top of that.

Yes the whole things ridiculous.

 

There will of course be the great customs malarkey at the other end if one does not have to pay customs here; I am very suspicious of that "long-range" customs racket.

 

Cob

[Cryptos]

Anyone ask the seller about other options?

[domnortheast]

USPS Priority Mail International^TM

 

My parcel from Goulet Pens last week was sent USPS Priority Mail International (the same as this seller is using) & was $12 (£8)....maybe they are offering even 'better' packaging than GPs. Perhaps they wrap their pens in a protective layer of concrete prior to shipping

[Cob]

Anyone ask the seller about other options?

Well he's only offering the normal service most sellers provide. For that money I want the National Guard to escort it to the airport, and then delivery by car from the US Embassy in London!

 

I once queried postal costs from the USA with an eBay seller - he wanted $44 to ship something (not pens). He replied "Do you expect me to swim across the Atlantic with it on my back?"

 

Sod him.

 

I found a supplier for those particular goods in California and he shipped them for $11,00

 

I think that this pen is a case in point.

 

Cob

[Cob]

USPS Priority Mail International^TM

 

My parcel from Goulet Pens last week was sent USPS Priority Mail International (the same as this seller is using) & was $12 (£8)....maybe they are offering even 'better' packaging than GPs. Perhaps they wrap their pens in a protective layer of concrete prior to shipping

QED

 

Cob

[PrestoTenebroso]

It's easy to get upset at high shipping costs, but the truth is, and I don't know who this guy is, so I'm not covering his ass for him, US postal service shipping can be complicated and extremely expensive.

 

If you want to ship "Priority Mail International", the base price for a small box is about $21.

If you want it in 3-5 days, the base price starts at $36.

If you want additional insurance (and there's no way I'd ship a vintage pen without it), add some more.

 

Factor in packaging costs, and you can see the price elevate.

Goulet pens either had a bargain somehow, or they ate that difference in cost.

 

I'm not saying he's not hosing you. But I am saying USPS shipping can get very expensive. For boxes under a pound, all the private carriers are even worse.

 

I charge $15 for international first class shipping on my Etsy page, and I updated the www.DesiderataPens.com site to be the same. (Sorry about that. Oversight.) That $15 has to cover packaging, what it would cost to pay a guy to box up the order (me), shipping costs, and any insurance.

 

Sometimes I do okay asking for $15 shipping. Sometimes I'm the one getting hosed.

 

I don't know about that fellow, but calculating shipping costs per item, per order and not doing it flat rate gets obscene. That's why I stopped doing it.

 

I could print up the labels manually, and make a weekly trip to the nearest Post Office a mile away, wait in line and fill out every customs form manually (because you have to) and wait for the clerk to type in every address manually, ask me the same legal disclaimer questions every time, pay for it on my card, and then either credit my customers the surplus money or back bill them–charge for the difference from the flat rate.

 

That works fine if you're shipping one package every once in a while, but if you ship several orders every week, you get tired of that fast. When it comes down to it, it's about opportunity cost.

 

!

 

When I have to budget my time, I need to ask myself, what makes more customers happier?

How is my time best spent?

 

Making pens, or waiting in line at the post office?

 

*drops mic*

 

 

USPS Priority Mail International^TM

 

My parcel from Goulet Pens last week was sent USPS Priority Mail International (the same as this seller is using) & was $12 (£8)....maybe they are offering even 'better' packaging than GPs. Perhaps they wrap their pens in a protective layer of concrete prior to shipping

 

 

Another word on postal prices from the USA to UK.

 

Finishing today on eBay is a tempting pen indeed: a Waterman's 14 eye-dropper; pricey enough most likely it will be, but the seller is outrageously asking $43.50 for US priority International postage.

 

PIRATE!

 

If I were shipping the pen to him I would charge £8.50 ($13.00) and bear the little bit extra for insurance myself.

 

What's the matter? Is it a case of "greed is good?"

 

Cob

 

 

QED

 

Cob

[Cob]

OK here's how I do it.

 

I do this for a hobby; and luckily I do not keep accounts! I love pens, and I love fiddling with them, getting them to write nicely and to look at least respectable. And then very often, but not always, I sell them on. I say not always because I now have about 60 writing pens (why?) and a pile of dead 'uns.

