Is It Possible To Stretch $70 To Start Pen Repair For Profit?

[orangejuiceguy]

as found before, im 16, and only have $70 in my pocket. ive been trying to get a job, to no luck as of yet. is there any way i can stretch this money to be able to start up and run the buisness? i want to use it as a money making source... so i can get more pen stuffs!(and other stuff i keep glaring at) my parents arent helping with funding, so its going to have to work :/

it'll get me money faster, because i dont think repairing pens goes to the extent of having restricted work hours haha.

 

[Brian C]

You won't make enough to make a living. You could probably start with Parker 51 aerometrics from ebay. Get a few and clean them up and sell the here. You might be able to make enough to buy some more tools. If you're lucky you'll make enough to pay for the hobby. I wouldn't count on more,

[Dr.Grace]

Yes, it takes a fair amount of money to buy the necessary tools, to buy old pens to practice on, and to accumulate enough spare parts. You would have to make a big investment. You'd have to go to pen shows and become known and respected on fountain pen boards like this one. It would take quite a while before you could start making money.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Let's put it this way.

 

Right now there's a member in the Esterbrook forum who will resac your Estie for free.

 

Can you beat free?

 

Your could probably double your money each time buying an Esterbrook (right one, right price) on Fleabay

and doing an Exceptional Job restoring it and resell for 2x what you paid for it. The materials to get started

on that might be $25. The problem is, your rate per hour would stink.

 

You want my suggestion? (I KNEW you did )

 

Research on-line for dog walking services or pet sitting (you visit/feed/defeed). The initial outlay would be small

and there should be some market in all but smaller towns.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Paul Raposo]

I don't like to be a Debbie Downer, so I'll say anything is possible. People have started with less, and made more.

 

Pen repairing as a viable career is quite possible, as several members here can attest to. However, they have decades of experience, workshops full of tools, parts and materials; and more importantly--great reputations.

 

I would suggest using that $75 to find some pens in need of simple repair, possibly at yard sales, or flea markets, and repairing them, and selling them for a profit.

 

I usually make $5 to $10 on the each pen I sell. Not much, but I'm not looking at this as a business. Plus, where I live is pretty dry place for vintage pens. You may have more luck in your area, and within your state, and America as a whole.

 

Whatever your decision, don't try going it alone. Most successes are a team effort. Whether that team is 1000 strong, or just your immediate family, having cheerleaders behind you makes the difference.

 

That said, stop talking about it, and go do it. At the very least, you'll make some mistakes, and know what not to do next time.

[orangejuiceguy]

thanks for the help, and i don't know if it came out wrong or something. i wasn't planning on making a living off of it, rather something to help afford things. small income is better than new income. and i mean, whats better than getting the satisfaction of bringing one back from the dead?

[orangejuiceguy]

and im not sure, but wouldn't it be possible to sell and buy on ebay too? i mean i feel that if i buy vintage pens from there and sold them there, it would be alot easier to sell right off and build a reputation from that; and once i get good at it, i can offer my services when they are needed.

[FarmBoy]

At 16 you are not allowed by the user agreement to hold an eBay account. You would likely lose money quickly buying and selling on eBay until you are an established seller. I doubt your available capital is enough to accomplish this in any reasonable time frame.

 

If you do go down the pen selling road you may want to consider proof reading your sales ads with an eye toward proper capitalization and punctuation. Another eye on the auto complete feature would be good.

[Chrissy]

as found before, im 16, and only have $70 in my pocket. ive been trying to get a job, to no luck as of yet. is there any way i can stretch this money to be able to start up and run the buisness? i want to use it as a money making source... so i can get more pen stuffs!(and other stuff i keep glaring at) my parents arent helping with funding, so its going to have to work :/

it'll get me money faster, because i dont think repairing pens goes to the extent of having restricted work hours haha.

 

The short answer is sadly no.

 

Nor can you buy or sell on ebay at age 16

[Ron Z]

Are you talking about buying pens and flipping them to make money, or about a repair business repairing other peoples pens? If the later, you lack one significant component - experience.

There is a large gap between buying pens, restoring them, and then selling them for profit, and taking other peoples pens in for repair. When you open a repair business the level of responsibility goes up in quantum leaps. Do you really know how to repair the pens? Are you prepared to say "no, I don't know how to do that?" If you break your own pen, it hurts but it's really no big deal. A different matter when its a clients. Are you prepared to replace a pen or a part when you break a pen. Notice I said not if, but when. The cost of breaking someone else's pen can be significant, either in replacement cost or time to do an advanced repair, and you can't just say "well that happens." Anybody can resac a pen, but restoring a pen and especially running a pen repair business goes far beyond that.

