Ideas for left over matboard?

Jay H

PFG, Picture Framing God
Joined
Dec 8, 2003
Posts
9,908
Loc
KY
I was in the shop sorting through things I am going to take to my store. I have aprox. 200 full sheets of crescent paper mats that I can't use. They are unsorted, tanning, and warped. Plus Im not sure Im even going to carry many paper mats. They are not garbage, but not suitable to sell in my shop. What would you do with them? I think I will put a small stack aside to mount posters and stuff on. Maybe use some for backing cheap stuff. But I don't even want to store these for long.

I would like using them and at the same time getting people in the door of this new frame shop. I have an art teacher in my Sunday school class. He told me that I should give a "special" rate for mats to school students. He said that their school doesn't have a mat cutter and the students don't have some of their art matted because of price. I was thinking about just offering the service for free (while supplies last). This would force people through my door, build my data base, be a business deduction (for junk), and free advertisement. The only down side I see to this is the labor and time involved. But I feel this may take place at time of the business where time will be less of an issue.

Comments? Better ideas? Thanks!

[ 02-19-2004, 11:13 AM: Message edited by: Jay H ]
 
I have ripped through an incredible quantity of decorative and discontinued matboard using them for slipsheets and "test mats" for my CMC.

Now I'm buying flawboard, and I'm told that won't be available for long. If you were closer, I'd drive over and buy 'em from you.

If you can visualize a CMC in your future, I'd hang on to them.
 
Not visualized. Realized. Its comming in four weeks. Im sure I will use allot there. I getting the baby-trainer package though and I have to save some corners for my custmers. ;)
 
Since it's presumably not a Mat Maestro, you won't be making as many "test mats" as I do, but hang on to those boards. You'll use 'em.
 
If you donate them to a local school, they may be a tax write off.
 
Chartiable tax deductions are over-rated.

My first year of business, deductions were not the problem. Income to deduct against was the problem.

Besides, these boards sound like they've already been written off.
 
I would do as Ron suggested. You'd be surprised at how many slip sheets you go through. I don't know how many corners you have with your rental, but I had something like 62,000 left over when I traded my old Wiz in for the new one.
 
I agree with Ron, don't get rid of them, if you have room to store them it will be worth your while.

We went to using only A/F mats and I donated all of my paper mats to local schools and now wish I had them for slip sheets for the Wizard.

At the time, I didn't even think of using a CMC.

Goes along the lines of measure twice and cut once. If only you could tell the future!

Don't hesitate to be generous to those less fortunate though. You just have to know who is the less fortunate, You or the customer. ;)
 
I go through lots of flawboard, for my Wizard, and for lots of other applications. I did some design work for a tradeshow, and used the flawboard to mount some of my clients posters and letter-cutouts on. They are great for practicing v-grooves on. Also, sometimes when I am mounting a medallion onto the undermat, I need to double check the placement of the uppermat opening. I'd kill for all your paper mats! ;)
 
Sence I don't have to sort these things and I can just pile them in one neat little stack Ill hang on to them. I didn't even think of backing for my CMC. Thanks for saving me the trouble of WISHING I had a stack of old mats.

Hey guess what friends? I have this huge stack of old mats that I am going to have all kinds of use for and you don't.
 
tabletop covers,cut down weeny for note cards, cut down to 4 x 4 for cards to stick onto stuff for reminders, we cut down to tiny sheets and stack near the Wizard to make odd notations. Ditto cut down next to the telephone for message baords.

When doing circular cuts, use them as frisbees. Placemats when you'r eating pizza.

Finally: don't toss them. You'll come up with more ideas than this
 
And besides, if you gave them to the art students at a discount, you'd be starting them on a bad habit of using paper mats against their original artwork! :eek: "But a professional framer told me that these were perfectly ok!"
 
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