---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I assumed that the pencil market was…"
description: "\"I assumed that the pencil market was collapsing, but then it turns out that from 2010 to 2011 in the United States, pencil consumption went up by over ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32b/david-rees-13338_chinese_i-assumed-that-the-pencil-market-was-col_2965412.png"
---

#  I assumed that the pencil market was collapsing, but then…

![“I assumed that the pencil market was collapsing, but then it turns out that from 2010 to 2011 in the United States, pencil consumption went up by over six percent. I mean, those are all foreign-made pencils. Those are probably Chinese pencils, mostly, and Mexican pencils. I mean, it is an archaic…” quote by David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32b/david-rees-13338_chinese_i-assumed-that-the-pencil-market-was-col_2965412.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32b/david-rees-13338_chinese_i-assumed-that-the-pencil-market-was-col_2965412.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32b/david-rees-13338_chinese_i-assumed-that-the-pencil-market-was-col_2965412.png)

> “I assumed that the pencil market was collapsing, but then it turns out that from 2010 to 2011 in the United States, pencil consumption went up by over six percent. I mean, those are all foreign-made pencils. Those are probably Chinese pencils, mostly, and Mexican pencils. I mean, it is an archaic communication technology, but it is still ubiquitous.”

[David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker highlights a surprising market trend where a seemingly outdated product, pencils, actually grew in demand despite assumptions of decline.

**In simple terms:** Pencils, though old, still see rising use.

Key Takeaway

Don’t dismiss old tech without data.

Themes

market trends technology adoption economics

Mood

analytical curious

Type

observational insightful

When to use this quote

- business analysis
- product planning
- market research
- trend forecasting

Key Concepts

supply chain consumer behavior global trade

Questions to Reflect On

- What other “old” technologies might be underestimated?
- How can businesses verify market assumptions?

A Different Perspective

Data may be limited to specific regions or years, not a global long‑term pattern.

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[Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese/) [Chinese Pencils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese-pencils-4538481/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Communication technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication-technology/) [Consumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/) [Foreign Pencils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-pencils-4538480/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Mexican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mexican/) [Mexican Pencils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mexican-pencils-4538483/) [Pencil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pencil/) [Pencil Consumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pencil-consumption-4538479/) [Pencils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pencils/) [Pencils Probably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pencils-probably-4538482/) [Percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent/) [Six](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/six/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/)

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