CM*MG* Glass - whatever you call it

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SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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At the risk of p*****g off some of you, the time and effort put into the Conservation Masterpiece/Museum Glass thread is amazing. Maybe blowing our horn, but the stuff ISN'T that hard to sell.

The first step is getting over the midset that it's pricey....OF COURSE IT IS! It's great stuff - and isn't the best always more expensive? Your customers/clients decide what's too expensive - you shouldn't be deciding it for them. Don't most of us preach "show the best"? Then why do we back down when it comes to selling the best glass (regardless of what it's called)?? DON'T BE AFRAID - it's not your money you're spending, it's theirs. All they can do is say NO and then you'll sell them the ConClear or whatever your fallback glass is. THEY WON'T WALK if you believe in your product and SELL its benefits. PS - Don't offer it on everything - they might resent spending $150 on a piece of glass for their "Shrek the 3rd" poster. Be reasonable.

Next, buy some. I think LJ and most other TV distributors still offer the trial pack - something like 3 lites of 16x20. Or get the "flower" display from LJ. Make a sample. Something colorful. Put them up. I don't think this is a killer "look how well I can frame" piece - simple and clean - let the glass speak for you.

Sell it. Mark it up however you wish - I'm not going down that road. You'll make money. You'll look like a better framer. Your customers WILL want it again and you'll sell even more.

When we bought our shop 5 1/2 yrs ago the owner said he couldn't sell ConClear - too pricey, and his customers didn't want/need it. Knowing better than someone in the business for almost 20 yrs(after all, we didn't know anything, just what we'd been taught) we immediately began offering ConClear as our basic glass. We just bought more RegClear glass (commercial job)than we have in the last 5 yrs - annually we sell probably 80% ConClear, 10% acrylic and 10% Museum. I see that spread changing this year toward more Museum and less ConClear as Ms and others go toward the better stuff.

Tony
 
I'm trying brother....Ok no I'm not but I want to.

Anyway for me the issue isn't the name at all. Does museum glass by any other name still looks as sweet? If thats the case and M is selling it for what you sell CC for, how long will this be such an easy sell for you?

Now if TV wants to give it another name then justify the price however they dream, fine! Give me a stab at it!
 
What I simply do not understand is what on earth is the big deal about this Museum Glass??? I am beginning to think that the only reason any of y'all sell it is simply to make more money - not because it is any better than Con Clear.

To my eyes, every time I look at it I see purple and green reflections - and that bothers the carp out of me. All glass has reflections - some glass stops more UV rays - I will stick with CC, thank you very much - because when I look at my art I see the art and not green and purple reflections.

And here's another thought - if there are dozens of threads on the G about how hard it is for us to clean Museum Glass, how can anyone sell this to customers and expect them to clean it - or their maids!!! YIKES!
 
Hey, I've been doing a pretty good job of selling Museum glass lately. I just finished a Larry Rivers limited edition with Museum glass a few days ago, I'm doing a college degree with museum glass tomorrow morning, and I just took three orders to frame anime cels with museum glass this afternoon. If I've got them in my store, and the work is appropriate, I can sell museum glass. If I can't sell museum glass, I can at least sell Cons Clear. Nobody is going to walk out over what I charge for Museum glass.

My challenge is to get people in my store in the first place.
 
Tony you are right, too many people think it is thier pocket book that is in question. It is the customer, sell the best first then go backwards. I have never had anyone offer to sell me a Ford Escort, but that is what I had to buy, because I could not afford the others. But they sure did try. It is a balance, listen to the customer and try. What do you have to loose. You can go to conservation glass.

Thanks for a thread about museum masterpice that I can stand to read for more than a second.

PL
 
Jay: Next time I'm in the shop I'll find a piece and send it to you -- have I steered you wrong yet? (OK, about that Roma deal...)

Mar: Isn't making money part of the deal? Honestly, MG isn't appropriate for everything -- but on the right stuff it is STUNNING. We framed a Romare Bearden original recently that "popped" off the wall behind MG. We've had customer/clients THANK us for putting them "on" to MG - and they're not getting it cheap, I can assure you. As for cleaning, when they pick up we teach them how to clean it - give them the cleaner and a batch of blue wipes -- it's all about the service they get, right?

What have you got to lose??
 
Tonight at our PPFA meeting, a rep from True Vue spoke about the difference between Masterpiece and Museum glass from them.

She said that they were processed similarly, but that they let more get through in terms of quality.

Personally, I love Museum glass, and I sell it on every piece that I can, and after customers see it, they will many times bring in old pieces to be reframed with it. The clearer color without the fuzz, it makes a big difference from far away, especially with photographs.

That's not saying I don't sell my fair share of CC, but if it's something really nice, I tout Museum first, and while it _is_ expensive, customers don't seem to mind that much for the difference. Our prices are similar to what most are on here.

