Selling On Fpn

September 20, 2009

I am considering selling some of my pens on FPN to help finance additional purchases of--you guessed it--pens! I would appreciate any experiences sellers would share in this topic or if you prefer through personal message. I do have a Paypal account which I have used to buy items, but I'm not sure if I have it configured for sales.

I'm not in a hurry to sell anything, so I'll be giving this topic plenty of time to germinate. Thanks to all who join in.

September 20, 2009

Clear descriptions, a mention of shipping cost and lots of photos would be my recommendations.

Yuki

Some of my amateur photography · September 20, 2009

Dimensions of pens including capped, posted and unposted for those who are not familiar with that particular pen.

September 20, 2009

1. Clear, closeup pictures, especially those of potential problem areas, i.e. nib, cap lip, etc.

2. A writing sample from each pen. Describe the ink & paper being used for sample.

3. State if it's strictly for sale or if you're open to trades. Be sure to clearly state if the price is/isn't inclusive of shipping, preferred method of payment, and if you're willing to ship to our overseas members.

September 21, 2009

Thanks to everyone who has responded so far! I also wanted to invite comments on preparing items for sale as well. What's the most/least you should do?

Thanks again!

September 21, 2009

Since you're not in a hurry, I'd suggest cleaning the pens you plan to sell, letting them sit for a few days, and then cleaning them again. I don't know where it comes from, but it's sometimes amazing the ink which will come out of a pen which was carefully cleaned before it was put up. While I'm willing to clean pens when they arrive, getting a really clean formerly owned pen is a big plus.

Get some PVC pipe for shipping if the pen is coming without a very sturdy box.

For your own convenience, once you've decided on the shipping method you'll use, become familiar with the carrier's requirements now, especially if you're willing to ship overseas. There's nothing more frustrating than thinking you're ready to get something on its way and then discovering there's some other form which needs to be completed.

September 22, 2009

I don't know where it comes from, but it's sometimes amazing the ink which will come out of a pen which was carefully cleaned before it was put up.

I've noticed that as well. I suspect the magical ink is caught in the upper part between the nib and the feed.

Yuki

September 23, 2009

Hi again!

I also welcome recommendations for how to set a fair market value. Where do you look to research prices for items you offer for sale? What sales practices do you consider unethical?

Within the standards of the FPN and the forum, your honest comments are welcome. Thanks again!

September 23, 2009

Two thoughts:

1) expect to photograph it twice: you ALWAYS see a blotch you thought you washed away, and photos never lie, especially when the image is bigger than the pen. On the other hand, for all but perfect, super-valuable pens, don't worry about the perfect photo -- just take good pics and describe it accurately.

2) selling on eBay and selling on FPN are very different experiences. I've found that I don't go for the absolute highest price I could achieve when selling on FPN, because I'm dealing among friends. So I generally find what I think is a fair price and include domestic shipping. Sure, I lose a little money 4-5 times a year, but probably make it back in purchases and in fees I don't pay to eBay. My view...

Tim

September 23, 2009

Let me underscore points made by previous posters ---

Lots of information: descriptions + photos.

Someone who is moderately interested will become more interested when given the opportunity to learn more about the pen. If someone has previously posted a pen review on FPN, you can reference this review in your ad, preferably giving a link. If you want to be completely ethical about including the review, you can explicitly state that you didn't write the review but you agree/disagree with it.

Information is always helpful to a prospective buyer.

September 25, 2009

I want to reaffirm one of Tim's statements above: on the occasions I list something for sale on FPN, I set a price lower than what I'd guess to be market value.

I learned this lesson from my experiences as a buyer on the marketplace. Over and over, I have bought items

*cheaper than I could have found them elsewhere;

*in better condition than I could have found them elsewhere; and

*from a better informed seller than I could have found elsewhere.

One of my favorite pens is a Bexley Simplicity that I bought on the cheap last spring from an excellent FPNer who--oops--forgot to tell me that the pen came with blank warranty papers and--double-oops--with a almost unused Binderized nib & Richard's handwritten note.

Then there was my first trade, when the FPNer offered me a choice of two nice pens for mine, got busy and couldn't ship fast enough for her own satisfaction (no problem for me!), and so sent me BOTH pens.

Last month I traded for my first P51, and the FPNer simply threw in a P21 with a nice fine nib.

When I reflect on these experiences and look back on my first sale posts, I'm embarrassed by the prices--sure, they would have been good prices on that auction site, but not among folk like those FPNers I refer to above. Some here may earn a part of their incomes on the marketplace, so they may need to price differently. And of course when the proceeds benefit a charity, price it high! But we amateurs (emphasis on the amo, amas, amat) who are only shuffling pens around and can afford it might let our prices reflect the generosity of the forum, as so many do.