 

I live in England. For anything I send in the UK I charge £2.50 for Royal Mail first class signed for. That means I make a gross profit of 47p on each posting; I recycle all the packaging and provide the tape and a printed "thank-you" in each package. I queue at the Post Office.

 

All the foreign stuff goes at a flat rate of £8.50 - Royal Mail International signed; each item usually costs between £8.20 - £8.80.

 

I will not send out anything in unsigned-for post because then I have no cover at all. For items worth over £50 I bear the cost of the extra insurance myself.

 

As for Mr $43, I would add to my previous remarks that I think I should expect the pen to be delivered by hand of officer (not below the rank of Major) with receipts in triplicate at every hand-over stage.

 

Cob

Edited January 13, 2015 by Cob

[dannystr78]

IMO, if you only want a pen for flexing, I would go with a Desiderata pen. You simply can't replicate that kind of action even in a vintage nib. However, if you want a pen that does multiple things (writes as well as great flex), then a vintage pen is best. If you can restore them yourself, just keep buying, restoring, selling until you get the one you want. Of course, that takes a bit a time, but if you like working with pens it's fun.

 

As to shipping charges, cheap shippers either have some deal with a shipping service (and thus ship vast quantities that a typical seller could never produce) or they use US First Class. It is far less reliable than Priority and still not very cheap ($14 or so to most places) unless you are just sending a card. Priority shipping is at least $20+. First class could get there in a month. Priority will get almost anywhere in 7-10 business days. The old days of shipping from the US anymore cheaply is simply not possible. They did away with cheaper options several years ago when they realized that the US postal service was heading for some serious financial difficulties. A couple years ago I bought a sweater from the UK, but it didn't fit. If I wanted to return it, it would have cost me almost as much as I paid for the sweater. The shipping from the UK cost me $6. In other words, it's not our fault!!! It's the blasted shipping rates. Just ask a Canadian about shipping rates. We've got it made comparatively.

[BookCat]

I've bought a vintage Waterman which I found in the classifieds. Problem solved.

 

I've seen some disgusting shipping prices asked by ebay sellers; I don't even look at the listing, it's not worth it.

[PrestoTenebroso]

IMO, if you only want a pen for flexing, I would go with a Desiderata pen. You simply can't replicate that kind of action even in a vintage nib. However, if you want a pen that does multiple things (writes as well as great flex), then a vintage pen is best. If you can restore them yourself, just keep buying, restoring, selling until you get the one you want. Of course, that takes a bit a time, but if you like working with pens it's fun.

 

As to shipping charges, cheap shippers either have some deal with a shipping service (and thus ship vast quantities that a typical seller could never produce) or they use US First Class. It is far less reliable than Priority and still not very cheap ($14 or so to most places) unless you are just sending a card. Priority shipping is at least $20+. First class could get there in a month. Priority will get almost anywhere in 7-10 business days. The old days of shipping from the US anymore cheaply is simply not possible. They did away with cheaper options several years ago when they realized that the US postal service was heading for some serious financial difficulties. A couple years ago I bought a sweater from the UK, but it didn't fit. If I wanted to return it, it would have cost me almost as much as I paid for the sweater. The shipping from the UK cost me $6. In other words, it's not our fault!!! It's the blasted shipping rates. Just ask a Canadian about shipping rates. We've got it made comparatively.

For the record, Desiderata pens can be daily writers too! For non flex, just pull out the flex nib, and swap in a firm one.

[Cob]

I've bought a vintage Waterman which I found in the classifieds. Problem solved.

 

I've seen some disgusting shipping prices asked by ebay sellers; I don't even look at the listing, it's not worth it.

Absolutely; I couldn't agree more.

 

This pen is likely to be a touch expensive for me, but I would have bid for it had the seller been charging reasonable shipping. As it is, not a chance! And as for the point about about US Postal rates there are sellers - not only professionals - who charge reasonable rates - and one does not have to wait a month or so (outrageous in this day and age).

 

Cob

Edited January 13, 2015 by Cob

[KBeezie]

Far as shipping goes, I've found it tends to cost more shipping out than it does coming in.

 

At a minimum I usually cannot go lower than $15 to ship outside of the United States (Canada between $8 and $13 for first class parcel), and that's just for first class mail which does take longer and offers no means of tracking. Priority mail will not cost less than $21-25, and insurance is not included on the small flat rate box (only medium and up), also tracking doesn't work once it leaves the United States depending on the destination. For paypal protection on international, you usually have to pay extra for a shipping method that can state whether or not the item was delivered.

