ordering mat board

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joe

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
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Nov 19, 1998
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whitewater,wi.53190 usa
Does anyone have a secret formula for ordering matboard. When I first opened in January and even before that, while working out of my home, I would drive to my supplier and pickup what I needed. Well things are starting to improve business wise and I can't "just drive over" like before. Do you order similar shades of color or make a guess (my first choice!)?
 
Joe,

Similar shades to what? Please clarify.

Are you buying just what you need to process orders already in house, or do you carry a matboard inventory?

I inventory minimal quantities of the boards that I think give me a good range of colors. I sell from stock mats first and special order only the specialty boards. When I use a sheet of stock board, it's automatically reordered for my next delivery. I am fortunate in that I get free weekly deliveries from three matboard distributors, so I don't need a lot of depth.

By stocking the "basics" (about 500 colors) I can cut those occasional mats while the customer waits. I can also have the matting, mounting and glass ready and wrapped up if I have to order some chop. When the chop comes in, I can join the frame and everything else is already done.

I'm thinking maybe that wasn't your question, though.
 
Thanks Ron that was what I was asking. My current inventory is laughably small and I simply must expand it in order to do business. And it is small because my retail space is too small. That is changing next month. I will be moving from a 400 sq. ft. unit to an 800 sq. ft. unit within the same "mini-mall". Then I can expand my inventory; maybe use a system like you have to store the mats. Thanks.
 
Sorry Ron I didn't answer your question. By "different shades" I was (rather poorly) refering to ordering all blues at one time, all reds at once, all
greens, etc. I will be building my mat inventory and I was trying to find out if people do this in stages or all at once. I realize you never know what the next customer will need. Your response tells me I need to get with it and build this inventory.

Luckily I can get delivery from Vickie Schober once a week, I don't know about Bresler-Etil(sp), I haven't ordered from them. I have used United in the past. Maybe I can find some deals in Atlanta.
 
Joe,

Vicki carries nearly all of the Bainbridge and Crescent lines. She has everything you really need.

Go through your samples and sort them by color-wheel colors. No beige or brown, please. Bainbridge labels all their new samples according to color wheel references and there is a list available to label older samples. I've gone through and labeled the Crescent, TruVue and Artique mats as well. Let me know if you need a list.

Then look at all the samples in a group - say, the red tints. You'll notice that several mats from the different manufacturers are either identical or close-enough for government work. Pick the one from your favorite line, and continue.

You know what you use. If you like neutrals, you might want 20 different whites and another 25 grey tints. Just make sure they're different. And you'll want a few from each color wheel group. I use 41 groups.

If you decide you have room for 600 boards, and you get weekly delivery, you probably only need 1-2 of each board, so pick 300 representative colors. You can add or subtract to the stock selection as you fine tune it and new colors come out. And don't try to save every little cut-off piece. I save only one partial sheet of each color and it needs to be 32" high so it doesn't get lost or clutter up the bins.

Sorry to be long, but this is a (very odd) passion of mine.
 
Joe, if at all possible suppliers like to have a box of at least 12 mat boards in a box and will ship up to 25 (a few too many for UPS, etc as far as boxes breaking open). In the old days you needed newport, barharbor, avacado, celery, black, brown(1084) and a good cream.

We try and order every two weeks because we get a truck delivery. Your inventory will build from scrap rather quickly. You should decide how many samples of how many companies and whether or not you are going to carry only conservation mats or cons. and plain paper.

When we first started we had to make sure we had an extra mat for everyone we needed in case we made a mistake, of course at that time we were using a hand cutter! Now we order what we need and if a mistake is made we get creative and give the customer something extra at no charge.

It's nice to be able to get the brands you carry from more than one supplier, e.g. I have two suppliers I know can get TruVue from in case of out of stocks.

The secret is out when Ron is not on the grumble he is sorting mat board. ;)

Enjoy your new space.

