Cheap-customer-of-the-week story

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Framing Goddess

Framing Goddess

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Jul 18, 2000
Posts
4,321
Loc
Cleveland, Ohio
Yeah, I know the Cheap Customer Stories are plentiful here, but this one made me giggle.
A customer was here Saturday, dropped off a starving "artist" painting on canvas (you know the type--generic landscape signed by "Smith"), framed in a gold spray painted frame and asked would I consider keeping its existing frame in even exchange for a new one...? I can hear all the smarty pants answers you guys are thinking...
First thing I thought was, "Hey, guess what? I called The Electric Company and they WILL accept crummy old frames as payment!"
Needless to say, The Goddess is unceasingly amused by what these customers come up with...
-FG

[This message has been edited by Framing Goddess (edited January 29, 2001).]
 
I would tell them we have a $15.00 dumpster charge but if they buy a new frame that I'm authorized to waive the fee.

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curlyframer, CPF
 
That is just unbelievable! Sometimes customers pull out a shocker, that is the best I've ever heard of.
How did you stop from laughing at them?
 
Framing Goddess,
Yours is such a sad story. One would think it happened in some third world country...
However, there is a luminous side to it. Once in a while, one steps in with a "junk" of an early 19th Century French Empire or Gilbert Stuart originally gilded frame, with missing ornaments, and proposes to give it to you in exchange for a shiny LJ replacement.I've been there, I've seen it happen.
 
Several of the frames hanging at my house are ones that customers no longer wanted - that's just an issue of taste. Yesterday a customer brought in a piece wanting to have the regular glass replaced with non-glare. And she wanted a CREDIT for the regular glass. (It really is hard sometimes to keep a straight face.) I offered to wrap up the old glass and return it to her. Kit

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Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana
 
Ah, yes, The Goddess admits to having more than one "Oh-just-throw-that-old-frame-away" frame in her house. And yes, Frame Harbor, I have stumbled on some good ones that way!
But this particular frame was so obviously hideous that even I, lover of kitsch and trash day, couldn't fathom it. Did I mention gold spray paint...?
I have not yet felt confident enough of suppressing giggles to call this customer and let her know, "NO!" (I wasn't here Sat. when it came in) Curlymaple's dumpster line is a good one though!!! (The Goddess wouldn't DARE, would she?)
Stay tuned...
-FG
P.S. Yes, Kit, you know the type!
 
Kit....funny, I had that exact same scenario yesterday, except she didn't want the glass back, she wanted a credit on the glass and only wanted to pay the difference between the regular and non-glare... I have another good one. The other day,a diploma that we had framed with a 5" double mat, V-groove and black metal frame came back. The gentleman who had it done wanted it cut down BECAUSE...everyone in his office was laughing at the diploma saying it was "to large!" he rolled his eyes at the mention of a charge for all of the chopping but finally agreed to it. After cutting it all down and putting it all back together, I looked at the the diploma and had to shake my head. It was a certificate for a risk management course.

Nikki
 
As Bugs Bunny would say... "What a maroon!"

Sue
smile.gif
 
Framing Goddess, Kit aka emrr,
Unbelievable! How do you find such people, after all? They oughtta be on Richard Bay Show.
I hear your pain. In one hand, you must behave professionally and say nothing offensive to the client. On the other hand, that client is purposefully or mistakenly quite offensive to you for he takes your shope/store/studio/gallery for a Turkish bazaar where he can bargain and hopefully cheat you or prevail in one way or another.
 
I too had a fine collection of "exchanged" frames at the house. We ended up having a garage sale and sold most of them for a buck or two each. This morning, an elderly lady came in with five of the frames from our garage sale and some pictures to be fitted! Kinda gives an all new meaning to "recycle."

Russ
 
Friends, please, don't get me wrong. I was saying something else. Once in a while an innocent client comes with an "ugly, dirty, incomplete" 19th C frame and wants to trade it for a new one. One such a frame is worth over 10 K. as is. Of course, most of them are worthless but, if you keep an open eye, you may get lucky.
In my opinion, a decent framer should be able to spot the antique value there where it lays. More often than you might believe it, good and very valuable pieces are moving loose and changing hands between garage sales and framing shops.
Framing Goddess, am I being wrong suspecting that Bill Adair wasn't attending the LV frame show? Friends, next time you meet Bill at a show ask him to teach you a bit less of American Frame (design) History and more of how you spot, recognize and sell antique frames. Just think of this: a 8" x 10" 19C American fluted frame, 3"wide molding (late 1800's) "retails" for 11 K as is.
 
Hello, Frame Harbor!
You bring up some good points here!
And The Goddess has a particular delicious fantasy about appearing on "Antiques Roadshow" with her trash-picked 16th Century Italian cassetta frame! (What to wear??) The Goddess is not a history buff by nature, but has made an exception for learning about the history of picture frames. I admit to love being able to wow my customers with schmancy jargon like "lamb's tongue, "foliate C-scrolls" and "ogee!" Classes with Mr. Adair and Jacob Munn have filled my head with many such terms and it never ceases to amaze me how this information enhances my understanding of contemporary frame designs.
HOWEVER, never fear! The frame that inspired this exchange is not of any elite ilk! It is just plain yucky. And dare I say, I doubt that this frame will have any increased value in 400 years other than it's longevity. But, darn it, if a good one crosses my threshhold, I have already called dibs on it here, because I am...
-The Framing Goddess

P.S. Where do these people come from...? I dunno. Luckily most of our customers are a bit more appreciative of us, but even The Goddess needs a reality check every now and then.(What is the Richard Bay show? Is that where they all beat each other up and have their verbal slings bleeped...?)
 
Oh my, I forgot to pass on a tidbit from Framing Goddess Teri! (yes there is more than one Goddess!!)
She said that she has had to remind certain glass-exchanging customers of the Glass-Cleaning Charge! Ain't she smart? She is Irish, so nervy customers are "No never mind to me!"
 
I wish everybody out there would be able to spot a valuable antique frame, not only Gods and Goddesses.
Since you have the appropriate vocabulary, why don't you retaliate on cheap costumers and tell'em " Ogee, C-scroll your frame's lamb's tongue from here!" And insert some Latin passion in those words if you want to never see that cheap client's face again.
 
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