 

On the flip side, I can order something from Japan, pay about $12 to $15 for shipping and it'll be at my door roughly 3 to 4 days later. Most packages will be in my hands, before my package has even left the country on it's way to Japan (tested this when I did a trade).

[Cryptos]

I am in total accord with Cob on this, and shipping is obviously an issue to those of us far from US markets. There are some highly respected sellers of very expensive pens - including vintage - who sell on eBay and charge very reasonable shipping costs. My stance is that if they can do it, so can anyone else. They also sell enough pens to class themselves far beyond the occasional seller.

 

One thing I would like to add, and I think this is important, is that if you are selling to an enormous target audience then perhaps you can be less concerned with complaints about shipping. After all, there's loads more customers out there. However, when you move into niche products, particularly the type that become associated with the hobbyist, and people start to get to know who is who on a more personal level, then it behooves the seller to cultivate that relationship. Charging high shipping prices to people you have taken time to get to know just doesn't wash. In my humblest of opinions, natch.

 

 

 

Ps. Cob, it was refreshing to see some good old English slang. Nobody here in NZ would ever say 'sod them'.

[Cob]

I am in total accord with Cob on this, and shipping is obviously an issue to those of us far from US markets. There are some highly respected sellers of very expensive pens - including vintage - who sell on eBay and charge very reasonable shipping costs. My stance is that if they can do it, so can anyone else. They also sell enough pens to class themselves far beyond the occasional seller.

 

One thing I would like to add, and I think this is important, is that if you are selling to an enormous target audience then perhaps you can be less concerned with complaints about shipping. After all, there's loads more customers out there. However, when you move into niche products, particularly the type that become associated with the hobbyist, and people start to get to know who is who on a more personal level, then it behooves the seller to cultivate that relationship. Charging high shipping prices to people you have taken time to get to know just doesn't wash. In my humblest of opinions, natch.

 

 

 

Ps. Cob, it was refreshing to see some good old English slang. Nobody here in NZ would ever say 'sod them'.

 

Thanks for that. Yes I have suspected that some of the ES sellers are not very interested in selling abroad - and raise the prices to put people like me off. And the customs and Royal Mail's "handling fee" puts us off as well - that of course in not the sellers' fault.

 

As for "sod them" of course I have a range of suitable expletives in my olde Englishe armoury.

 

And as a parting shot, last night I bought a working (said to be anyway) Onoto; the price was almost exactly the same as shipping charge on the Waterman's 14...

 

Cob

[Limner]

I'mma just leave this here: USPS International Postage Rate Calculator. I set it for England, but you can change it to any country you want.

 

(I'll add that, as a former Etsy-shop owner, shipping packages internationally from the States can be a nightmare. The USPS is a "quasi-government agency"--it doesn't receive revenue from taxes, only from sales of postage, and seems like it's constantly on the verge of bankruptcy, which may explain the exorbitant rates but doesn't excuse them--IMHO).

[domnortheast]

I'mma just leave this here: USPS International Postage Rate Calculator. I set it for England, but you can change it to any country you want.

 

(I'll add that, as a former Etsy-shop owner, shipping packages internationally from the States can be a nightmare. The USPS is a "quasi-government agency"--it doesn't receive revenue from taxes, only from sales of postage, and seems like it's constantly on the verge of bankruptcy, which may explain the exorbitant rates but doesn't excuse them--IMHO).

Hmm.... $24.75 for Priority Mail International small flat rate box. Better than $43 which seems to be the rate for standard Priority Mail International. A bit more like it but still twice the rate Goulet Pens charged and $10 more than from Desiderata.

I think the points about not needing to sell outside the country of origin are quite pertinent, why make an effort to ship internationally when there is sufficient demand nationally..and maybe that goes for the thinking behind the pricing structure of USPS too.

 

I am intrigued now to see how much it would cost to send the same package the other way across the Atlantic.

Edited January 14, 2015 by domnortheast

[dannystr78]

A company like Goulet can get better rates because of the volume that they ship.

[Cryptos]

Domnortheast, it typically costs me NZ $14 to ship to the US - that doesn't included packaging material costs - so at today's exchange rate that's about US$11. We are a tiny little country (National pop. 4 million) and yet still manage to ship worldwide for less than the financial colossus that is the USA. Funny that.

Edited January 14, 2015 by Cryptos