U.s-Based Vendor's Strategy

[k3eax]

xFountainPen's strategy in coping with competition from Chinese vendors on eBay of Jinhao's X450 and x750 pens is interesting. xFountainPens has applied its own label "Bulow" to these pens, given German names to the various color options, and claims that while the original price was $49.99 the pens can now be had for $14.99.

 

http://www.xfountainpens.com/collections/bulow-fountain-pens-1

Edited October 2, 2015 by k3eax

[amarjit]

i wonder who would have bought it @ $49.99

[deepak23]

And who continues to buy it at 14.99 when you can have 6 X450s for the price...

 

http://m.ebay.com/itm/Luxurious-Delicate-Gift-New-Jinhao-X450-Fountain-Pen-Black-Medium-Nib-Gold-Trim-/381244813356?nav=SEARCH

[k3eax]

And who continues to buy it at 14.99 when you can have 6 X450s for the price...

 

http://m.ebay.com/itm/Luxurious-Delicate-Gift-New-Jinhao-X450-Fountain-Pen-Black-Medium-Nib-Gold-Trim-/381244813356?nav=SEARCH

 

 

What six for $14.99, that's outrageously high when a x450 can be had on eBay for as little as $.99/freeshipping to many countries.

Edited October 2, 2015 by k3eax

[richardandtracy]

How much are people prepared to pay for compliance with US sales regulations, distance selling regs, having a vendor in country and the certain knowledge they can send it back if not right, etc? It appears the answer is $14.00.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

PS

They may also be paying a bit for their ignorance, too...

[k3eax]

 

 

What six for $14.99, that's outrageously high when a x450 can be had on eBay for as little as $.99/freeshipping to many countries.

To wit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Students-Collectable-Vintage-Fountain-Pen-Medium-Nib-Black-Gold-Stainless-/351462897432?hash=item51d4d23718

[jvcn]

One sees a comparable difference in retail outlets that sell pens at full price vs. those who sell on Amazon. The markets are not the same and can support largish differences in price.

 

Frankly if not for my recent good experiences with Jinhao, I would have paid the xfountainpens price for something that can be returned. A decade or so ago, I bought half a dozen Wing Sungs very cheaply off the auction site and found that four of them were terrible writers and the other two merely mediocre. There were no returns and I gave all away. Pens I bought in China directly at that time were about fifty-fifty bad. Today there are better vendors and it's reasonable to play fp roulette if they're cheap enough.

 

But there's always room for someone to charge a markup for service, speed, and convenience.

[Dickkooty2]

How much are people prepared to pay for compliance with US sales regulations, distance selling regs, having a vendor in country and the certain knowledge they can send it back if not right, etc? It appears the answer is $14.00.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

PS

They may also be paying a bit for their ignorance, too...

Richard,

 

It would seem the business model of rebranding a JInhao as a Bulow and then establishing a high retail price to undercut is being followed by xFountainPen. The price is established by offering the Bulow on the xFountainpen

store siteand then offering the cut price on amazon as a different seller. Both listings are In Pittsburg, PA

 

This can be seen more clearly with the Nemosine brand and its many attractive offerings. They are well-presented on the xFountainpen site at the msrp with this caveat : Lower prices may be obtained from our stockists. There is only one stockist and it is the Amazon listing. And it is in Pittsburg PA ... the same guys.

 

It would be interesting to know which Chinese company from which China (PRC or CPR) is producing the product. Maybe a keen-eyed follower can spot the models. To my eye, The Nemosines are a more sophisticated design than the one might expect.

 

It may be that spotting the original is not possible unlike the Bulow/Jihao 450. It may be the Nemosine is a special for Pittsburg only. Maybe the Bulow was the test market.

 

Dick

[k3eax]

Dick, while "Bulow" ---- excuse me, I can't seem to get an umlaut over the u --- is definately a house-brand name used by xFountain Pen, I don't believe that is the case with Nemosine. I might add that while xFountain Pen seems to favor Germanic-sounding names for its house-brand, the name Nemosine is definitely Greek, the goddess of memory--- 'hem, if I recall correctly.

Edited October 7, 2015 by k3eax

[Dickkooty2]

Dick, while "Bulow" ---- excuse me, I can't seem to get an umlaut over the u --- is definately a house-brand name used by xFountain Pen, I don't believe that is the case with Nemosine. I might add that while xFountain Pen seems to favor Germanic-sounding names for its house-brand, the name Nemosine is definitely Greek, the goddess of memory--- 'hem, if I recall correctly.

Yes, and a variant on the popular notebook brand Mnemosyne

[richardandtracy]

It wouldn't surprise me if Nemosine is actually an xFountainpens own design with manufacturing subcontracted to a company like the Shanghai Shulong Stationery Gifts company (who make Yiren/Bookworm) with imported QA requirements. I looked at them vaguely once for making pens and goggled. For a novel design they had a minimum order of 1 week's production, or 130000 pens!!!!!!!! For a special finish on one of their existing pens, 1 hour's production, or 10000 pens whichever was the greater.

 

I am sure this is the production model adopted by Italix, though I suspect both Italix and xFountainpens have found Chinese suppliers with smaller minimum orders.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[bobje]

Richard,

Those pen manufacturing volumes and minimum orders are very helpful to know -- thank you. This was an illuminating piece of Italix manufacturing information from Peter Ford, appearing in the goodwriterspens forum in June 2014. The Apple iPhone, probably the most successful product of this decade, is manufactured in China, so there's certainly something to be said for the model. But from this response, it looks like the "Far East" isn't China or Hong Kong. Taiwan maybe?

Bob

 

http://goodwriterspens.com/2014/01/18/todays-uploads-and-more-on-the-parsons-italix/

 

Peter Ford says:

June 1, 2014 at 4:23 pm

Not one of our Italix range of pens is made in China (PRC) or Hong Kong for that matter. We see no reason to assist competitors as to where we source the production on our pens, however if it dispels some rumours: The Italix Originalis is made entirly in the UK, the Imperium and Imperious are German, the Pasza range are UK made, the profession series are UK made. All the nibs are converted in the Italix workshop, boxing, instruction leaflets and final presentation are all done in the UK. We have nothing against Chinese pens and if the right model of the right quality comes along we would not hesitate to commission it. However Chinese design has so far not excited us too much, we prefer to offer a more classical look. Hope this helps. One last point we probably make more of our pens than Cross, Sheaffer and a few major brands do. MrPen

[richardandtracy]

Hmm, interesting.

 

There is a lot unsaid in that statement too. However, with my engineer hat on I have to say 'whatever works best'.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[richila]

Obviously Xfountain is undercharging. His Nibs is charging $35.00 for the X450.

[k3eax]

Obviously Xfountain is undercharging. His Nibs is charging $35.00 for the X450.

 

Obviously at that price the service is especially "excellent". Perhaps it's delivered by liveried messenger to your home?

[Drone]

Obviously Xfountain is undercharging. His Nibs is charging $35.00 for the X450.

 

His Nibs charges $25 for the Pilot 78G. There's one born every day...

[Ink Stained Wretch]

 

His Nibs charges $25 for the Pilot 78G. There's one born every day...

 

:lticaptd: :lticaptd: