Saving money on pencils is a must when you stock a variety of pencils in your business. From personalized pencils and carpenter pencils to mechanical pencils and colored pencils, find cost-effective solutions that'll save money on your business' budget.

To be a savvy shopper for pencils in a variety of styles, you must compare the prices of pencils offered by reputable suppliers and manufacturers. When you consider the types of pencils you need for your business, you should consider these tips to save money:

1. Buy personalized pencils in bulk as a cost-effective way to stock pencils for your business

2. Take advantage of special promotions, coupons and discounted shipping offers when you seek pencils for your unique needs.

3. Purchase prismacolor pencils, mechanical pencils and watercolor pencils direct from the manufacturer to avoid third party distributor fees.

Action Steps
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Buy bulk pencils for your business

Buying pencils in bulk allows you to receive the best prices for the pencils you need. Making bulk purchases of pencils also ensures that you stock an ample supply of pencils to meet customer demands and promotional needs.

I recommend: Order plain or custom pencils from ePromos.com for the best variety of pencils at competitive bulk price discounts. From scented pencils and color pencils to recycled pencils, ePromos.com has the selection you want at volume prices you can afford. Partner with Graphite Pen and Pencil Company to meet your bulk pencil needs. They stock quality pencils in a plethora of styles at volume price discounts.

Use coupons, discounts and shipping offers when you buy pencils

Take advantage of the discounts offered by suppliers and manufacturers of pencils. Coupons and shipping offers can often be used together for additional savings on the pencils you need.

I recommend: MisterArt.com offers color pencils, mechanical pencils and writing pencils at deep discounts. Order toll-free any time of day or night and take advantage of shipping specials. Branders.com offers a full spectrum of pencils in different styles and at discounted prices. Shipping specials and discounts for first-time customers are always offered.

Buy pencils factory-direct and save

Purchase pencils wholesale from the manufacturer for added discounts and to avoid the fees associated with pencil suppliers and distributors. Manufacturers of pencils often offer the lowest prices on bulk pencils and custom pencils and ship direct from the factory.

I recommend: Order pencils from Musgrave Pencil Company, a member of the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association, to meet your pencil needs. They offer pencils in a variety of styles and at closeout prices to save you money. Buy handcrafted pencils from General Pencil Company, a California-based manufacturer of pencils since 1889. They offer quality pencils and shipping discounts on qualifying orders.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Request samples of the pencils that interest you to ensure the quality of the pencils are up to standards before you commit to buying pencils in bulk.

Are you looking for a great giveaway item that costs pennies and has a high perceived value? Look no further than your common pencils. Think about all the different pencils such as carpenter pencils, personalized pencils, colored pencils, mechanical pencils and more. Everyone likes a giveaway, and personalized pencils make the perfect item because everyone uses them.

You can buy personalized pencils in bulk to giveaway to your customers and employees. Check to see which idea sounds right for your business:

1. Buy bulk pencils to keep on hand.

2. Buy personalized pencils.

3. Customize the pencils with your business information.

Action Steps
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Buy bulk pencils and keep them handy

Buying pencils in bulk means you always have them on hand. Personalized pencils in bulk cost less as well per pencil.

I recommend: Buying pencils in bulk is easy at Graphite Pen and Pencil Co. They have color pencils, custom pencils and children's pencils all in bulk for low prices. School-Pac Inc sells assorted bulk pencils for school needs. They even have Christmas and Halloween pencils as selections. Choose from the assorted designs they offer.

Choose personalized pencils for your business needs

Reward your employees for a job well done with a personalized pencil with her name on it. Alternatively, customize the pencil with 'Job Well Done' or a similar motivational phrase of your choice.

I recommend: Omega offers party pencils in several designs that are just waiting for your text. Pencils For You has an unbeatable deal on 144 personalized pencils for just one low price. They do not have too many choices yet, but take advantage of their bargain deal.

Custom pencils for your business with your business information

Buy personalized pencils with the name and phone number of your business imprinted on them, and give these out to every customer. No matter where that person is when they take out your personalized pencils, they are advertising your business. An added advantage is if the customer has not done business with your company in a while, seeing this personalized pencil with your business name on it, brings your company back to mind.

I recommend: Cross offers many stylish pencils and will engrave your company name on them. If you want to make a business statement choose Cross. Order a free "Guide to Successful Pencil Designs" from Pencil Expressions by entering your email address. Current Labels has wooden personalized pencils and can add your company name up to 36 characters and spaces.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Shop around for the best deals and prices. If you plan on making ongoing purchases of your personalized pencils, let the merchant know. Ask for a discount on the custom pencils since you will be a returning customer.

The business world has come a long way in the last few decades, but one thing has not been made obsolete—pencils continue to be useful across many different fields, and found in nearly any sizable work place. In fact, pencils get used for an amazingly diverse set of tasks in industries from manufacturing to education and the arts. Businesses of all kinds will want to set up buying deals to get pencils on-site at good prices.

