If felt pens are a necessary office supply for your business, think about how to save money on felt pen purchases. Considering that most companies buy several felt tip pens at once, as they often are lost or used up, you can save a lot of money by simply bargain shopping for them. Even though they are a relatively inexpensive office supply items, saving money on felt tip pens can impact your company's budget, so pay attention to money-saving tips.

Before you make your next trip to get more felt tip pens for your office, consider ways you can save money. Consider the following ideas for saving money on felt tip pens:

1. Consider wholesale felt tip pens to save money for your business.
   
2. Find felt tip pen vendors online that offer inexpensive prices.
   
3. Buy retractable felt tipped pens to make your felt tip pen purchase last longer and, ultimately, reduce office supply expenses.
   

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Find companies that offer bulk discounts on felt pens

If you need many felt tip calligraphy pens or standard felt tip pens for your business, whether for daily use or special projects, consider buying in bulk. If you go through a company that offers bulk pricing, you can save money. Save yourself time and buy all your felt tip pens for the year at once.

I recommend: Computer Products for Education sells felt tip pens for a lower price when you buy in bulk. OnTimeSupplies.com also has an affordable bulk discount program.

Buy felt tip markers and pens from discount stores online

Many discount sites online sell products at a lower price than other vendors, both online and in stores. Such sites typically advertise their deals by putting 'discount,' 'savings' or other shopper-friendly words in their store names. While it is wise to make sure their prices actually are lower than other stores before buying, such stores typically can save you money on office supply purchases.

I recommend: Discount Office Supplies and OfficeDiscountClub.com offer felt tip pens at a discount compared to other online stores.

Save money by purchasing a retractable felt tip writing pen

One simple way to save money is by preserving felt tip pens at your office so they last longer. Opt for retractable pens rather than those that need caps, as the caps are easily lost. Eliminate the need to buy new felt tipped pens constantly by making it easy to take care of those you already have.

I recommend: Village Supplies offers affordable retractable felt pens. Office Bella sells a retractable felt tip pen that conveniently doubles as highlighter, which means even more value for your money.

Felt tip pens always seem to disappear when you need them, so a company can never own too many. If you go through a lot of felt pens, they make an obvious item for bulk purchase. You might use felt tip markers for poster boards or thin-tipped felt pens for document signing and everyday use.

In addition to using felt tip pens at the office, consider giving them (along with a pad of paper) to clients or business associates attending a meeting in your conference room so they can take notes. You might also think about making felt tip personalized pens carrying your logo a giveaway item at trade shows.

In your search for felt-tip pens:

1. Save money, and buy wholesale felt tip pens in bulk to maintain an available stock of pens at a very reasonable price.

2. Remember that the tops of felt tip pens often disappear rendering the pens useless once the ink dries up, so consider buying retractable felt tip markers.

3. Buy felt tip markers and pens whose manufacturer advertises that their pens don't bleed through paper, to prevent mishaps.

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Buy a fine or ultra-fine felt tip pen for your daily writing needs

Felt tip pens work well in so many office situations. Use them for labeling files, signing documents, taking notes, labeling packages or addressing letters.

I recommend: Buy a box of the Ultra Fine Flair Pen at ReStockIt for a sleek-looking felt tip pen. If you don't want to buy a whole box of pens but still want a decent fine-point felt tip pen for writing or labeling, buy the Eberhard Faber felt tip pen at Discount Office Supplies.

Purchase felt tip markers and pens if you do any kind of artwork in your business

Whether you sketch advertisements for print media, pictures of your product for display or just rough sketch an idea for someone else to complete, felt tip markers make a great choice for artwork.

I recommend: Purchase the Prismacolor markers at Utrecht Art Supplies if you need good-quality felt tip markers for your artwork. Consider the Triplus Fineliner set of 4 markers at Du-All for sketching.

Look for personalized felt tip pens for promotional give aways and in-house advertising

You'll find many uses for felt tip pens beyond the day-to-day tasks they already handle. You can hand out promotional felt tip pens with your company's name at trade shows or other events or make them available to customers writing a check. You can also shop felt tip pen vendors for personalized felt tip pens to keep at your front counter where customers will use them.

I recommend: Put your logo on one of several types of fluorescent highlighter markers at Casad for promotional give aways. Add your logo to the Sharpie retractable fine-point markers at Branders and make them available for customers to pick up at the counter when they write a check or sign in for service.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you send out lots of invitations or personal messages in your business, consider giving your office assistant a set of nice felt tip pens and a class in calligraphy. You'll need to buy a good set of felt tip calligraphy pens.