I don't want to descourage you from either starting a business or repairing pens. But I've seen so many people hang out the shingle well before they were ready and either burn out or go down in flames that I would hate to see that happen to you. I started repairing pens in the late 80s, but didn't start taking in pens for repair (other than some for friends) until 2003. Even then, there were things that I wasn't prepared for.

Before you start, learn everything you can about repairing pens. If selling, make sure that you do a proper repair on the pens, not a hack job. Buy manuals, ask question, research before proceeding. Chances are you won't make much money at the start, but may have enough to plow back into the business and will eventually make enough profit to have some fun with the money.

BTW, this is my reference shelf. Copies of articles, manufacturers repair manuals, repair guides - Marshall/Oldfield and "Da Book." Then there's the digital content, and my own notebook full of sketches, measurements and notes... all taken while repairing pens for which there is no documentation. I do refer to them on a regular basis.

http://www.mainstreetpens.com/pix/referenceshelf.jpg

[Paul Raposo]

If the later, you lack one significant component - experience.

 

Anybody can resac a pen, but restoring a pen and especially running a pen repair business goes far beyond that.

 

Before you start, learn everything you can about repairing pens. If selling, make sure that you do a proper repair on the pens, not a hack job.

 

Probably the three most important statements that can be made about this.

 

About 60% of what I've learned about pen servicing, (as Rick, AKA talkinghead pointed out to me, there is a difference between fixing a pen, and simply servicing it,) I've learned directly from Ron, and the remainder of my education has come from FPN members sharing their experience and knowledge.

 

In the past few weeks I've serviced eight pens. None of them were broken, none needed to be repaired. That's the difference between me--a hobbyist--and Ron, who is a repairer of pens.

 

Everyone has given you great advice here, especially Ron and Farmboy, who is a brilliant repairer as well; who learned from the best, and continues to share his knowledge with us. Including me, just yesterday

 

I do think you can make some extra money servicing pens, and flipping them for a profit, pingo5. We all have to start somewhere, so I say learn as much as you can, do some work, and see where it takes you.

[Indy_Pen_Dance]

Ron pretty much nailed it. You will break pens, it happens but at the same time you are responsible as the pen is in your care. There is so much that can go wrong and can ruin you in an instant. Some days I just cringe knowing the value of some of the pens we handle and that are sitting in our queue. What happens if there is a fire or you spill ink and while running to get something to clean up the mess a Visconti Knights Templar Limited Edition falls off your work bench and breaks? Of course there is insurance, thank God, but it is expensive. Pens like that can be replaced, but pens of sentimental value cannot. What about a clients PFM that was given to him by his deceased wife, how do you replace that if something happens? Simply put, you cannot. Your seed money would not cover such an expense.

 

What if you are in the middle of restoring a customer's pen and you just cannot get it to work for whatever reason, need a part that you do not have or just need some encouraging support? You have to have some sort of network in place of people that are knowledgeable and are willing to offer assistance. They can also be worth more than all your tools combined.

 

I know you have read through a lot of posts that are discouraging. Please do not take it as a bunch of people trying to talk you out of your idea. Most of us are simply passing along some reality and things that 16 year olds do not normally think about. Personally I would like to see you work your way into this. It is rewarding and challenging, but it also needs the younger generations such as you to keep it alive in the future.

 

You of course have been told about eBay, so that option is out. So here is a suggestion for you, if you are truly serious about this. Go to garage sales and flea markets to look for some pens. Know your values so that you do not overpay. Carry a loupe and make sure the nib is good. Restore the pen properly, using quality parts such as the correct sacs. Place an ad in the classifieds here, providing good photos as well as a concise description. Include exactly what you have done to the pen. After restoring and selling a couple of pens, take a good look at how much money you made for your time and effort. Don't forget to include the time you spent looking for the pens. Unless you come across a couple of jewels for next to nothing, I think you will find that you will be making well below minimum wage. This is something you do because you are passionate about it and over time it just becomes a business. No matter what you do, I wish you the best of luck. Seeing the younger generations enjoying fountain pens is fantastic.

[crescentfiller]

"If you do go down the pen selling road you may want to consider proof reading your sales ads with an eye toward proper capitalization and punctuation. Another eye on the auto complete feature would be good." FarmBoy

 

 

 

While I would be the first to agree that proper English has its merits, I think FarmBoy's criticisms of the OP's writing are a bit harsh and, perhaps, misplaced. The OP was asking if the community thinks he can turn a profit on a $70 investment. He was asking about start-up costs and not about an overall business plan--and certainly not about his written communication skills. Good, clean prose would certainly enhance his communications; however, the lack of such style would not necessarily impede his success. Indeed, there is a well-known repairperson with consistently poor spelling, punctuation, and grammar, yet I have not seen criticism of that person's writing.

