Would You Buy A $75,000 Pen From This Maplewood Native?

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Businessman and artist Barry Farber, who grew up in Maplewood, has created and sold various products over the years, including children's books — but one of his favorite inventions was the flat, folding FoldzFlat Pen that sold over 5 million.

Farber is particular fond of the writing implement because of how many companies rejected the idea at first: More than 100, he said.

"I’ve always loved challenging projects, and everyone told me the pen is a novelty and won’t work," he said. "Tell me 'no' and I will find a way through (as long as I see the long term value). Well…the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is using the folding writing instrument as a metaphor for getting back up in life."

Now, after working with a renowned jewelry manufacturer, he plans to debut a jewel-encrusted pen that will sell for prices ranging from $5,000 to $75,000.

Everyone needs a pen, and Farber said this one will be for the proverbial "person who has everything."

"So many opportunities came to me just by having the pen for presentations, leave behinds, seminars, gifts etc.," he said. "And when QVC aired the first show, we sold out in less 4 minutes, [and] I knew I had something special. So the reason I've stuck with the pen so long and focused a lot of time and effort is because of those benefits."

Farber — who grew up in Maplewood and lives with his family in Livingston — broached the idea with Roland Krainz, who designs and manufactures high-end jewelry.

"I’ve always wanted to manufacture a high end diamond model that would fold together automatically," he said. "A piece of jewelry that can be a money clip, necklace and more. It was almost impossible to find a jeweler that could work with the piano hinges on the pen and have it fold up beautifully. We needed to make room to insert the diamonds and have them recessed so the quality was there, and keep the integrity of the folding pen."

He said that Krainz "got it instantly."

"[He's one of the smartest Jewelers I’ve ever met," Farber said, "as he approaches his designs as an engineer, and architect would. We then started making prototypes."

Farber noted that Krainz has sold high-end jewelry to celebrities and royalty.

At the Courture jewelry show in Las Vegas in May, the pair will debut a new line of gold and diamond pens and money clips ranging in price from $5,000 to $75,000.

But interested people can also reach out to Farber or Krainz at the web addresses below.

What do you get for $75,000?

You'll get a platinum version you can wear, with 24 carats of diamonds and a matching money clip.

"We have designed it so the refill retracts when it’s folded automatically," he noted. "The ink is a customized special refill which we supply."

Meanwhile, Farber will continue with his other endeavors: art, writing, agenting, and promoting his children's books and related TV show.

To find out more information about the pen and its creators, see:

• https://www.krainzcreationsvirtual.com/
• www.BarryFarber.com
  
• https://www.facebook.com/krainzcreations/videos/1049769495698458

Read more about Farber and his other projects here.