I categorically decline to give any born-again-designers, "amateur" photographers, Whoa-people and such any meaningful discount till they bring in some volume.
Paul N's sentiment, expressed in "what say ye", illuminates a chicken and egg scenario. Amateur photographers (and artists as well, I guess) have a need for framing, but paying full freight retail is out of the question except for the independently wealthy because the best you can hope for is break even. And considering the investment you need to make to hang an exhibit, it's out of reach for the vast majority.
Now I perfectly understand the sentiment. Why should a framer eat into his (or her) profits to give a photographer or artist a price break with no guarantee of seeing the volume that would make it worthwhile? But how is the photographer supposed to get to the volume when paying full retail up front? Additionally, how is the photographer supposed to know what the volume pricing is going to be? (I think it's good to know what the goals are.) I mean, there's no point in suffering through the price pain if there's no promised land at the end of the day.
How do you guys work this? Do you have a volume schedule that says "when you get to X pieces the pricing will be cost + n% or retail - m%?" Or is the photographer/artist supposed to trust you that eventually there will be a price break?
I just know that the 13x19" prints that I frame with Neilsen mouldings, using 4ply rag mats, 2 ply rag backing, acid-free foam-core, and acrylic glazing costs me about $60 a pop. To get the same exact thing from a custom framer at full retail would be MUCH more expensive. (Q to grumblers- what would you charge?) Now this is a very vanilla sort of framing, but sometimes I want something a bit less plain. Say a float mount for a print with deckled edges. Well that's even more, but there's just no point in selling something with all of the profit going to other people. It seems to me that this is a natural fit; a business relationship that's like hand and glove, but I'm baffled by the mechanics of getting it started.
Thoughts?
Paul N's sentiment, expressed in "what say ye", illuminates a chicken and egg scenario. Amateur photographers (and artists as well, I guess) have a need for framing, but paying full freight retail is out of the question except for the independently wealthy because the best you can hope for is break even. And considering the investment you need to make to hang an exhibit, it's out of reach for the vast majority.
Now I perfectly understand the sentiment. Why should a framer eat into his (or her) profits to give a photographer or artist a price break with no guarantee of seeing the volume that would make it worthwhile? But how is the photographer supposed to get to the volume when paying full retail up front? Additionally, how is the photographer supposed to know what the volume pricing is going to be? (I think it's good to know what the goals are.) I mean, there's no point in suffering through the price pain if there's no promised land at the end of the day.
How do you guys work this? Do you have a volume schedule that says "when you get to X pieces the pricing will be cost + n% or retail - m%?" Or is the photographer/artist supposed to trust you that eventually there will be a price break?
I just know that the 13x19" prints that I frame with Neilsen mouldings, using 4ply rag mats, 2 ply rag backing, acid-free foam-core, and acrylic glazing costs me about $60 a pop. To get the same exact thing from a custom framer at full retail would be MUCH more expensive. (Q to grumblers- what would you charge?) Now this is a very vanilla sort of framing, but sometimes I want something a bit less plain. Say a float mount for a print with deckled edges. Well that's even more, but there's just no point in selling something with all of the profit going to other people. It seems to me that this is a natural fit; a business relationship that's like hand and glove, but I'm baffled by the mechanics of getting it started.
Thoughts?