If you offer felt tip pens at your retail store, your merchandise will appeal to a broad range of customers, including parents, teachers and an array of other professionals who use the pens on projects and presentations. By stocking a variety of styles from calligraphy pens to the felt tip writing pen, you’re sure to keep sales consistent by satisfying your customers’ needs.

Familiarize yourself with different felt tip pens and styles to ensure you’re reaching potential markets. By checking out the websites and literature of felt tip pen vendors, manufacturers and imprinters, you’ll be able to select inventory to suit your customer base. Gather information on felt tip markers and expand your selection by trying to:

1. Look into different styles of custom felt tip pens if you want to print a batch with contact information for advertising and marketing purposes.
2. Find an array of colorful or black felt tip pen styles that customers can use to write everything from checks to presentations.
3. Choose different felt tip pen styles, such as permanent and dry erase markers, calligraphy styles, highlighters or markers used by students, teachers, graphic designers and professionals.
   

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Opt for promotional felt tip pens to advertise your business

Instead of the average business card, consider using felt tip personalized pens to carry your business' contact information, logo or message. Adding your details to a felt tipped pen will remind potential customers about your meeting or product offerings as they use the writing pen or highlighter throughout their work day.

I recommend: Rush Imprint can add your graphics and text to an assortment of felt-tipped highlighters, including retractable, dual-tipped and novelty styles. Get personalized felt tip pens from Inkhead. The company will imprint a variety of felt tip pens from retractable permanent markers to dry erase markers and traditional felt tip writing pen styles.

Order felt-tip pens that customers can use for everyday writing and doodling

Students, graphic designers and professionals in the workforce choose felt tip pens for their rich ink and vibrant colors. By stocking basic black for a formal look or brighter shades for artistic projects, you're sure to meet all of your customers' writing needs.

I recommend: Wholesale Warehouse Supply offers felt tip writing pen styles in the traditional black, blue and red shades. Find wholesale felt tip pens from known brands like Pilot, Pentel, Bic and PaperMate through Office Supply Wholesalers.

Stock specialty felt pens for customers with specific writing needs

Look beyond the basic felt tipped pen to boost sales. Customers may also be looking for highlighters, permanent markers, fabric markers, felt tip calligraphy pens, writing utensils for dry erase boards and other felt tip styles.

I recommend: Dollar Days provides Sharpie brand permanent markers in bulk at wholesale prices. Find a selection of dry erase markers, permanent felt tip markers, highlighters and fluorescent felt tip pens through ReStockIt. The sites also feature a selection of traditional markers and pens at wholesale prices.

Nearly every type of business has a need for felt tip pens. While felt tip pens are typically expected, and nearly universally found, in office-based business environments, many specialized types of felt tip pens now exist for other work environments, no matter how atypical. Whether you work in an office, on a boat, in a manufacturing facility, in the out-of-doors or in a retail shop, there are felt tip pens that will help you do your job.

Here are some of the many felt tip pen options you can consider:

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Wet surface

Plumbers, builders, food packers, military personnel, marine workers and those who work outdoors sometimes need to write on wet surfaces. Pens with special waterproof ink have been created for these purposes. Wet surface marking pens come in a variety of colors and are usually sold by the box.

I recommend: To see a wet surface felt tip pen, go to the Xstamper website.

Security

Security markers use invisible ink to place identifying information on valuable items. If items are stolen and recovered by police they can be identified by placing them under an ultraviolet light that reveals the writing. Many security markers come with hand-held UV lamps, making it easy and convenient for businesses to be sure their valuables are protected.

I recommend: Security marker pens are available from the Flashing Panda website.

Dry erase

The ink in dry erase felt tip pens marks a surface without binding to it. Dry erase felt tip pens are ideal for writing on white boards or other non-porous surfaces. Writing wipes away with a soft cloth or standard eraser.

I recommend: To see a dry erase fine point felt tip pen go to Epinions.com.

Permanent

Permanent felt tip pens create long-lasting, often non-erasable markings. They are water-resistant, quick-drying and often contain a solvent such as alcohol or xylene. Permanent felt tip pens will write on paper, metal or stone and are available in several tip sizes.

I recommend: Hold your mouse over the color dots at the Sanford Corporation website to view many color options for Sharpie permanent markers.

Sun resistant

In special circumstances, sun resistant felt tip markings are needed. Sun resistant markers provide enhanced protection against the fading caused by the ultra violet rays of the sun. The ink is permanent, water resistant and dries instantly.

I recommend: Sun resistant markers are available at J.P. Cooke.

Glass marking

Retail merchants and automobile dealerships often need to write on window glass. Glass marking felt tip pens are convenient and far less messy than using paint for this purpose. Glass marking pens come in an assortment of colors and have wide tips that enhance message visibility.

I recommend: Visit the Markingpendepo website to find glass marking felt tip pens.