Anyone visited a Linens & Things store recently?

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CB Art & Framing

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Feb 20, 2007
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I went to a nearby store yesterday to buy my wife a heated blanket. Casually stopped in the "Framed Art" section. Well I was shocked to say the least. Obviously Chinese Art, mostly "Canvas Look" or "Textured Look" framed prints. The mouldings on the large peices were totally warped. Not sure if it's plastic or some other composite. Also many "fakes". Even the $99 price point does not justify this garbage.
But my wife is happy with her heated blanket...
 
There's a framer in our area who frames for Linen and things or Bed, Bath and Beyond.....one of those stores, I forget which. Buys moulding by the truckload from Larsen Juhl. So it's not all Chinese and it's not all bad. I don't want to get into production framing but I wouldn't mind having a small piece of it.
 
We buy from a local that does production work for these guys, too. We use him during the holidays when it's all we can do to keep up with our custom

It's neither warped, junk or Chinese

But, it does go out of his warehouse by the pallet load

I appreciate that we fancy pants framers look down our noses at this stuff, but consumers do not

In fact, the thing that consumers do tend to look down their noses is way too many of our offerings

What is wrong with these stupid consumers

BTW, where was that heated blanket made? There must be some specialty shop that carries hand made blanket that is decrying that "crap at Linen's and Things". Was it on sale or did you have a coupon?

I guess when it's our turn to become consumers, the rules become a little "flexible"
 
Admit it, you'd kill for even a 10th of their numbers.

You're right Bob... I kept looking for a good made in USA electric blanket.... no such animal.... so I bought to fine wool blankets raised and made in Minnisota with 3" satin binding that looks as good as the blankets feel and keep us just a little too warm.... we have 1 on the bed with the quilt, but January is coming. :D
 
I have no problem with US wholesale framers, or importers for that matter, in fact I've dealt with some in LA for over 20 years. They know how to cut corners, but still offer decent quality. This stuff however was not that. Plus, I don't think it's OK for national chains to knowingly or unknowlingly sell obvious knockoffs. Also, copyright suits don't only target the supplier, but the retailer may be responsible too.
The heated blanket by the way didn't work that well either. I may check the box and see where that was made.
 
Do they really use LJ frames for those mass frames??

They have this light, plasticky / cheap feel to them when you touch them.

Unless LJ has another "Cheap Chinese-style" line of frames??
 
Maybe you should buy one of those cheap framed art things, and make a frame sample of the same piece, using quality materials and workmanship, for a Theirs-Ours display. Then when someone comes into your shop, you can actually demonstrate the quality difference.
 
PaulSF said:
...for a Theirs-Ours display. Then when someone comes into your shop, you can actually demonstrate the quality difference.
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My local M...s is now carrying a big compo open-back frame that is a 1/16" plastic shell stabilized with a cheesy 2" x 1/2" wood rectangle, easily seen just by looking at the back of the frame. That would be a good one. I bet most of the stuff at the mall would be the same if you peeled off the dust cover.

What kills me as much as anything are the things that are IN these so-called frames! About 1/2 of what I saw at the mall were tight crops of classic images, like the Bougereau Cupid and others cropped waist up to get a PG-13 rating. Or images with the color and contrast completely wrong, or prints with the magnified halftone patterns of the art books they were copied from.
 
PaulSF, I was actually thinking of something along those lines.
I was also considering taking some photos of the "questionable" images with my cel phone and contacting some of the publishers.
Pirating of images can never be stopped, but when mass retailers participate it really make the playing field impossibly unfair.
Bob, I actually thougt of 2 possible stores when shopping for the blanket. The other was Walmart, and I assumed L&T would offer better quality products. I guess I was wrong.
 
Paul N said:
Do they really use LJ frames for those mass frames??
Click to expand...


I don't often hit those stores since we're in the middle of Pennsyltucky. Only visit occasionally when I go to a PPFA meeting in the DC area. But got the skinny from our truck driver. Don't think he would have reason to lie.
 
I would bet that these big box stores, or rather, the manufacturers of the framed art they are carrying, have the clearance for these images. I have a hard time believing that the lawyers wouldn't be all over it.

I had a recent experience with a couple of young customers who wanted to get their degrees framed, but they were on a tight budget. I suggested that if they brought me inexpensive readymades in a large enough size, I could mat and mount their degrees and fit them into the readymades, staying pretty close to their budget. They went to Ross or some such place, got some cheap readymades, and I did the job for them. They were very pleased with the result. The frames were polystyrene, and the artwork in the readymades when they bought them were just plain fugly. In one case, there was a drymounted image, set on top of a mat with a v-groove surrounding it. And the image was set crookedly. Not an 1/8 of an inch off, but a good half an inch. Visibly crooked. They paid $17 for that, if I recall correctly.
 