 

 

 

Pingo5, I agree with the folks who say that you could likely turn a profit buying and flipping pens on ebay, but I think an all-out repair service would take a far greater commitment.

 

Good luck in your endeavors!

[Chrissy]

Pingo5, I agree with the folks who say that you could likely turn a profit buying and flipping pens on ebay, but I think an all-out repair service would take a far greater commitment.

 

Good luck in your endeavors!

He can't buy or flip pens on ebay. He's only 16 and not old enough to have an ebay account

[Ron Z]

While I would be the first to agree that proper English has its merits, I think FarmBoy's criticisms of the OP's writing are a bit harsh and, perhaps, misplaced.

 

While freely admitting that I was always one of the first to sit down in spelling bees in school, and one who never could diagram a sentence, I disagree. We all make mistakes, some of us more frequently than others. But completely ignoring the conventions of communication is a barrier to many in that what it communicates may cause one to be a bit reluctant to do business with you.

 

 

[orangejuiceguy]

Ron pretty much nailed it. You will break pens, it happens but at the same time you are responsible as the pen is in your care. There is so much that can go wrong and can ruin you in an instant. Some days I just cringe knowing the value of some of the pens we handle and that are sitting in our queue. What happens if there is a fire or you spill ink and while running to get something to clean up the mess a Visconti Knights Templar Limited Edition falls off your work bench and breaks? Of course there is insurance, thank God, but it is expensive. Pens like that can be replaced, but pens of sentimental value cannot. What about a clients PFM that was given to him by his deceased wife, how do you replace that if something happens? Simply put, you cannot. Your seed money would not cover such an expense.

 

What if you are in the middle of restoring a customer's pen and you just cannot get it to work for whatever reason, need a part that you do not have or just need some encouraging support? You have to have some sort of network in place of people that are knowledgeable and are willing to offer assistance. They can also be worth more than all your tools combined.

 

I know you have read through a lot of posts that are discouraging. Please do not take it as a bunch of people trying to talk you out of your idea. Most of us are simply passing along some reality and things that 16 year olds do not normally think about. Personally I would like to see you work your way into this. It is rewarding and challenging, but it also needs the younger generations such as you to keep it alive in the future.

 

You of course have been told about eBay, so that option is out. So here is a suggestion for you, if you are truly serious about this. Go to garage sales and flea markets to look for some pens. Know your values so that you do not overpay. Carry a loupe and make sure the nib is good. Restore the pen properly, using quality parts such as the correct sacs. Place an ad in the classifieds here, providing good photos as well as a concise description. Include exactly what you have done to the pen. After restoring and selling a couple of pens, take a good look at how much money you made for your time and effort. Don't forget to include the time you spent looking for the pens. Unless you come across a couple of jewels for next to nothing, I think you will find that you will be making well below minimum wage. This is something you do because you are passionate about it and over time it just becomes a business. No matter what you do, I wish you the best of luck. Seeing the younger generations enjoying fountain pens is fantastic.

Thanks! this is what i was sorta looking for. i know the risks, pens break, stuff happens, and like i said before i don't want to start offering repairs to pens until ive gotten enough experience doing it myself... id rather repair pens and sell them like you said in the classified ads rather than offer repair service.

 

He can't buy or flip pens on ebay. He's only 16 and not old enough to have an ebay account

yes, i know, i know, but even if my parents wont help financially im sure they would buy through ebay for me... if that makes sense. i don't have to be 18 to browse ebay... browse ebay, give money to parents, they buy pen, or give pen to parents, and ask to put up on ebay or something like that...

 

Also aside from the quotes, I really didn't mean to come out as trying to start up off making a full size business. i was just wondering if i could somehow strech the money to get the ball rolling

Edited July 10, 2013 by pingo5

[orangejuiceguy]

Are you talking about buying pens and flipping them to make money, or about a repair business repairing other peoples pens? If the later, you lack one significant component - experience.

 

There is a large gap between buying pens, restoring them, and then selling them for profit, and taking other peoples pens in for repair. When you open a repair business the level of responsibility goes up in quantum leaps. Do you really know how to repair the pens? Are you prepared to say "no, I don't know how to do that?" If you break your own pen, it hurts but it's really no big deal. A different matter when its a clients. Are you prepared to replace a pen or a part when you break a pen. Notice I said not if, but when. The cost of breaking someone else's pen can be significant, either in replacement cost or time to do an advanced repair, and you can't just say "well that happens." Anybody can resac a pen, but restoring a pen and especially running a pen repair business goes far beyond that.