The Internet can help business buyers, managers or other decision-makers find the pencils types and styles that they need to outfit their specific shops. From the traditional wooden pencil to watercolor pencils, custom pencils and carpenter pencils, readers can use the web to find bargains, get accurate product descriptions and engage in pencil deals. Business buyers can look for:

1. Traditional #2 pencils for any field that needs a "standard" pencil mark on paper, or for any shop that wants to cultivate the feel of tradition.

2. Refillable mechanical pencils for businesses that want to cut down on waste by re-using "automatic" pencil types long-term.

3. Specialty pencils for art fields, promotional pencils for advertising, or large trades pencils for carpentry or other similar marking uses.

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Find good old #2 pencils online

The traditional #2 pencil (a wooden pencil with a graphite filling, a metal band and a rubber eraser tip) is available online with special pricing (look for options for buying pencils in bulk). The traditional pencil is a good choice for education, scantron (computerized) forms and various other fields.

I recommend: Get your #2s in bulk from sites like Dollar Days. Find wooden pencil designs at sites like Office 1000 for a traditional look in writing instruments.

Look for refillable mechanical pencils

Mechanical pencils are a very different animal. These pencil designs all have one thing in common: they are compatible with thin graphite refills that fit into the tip or stylus of the pencil. Some offices prefer these designs to traditional pencils; others consider them too fragile for everyday use.

I recommend: Get a range of Pentel refillable lead bulk pencils from InstaOffice. Or get deals on packages of the refillable mechanical pencil types at sites like Unbeatable Deal.

Get specialty and promotional pencils

Other types of pencils include 'branded' personalized pencils (with a company logo or name on either of the two former categories, or on other specially manufactured designs) and art pencils (heavier pencils with different types of 'lead'). Find these types of pencils online for artistic or gift purposes.

I recommend: For a look at specialty promotional pencils in neat shapes and designs, check out InkHead online catalog and find resources for buying personalized pencils in bulk. Blick Art Materials is a vendor of art pencils and more online.

Pencils are among the simplest and most necessary office products around. The design of the wooden pencil hasn't changed much over the years: a round or hexagonal wooden body enclosing a lead core that leaves a mark on paper. Most wooden pencils are topped with a rubber eraser held in place by a metal band called a ferrule. Here are some other pencils key terms to jot down.

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Graphite, charcoal

The lead, or writing material, in a pencil isn't lead at all. Standard writing pencils are filled with graphite, or more often a mixture of powdered graphite and clay. Drawing pencils contain charcoal, or a mixture of charcoal and graphite, in order to make a bolder and more workable line.

I recommend: Read a history of the use of graphite in pencils at Pencils.com. General Pencil Company features a variety of artist's charcoal pencils.

Hardness scales

Pencils are graded according to the heaviness of the line they make on paper. There are two scales in common use. The European scale, often used for artist's pencils, is also known as the HB scale, because it grades pencils on both the hardness of the writing material (H) and the blackness of the line (B). Writing pencils used in the United States are usually graded on a numbered scale, with 0 being the softest and darkest and the grades becoming progressively harder and lighter as the numbers ascend. The No. 2 pencil on this scale is standard for most school uses and for filling in forms that will be read by automatic scanners. Neither the HB scale nor the numbered scale is absolute, however, so there will be differences from maker to maker and even from pencil to pencil within the same grade.

I recommend: Find an article discussing hardness scales at Doug Martin's Pencil Pages.

Mechanical pencils

Mechanical pencils combine some of the aspects of both pencils and pens, allowing the 'lead' to be retracted or capped when not in use and replaced, like the ink refill of a pen, when used up.

I recommend: The Cult Pens Guide to Mechanical Pencils provides a wealth of information about the history of mechanical pencils and how they work.

Grease pencils

Grease pencils, also known as china markers, are filled with a colored, waxy substance that leaves a mark on a slick surface. The most common type consists of a grease core around which is wound a spiral paper tape; when the writing surface wears down, the user simply peels off a length of tape to expose more of the surface. Grease pencils are used by photographers, film editors and designers.

I recommend: BLICK Art Materials carries a full line of grease pencils for various uses.

Specialty pencils

Pencils come in a variety of specialty shapes and sizes. Carpenters' pencils, for example, are flat to prevent rolling off work tables. Golf pencils, also called library pencils, are about half the size of regular pencils and usually do not come with erasers. Graphic artists and printers use non-repro blue pencils, which do not reproduce on scanners or photocopiers.

I recommend: See carpenters' pencils and special sharpeners at ToolBarn.com. Office Depot carries golf pencils, available in round or hexagonal form (known as hex). Utrecht carries non-repro blue pencils.

Promotional pencils

Promotional pencils, available in an almost unlimited variety of patterns, colors, sizes and even scents, can be customized with your company's name, logo or message. Promotional pencils are among the least expensive and most popular giveaways.

I recommend: See a catalog of promotional pencil possibilities at PromoPeddler.com.