Need a deciphererer

[Sherry Lee]

I have a customer that would like a framed piece duplicated - from a few years back. The current framed elements were purchased from one of those "get it cheap via the mail" facilities. We have located the moulding.

The problem is with the mat and fillet:
Mat = "Crescent 51006 - Bitterroot Dapple"
Fillet = "N150 Copper" .... it's a straight line of balls.

We suspect that the numbers have been 'tampered with', though the moulding number was not.

The customer is going to probably have to go back to the company - especially since she was quoted $10 less for the moulding than I would have to pay WHOLESALE from the vendor (chopped/join price). Go figure!

How do these folks just give it away????

 

[Amy McCray]

How do they give it away? I've been asking the same question.

This week I was asked to provide framing services for a local business in place of the previous framer who recently closed his shop. The customer had one piece that had fallen of the wall and needed to be repaired, plus 8 limited edition prints their company was going to donate to various charity event silent auctions.

So far so good. Then he tells me the previous framer always did these limited editions for less than $100. Now, these are 26 x 32, double matted w/ v-grooves and wood mouldings. I told him right off I would not be able to do the work for that price and wondered how anyone else could either.

I opened up the piece that needs repair and you guessed it! Just framed in the past year and backing is cardboard, double mats are taped together w/ thick white framers tape, the limited edition print was similarly taped all across the top to the back side of the mat boards. No mounting substrate. Frame has one tack on each rail at the corners and no glue.

Now I have a much better idea of how they do it for that price! I wonder how many of the other ones done in recent years have similarly self-destructed.

And the customer thought the guy did him a big favor by charging so little.

Unfortunately he only wants the moulding replaced. I'm sure not going to put my label on the back of that mess.

 

[Paul N]

Well Amy, now they now why they got charged so little:

The framing job is crappy and the previous framer is out of business.