When I first started working with it, I couldn't stand it. Weird smears, hard to clean/etc, but now I don't have any problems with it, I just handle it very carefully and wrap all of my scrap.
 
This thread is making me wonder why no one else seems to see the green and purple relfections that I am seeing - could it be that my whole house and entire shop are lit by fluorescent lights?

If that is the case, I am guessing in about 10 years you are all going to be seeing this problem as states, provinces and even entire countries are outlawing incandescent lighting.

At first I thought it might be my the optical coating on my eye glasses, but I still see these colors with naked eyes. Maybe I am from a different planet afterall......
 
Framar said:
This thread is making me wonder why no one else seems to see the green and purple relfections that I am seeing - could it be that my whole house and entire shop are lit by fluorescent lights?

If that is the case, I am guessing in about 10 years you are all going to be seeing this problem as states, provinces and even entire countries are outlawing incandescent lighting.

At first I thought it might be my the optical coating on my eye glasses, but I still see these colors with naked eyes. Maybe I am from a different planet afterall......
Click to expand...


I see it as well, but it really depends on where it's hanging. Here in my home, on a wall 6 feet away, I only notice the regular glass (with the glare) but not the Museum.

That purple and green is just like the glass coating on your glasses but processed in a slightly different way. It's not always visible, but it's always there. I'd say that I notice the purple and green reflections far less than the bright light ones.
 
So is it not better to see the image from across the room, or pay attention to the aqua cast? I like to see what I paid for, but that is me/

PL
 
Gotta get over it.....

...when I first started using the stuff it drove me crazy trying to clean it. Now, just wear gloves and you don't have too. Wrap scaps carefully and viola. easy.

I too see the reflection of purple and green, but you know what, It is better than seeing my face looking back at me........

Just adjusted my prices on this stuff and am selling it just fine..... Give people the options, the prices, and the features and benefits and let them decide.... some say "yes" and some don't, but if you don't ever offer, you will never get a "YES".

... and if TV wants to sell to Michaels or any other chain, so freeking what!

Stop the presses, a major retailer has private labeled a product...OH NO !!!!!!!!!!! That's unheard of........ how dare they........

I mean, COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
The real magic in Museum Glass is when your customer comes back after a couple of days and ask how much it would cost to have every picture frame in their house replaced with it.

I have had that happen 3 times in two years.

For good customers I upgrade them to MG on small pieces no larger that 8 x 10 if I have the scrap. After I started that, my close rate on MG sales has went up significantly.
 
The Cleveland Museum Art recently updated their Armour Court.
New glass showcases were made to house full suits of armour and even plastic life-size horses modeling armour.

The showcases are made entirely of anti-reflective glass/laminated glass/acrylic. The glass and reflections (green, purple or otherwise) are completely invisible.

This led a art-collecting customer of mine (of modest means, but with exquisite taste) to hire a lighting designer when remodeling her home. She figured that the reflections on the pieces in her home were not wholly the fault of the glass- but also the lighting. She said it was worth every penny of the $400 it cost- her artwork is beautifully lit and there are NO reflections on her museum glass. Smart woman.

I will say that True Vue's Museum Glass seems to have more pronounced reflections than the late great Denglas which we used 'back in the day.'

Mar, frame yourself a sample. I framed a very detailed 5x7 black and white silver gelatin photograph. Half was glazed with AR glass, half with CC. (Use scraps!) BIG difference, customers were awed.

Until somebody comes up with something better (and affordable) I am thrilled with the increased light transmission of AR glass.

edie the ifmoneywerenoobject goddess
 
About Michael's and their 'version' of Museum glass:

As a shopper as well as a retailer, I like to think I am getting the 'best price' on everything I buy. True Vue's little pricing/labelling game stinks a little bit to my sensitive nose. I need to know that what I am selling is what they say (and price accordingly) it is. But since they are now the only AR game in town, us independents are stuck with whatever scraps they toss our way. And I will continue to sell the stuff; I can't see cutting off my offended nose to spite my face.

But I have increasingly less confidence in True Vue's credibility and pricing integrity the more I hear and I wouldn't be surprised if the ugly rumors were all true. But my skepticism ain't gonna hurt them one bit now, will it.

edie the itchynostrils goddess
 
I had a box of Conservation Masterpiece!

It must have been Conservation Masterpiece, because I pulled out a lite today, trimmed it to size, placed it over the matted diploma, and recoiled in shock!! -- there were little black dots, dozens of them, in a 3/4-inch strip along one edge of the glass!! This was the overspray, of course, and I had to spend a few moments cleaning with acetone, and then re-cleaning with glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth. But since I can't imagine this slipping past the stringent Museum glass quality control, I must have received some of that Conservation Masterpiece by accident. Paid Museum Glass prices for it, though!
 
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