It's possible that diferent stores or states use different suppliers. The frames I saw were definitely not LJ or any other moulding I have ever seen.
What actually caught my eye, as I walked up to the "wall decor" department, was a large framed piece, fake looking canvas-style, standing on the floor. From the side the frame was totally warped. It thought at 1st it was a sign or display sample of some kind.
I will go tommorow, take some photos and post them. Let's analyse.
 
Hey CB-I sure hope you didn't feel that I was criticizing your buying decision. But, merely pointing out that we, also, are consumers and make "price driven' decisions daily. We all often accept "good enough" becuase of price or conveinence, yet we get a littl ehyper-ventilated when consumers do the same to our offerings

While "our" standards might be a tad violated, it's the consumer that counts since it's their bucks they are spending. We continually confuse our roles; many of us think we are in the education business when we really are in the selling business

As we make our travel plans for Vegas, how many of us will use Expedia or such to save buck, how many won't stay at Winn or Bellgio because it's "too expensive" or "it's just a room"?

those same rationalizations we ue are used daily by the majority of clients that use our industry's services. If we are truly a Winn or Bellagio, and you fill up your "rooms" like they
do, why do you care what kind of dumps like Oriental Palace or Tropicana charge?

The truth is many framers wil stay in the Trop or Oriental Place

I won't
 
Thinking out loud...

I think framing is changing and losing it's "middle class". In my opinion, the middle of the road, quality, trying to keep costs and prices down, and mom and pops are and will disappear. (Yes, like me!) What's left will be the artisans for which price is not important or the boxes with "I'll be changing that in a month or two" disposible art. That's all, two choices, IMHO.
 
stshof said:
I think framing is changing and losing it's "middle class". In my opinion, the middle of the road, quality, trying to keep costs and prices down, and mom and pops are and will disappear. (Yes, like me!) What's left will be the artisans for which price is not important or the boxes with "I'll be changing that in a month or two" disposible art. That's all, two choices, IMHO.
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Well, the boxes and their customers better hope we independents stay in business, because we are the ones the box customers bring their box-purchased frames to for repairs, when damage occurs. They don't go back to Bed Bath & Beyond and ask the sales clerk to fix that busted corner or replace the broken glass, they come to us.
 
Fortunately for me and my sanity, I wasn't able to make a living trying to repair the stuff they sell. When that option is gone, they'll go in the trash like so many other things we purchase today. No biggie - I was tired of it anyway. What comes to mind is small appliances. I actually carried my 1st microwave to a repair shop back in the early 80s - several times. As the price came down, the repair shops disappeared. And it's also happening with computers. Sorry, don't want to be negative. I'm just bummed about our progress...or affluent waste...what to call it? :confused:
 
...people have different tastes. Some enjoy having Chinese made warped crap in their house. Its like some people enjoy kittie turd. There is nothing wrong with that, God bless them.
 
If you said that to a typical framing customer, it might come across as a bit elitist, 2400. Is that a healthy mindset for a framer to have?

I agree with Bob Carter, that customers are not as picky as we are. For one thing, they don't know and can't tell the differences between an "OK" frame and a really good one, in terms of quality or design. They generally buy on price because that's the only basis of comparison they understand. Our success may be measured by our ability to help them appreciate something better -- or to beat the other guy's price. Take your pick.

A lot of men would not understand or appreciate the differences between a $750 off-the-rack suit and a $1500 custom made suit. But there are probably some custom tailors out there who might say: "Some enjoy having Chinese made crap on their backs. Its like some people enjoy kittie turd. There is nothing wrong with that, God bless them."

Gosh, I hope they're not talking about me. I buy nice suits from Nordstrom, but they aren't custom tailored. I doubt that I would buy from a tailor who thought of me that way, especially since Nordstrom and Sax smile when they see me coming.
 
2400 said:
...people have different tastes. Some enjoy having Chinese made warped crap in their house. Its like some people enjoy kittie turd. There is nothing wrong with that, God bless them.
Click to expand...

Oh my, you have made my week with that comment!!
 
Originally Posted by 2400
...people have different tastes. Some enjoy having Chinese made warped crap in their house. Its like some people enjoy kittie turd. There is nothing wrong with that, God bless them.
Click to expand...
PaulSF said:
Oh my, you have made my week with that comment!!
Click to expand...

OMG, And I thought you and I are gonna have gourmet meals at Emeril's, Bobby Flay's and Mario Battali's in Vegas!!

Maybe I should rethink my dinner plans....:p
 
Canned cat food??

The Hilton's food would fit this culinary category quite good.... you'd feel quite at home!:p:p

Actually it was not bad, maybe because Mike, Andy, Steph, Baer and Val were such great company last year, and I got distracted also by a certain Nora.....;)
 
I wasn't terribly impressed by the Hilton's food. I dug the Star Trek experience, but it was adequate, not great. The buffet at Paris was good, I wouldn't mind doing that again. And I need to do the Chinese dinner this year, because I missed it last time.
 
Buddy, my beagle, loves kittie turd...:p

Guess this thread has gone to the dogs!
 
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