Oh oh... things are changing.

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Rick Granick

Rick Granick

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
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No, this isn't about the state of the market or the industry in general. It's just that I'm noticing quality changes in materials. The RagMat issue has been well noted... Moulding companies are always re-sourcing production with varying affects on appearance and working characteristics. Latest example today was the LJ Ansley large cap profile. Up till now the Ansley line seems to have been stained and finished directly on solid wood, but this was veneered over finger-joined wood. It felt a lot lighter and less solid.... Then today I started a new package of gray felt bumpers. The felt seems a lot softer and thinner, and not very tenaciously attached to its adhesive disk, which wanted to cling better to the carrier sheet. Is this going to be the new sequel to the melted hershey-kiss bumpons?
:icon45: Rick
 
Hi Rick! Yes, I have noticed over the past couple of years that mouldings no longer compare with what is on my wall. Especially the weight issue. Some of the newer incarnations appear to be weightless compared to their corner samples.
 
We've experienced the same with various mouldings from various manufacturers. Probably due to the economy. I would rather they raise the price than cut corners on quality.
 
We have noticed quite a few mouldings come in and do not match our sample, and some times it makes a big difference with the art and the customer.
I think some of our suppliers are shopping for the best price and quality is out the window.
Try to get a simple 3/4 black, different shade, finish, width.
Right now I have 3 different blacks for stock with the same number that do not match from the same supplier.
SOOOOO I am going to a different supplier and see what happens.
 
One of my favorite mouldings had a beautiful finish over real wood with real wood texture showing through. On my first multiple-box order, it changed to a plastic wrap...over the same wood base! Anybody could tell the difference. I don't need stuff like that.
 
3M? ATG? Ive noticed a change in quality. From the leader being sloppily applied and difficult to start to too many rolls in a box that have a splice within them .. is it too much to have a full 320 feet with no end until the end? It just annoys me when my gun stalls when it hits a splice. .... ... .. .
 
Doug Gemmell said:
We've experienced the same with various mouldings from various manufacturers. Probably due to the economy. I would rather they raise the price than cut corners on quality.
Click to expand...


It seems to me they are doing both, raising prices and cutting quality.

John
 
I've noticed some changes, too. It used to be that if a supplier ever did change their vendor sources, they'd notify everyone and send out replacement samples. Now even some of the best companies sometimes switch without telling. Likewise, mat colors used to be pretty much cast in stone, but there's getting to be more variation in some of them than we used to see. It's frustrating to see the changes in quality of both products and service and wonder if this is the beginning of a downward spiral. I hope not. Hope hope...
 
I call it the Walmart-Syndrome.

People want it cheap first and quality is really not that important anymore.

As they say, "you get what you pay..." or something to that effect before the slogan was outsourced and become another cheap slogan made in China.
 
All companies are looking to cut costs in any way they can. I've noticed a difference in many products, not only in our industry but everywhere. Just look at products in the grocery stores. They can't mess with taste too much or that will do them in. But you are getting less contents in most packages.
 
This is news?

Wood mouldings have been diminishing in quality for years, while poly frames are getting better all the time. Several of the poly mouldings I stock are more attractively finished and easier to cut, join and fit than some of the newer wood mouldings from mainstream suppliers.

The price difference still favors poly, but that will eventually moderate, as the poly manufacturing processes get more sophisticated and material costs continue to rise.
 
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