 

I don't want to descourage you from either starting a business or repairing pens. But I've seen so many people hang out the shingle well before they were ready and either burn out or go down in flames that I would hate to see that happen to you. I started repairing pens in the late 80s, but didn't start taking in pens for repair (other than some for friends) until 2003. Even then, there were things that I wasn't prepared for.

 

Before you start, learn everything you can about repairing pens. If selling, make sure that you do a proper repair on the pens, not a hack job. Buy manuals, ask question, research before proceeding. Chances are you won't make much money at the start, but may have enough to plow back into the business and will eventually make enough profit to have some fun with the money.

 

BTW, this is my reference shelf. Copies of articles, manufacturers repair manuals, repair guides - Marshall/Oldfield and "Da Book." Then there's the digital content, and my own notebook full of sketches, measurements and notes... all taken while repairing pens for which there is no documentation. I do refer to them on a regular basis.

 

http://www.mainstreetpens.com/pix/referenceshelf.jpg

it makes sense, you just can't replace other people's pens. but where im i going to find a flea market? im sure i can go downtown. theres a bunch of antique shops and thrift shops and stuff.

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

It's not going to be easy money at any rate. Also, the best restorers are often the ones who love what they do and spend time perfecting and learning about their methods. I started out repairing pens early on, but there are lots of times when you find that your methods or materials are not optimum for the repair that you would like to do. This has led to me recalling items and repairs and cutting out certain services that I used to offer since I don't think I would be able to provide them at an adequate standard of quality. Also, if you intend to have good customer service, there are many things to keep in mind. You may also have to spend a large amount of time tending to customer service issues which will further cut your profit. It's not easy to repair pens well or easy money to repair pens. I now have a policy of directing people to other people I trust who can repair certain things much better than my current methods and experience allow. Once I think I'm ready to release that kind of service, I will, and at a lower price and a disclaimer. There are also repairs that I have earned nothing on for various reasons including having to send them out to another restorer in another country whom I trust to do such repairs. If you like it and feel passionately that you would like to learn to do such things, I think you should try, but it's not really the best way to earn money. To be really honest, you can probably find a job that is more stable and consistent at an ice cream place or some such then moving up to a better job as you gain more job experience. Good luck!

 

Dillon

[DrCodfish]

Pingo:

 

This may not have been exactly what you were hoping for, but I hope it is not a total turn off for you. You've gotten valuable advice here from some of the premier folks in this industry(?) and it speaks volumes about the people who do this that they would take time to give you feedback on your questions. Imagine if you were thinking about opening up a computer shop; Do you think Steve Balmer, Paul Allen, or Bill Gates would give you feedback?

 

I want to encourage you to feed your entrepreneurial spirit. I can't tell you how gratifying it is to find someone, especially your age who is thinking about $70 in the pocket as a resource to be leveraged into something more, vs someone who complains that they only have $70 and see it as money to be spent. This valuable difference has been recognized for ages, and I applaud for being one in the former camp.

 

Buy a beater pen, fix it up and advertizse it here on the FPN classifieds and I promise to buy it.

 

For what it is worth, I thought the pet care idea for a small home based business was excellent. My sister did this more as a hobby as anything. She would visit peoples home and take care of their pets, even large animals, goats, horses etc. regulalry or when they were away on vacation. Feed, water, stall clean, out etc. Ultimately it became such a big business that she had to turn clients way. Low ovehead, a client base that obviously has money, no shortage of demand, folks willing to reward excellent service.

 

[crescentfiller]

"While freely admitting that I was always one of the first to sit down in spelling bees in school, and one who never could diagram a sentence, I disagree. We all make mistakes, some of us more frequently than others. But completely ignoring the conventions of communication is a barrier to many in that what it communicates may cause one to be a bit reluctant to do business with you. " Ron Zorn

 

 

 

Again, I think the criticism is misplaced. This young man was not asking for a critique of his writing. He specifically asked if $70 would be enough to start his project. Furthermore, we have no grounds to assume he is or was "completely ignoring the conventions of communication." This industrious young person was looking for a bit of friendly advice. So why attack him, especially if the same was not done to another writer who had no fewer than nine errors in one message? What's next? Will someone tell him to cut his hair because it project a better image? Will someone tell him to play a proper instrument, like the violin, and not the trombone? Until he asks for advice on his writing, common courtesy suggests we refrain from offering it.

 

Let's put our efforts into supporting and encouraging him instead!