[ 07-22-2003, 11:28 PM: Message edited by: JPete ]
 
Hi Joe,
We have been in business for quite a while, but the only colors I keep in stock (on purpose) are a few whites, creams, and a great black by Artique from Larson. I can get daily delivery on some brands and weekly delivery on others.

I prefer to order on an "as-needed" basis, which does dictate a certain turn-around time. Even with ordering this way, I have still collected hundreds of scrap and full-size boards for my inventory. Scrap control is my mission in life, these days. I always check scrap for availability to cover new orders; and I sell smaller scraps (16x20 and under) for discounted prices to my budget customers. This system has worked well for us, as we "trash" very little and only buy when we have to (less than 50% of orders).

The down side is space. We have built verticle shelves to hold large scrap and full boards... two tiers high. It takes up about 10 horizontal feet x 5.5 verticle feet, 32" in depth. But it's the best storage investment we ever made.

With an eye to the future, you might want to consider a system like this.

Good luck!
Matoaka
 
Oh, and don't throw out the samples of the non-stock boards. Keep them available for special order, but look to the stock boards first.

I keep the stock and non-stock mat samples in separate spots and I label the stock samples with the little removeable(so I can change my mind) color dots.

90% of the mats I sell are from stock boards.
 
joe i want to save you some space and agony. don't use paper mats. waste of time and space. you do not save that much money on paper mats and your customers should respect you a bit more if you only use conservation mats.
sorry i a against them.
demmmis
 
We decided to carry only conservation mats. No paper mats at all. We donated all the old paper mats to some schools, and tossed the samples.

Now, when a customer asks, "Are these mats acid free?" I can say, "That's the only kind we sell." so far, they have all been impressed.

Once in a while, a cheapy comes in asking for a paper mat, (because it costs less, that's the only reason anyone ever wants paper) and I send them to the frame shop across the street.
 
When I first opened last year... I would order 2 of every mat board I needed (just in case I ruined the first one). I have to say, I accumulated alot of excess mat board (that's a good problem, since I must have done better than expected)... But they were out of control - totally.

I then keep an inventory list (on an Excel file) that sorts by manufacturer and number - I keep the sheet on a clipboard, and as the mat board that is ordered arrives, I mark it accordingly. I keep the list ongoing - even if I exhaust a color - I know I had it at one time.

I track by full, half and still useable scraps sizes. I highlite if I will be using it for an upcoming order, that way I don't over order anymore - except for the basics - I will keep more on hand. That includes whites, blacks, and colors I know I use alot!

It is a system that has worked great for me and saved me a ton of money - and gotten my mat board inventory down to a manageable size.

Roz
 
There was a discussion recently - it might have been here, but I think it was at a PPFA chapter gathering, and I asked about what we are supposed to call the non-c/p mats. They are ALL, after all, paper mats and they are ALL acid-free.

Someone responded, and I sincerely wish I could remember who, "We call 'em slip sheets."

I don't throw out or donate my slip sheets. I use 'em in my CMC and my Fletcher 2100.
 
William Parker states that the BB's continue to garner more and more market share (25-30%)and we casually suggest to the client that they "go across the street" because their needs don't meet "our standards".

That might be one the dumbest suggestions posted.

If I might, try a few suggestions:

1. Try a little salesmanship-explain the advantages (if what they are framing really requires what you are trying to push)

2.Offer something better for a similar price. As a sale saver, I would offer the rag mats at paper prices. Using the example of the guy comparing Hobby Lobby's prices, do you think I would lose a $250 sale over $6 (approx the cost difference between paper and rag). Haven't you ever had someone else sell you something because they "price matched" or offered a little something special? A Baker's dozen, for example.

3. Order what they want, if you can't convince them the item is inappropriate (But, is it really inappropriate?). Every major full line matboard producer makes paper mats. There is a place for this product-use it wisely.

The customer that walks across the street will probably never come back. Am I going to dig in my heels and lose a potential client over a lousy $6 because they don't meet my standards?

What do you think?

Back to the stocking issue...

[ 07-23-2003, 12:05 PM: Message edited by: Bob Carter ]
 
Bob,

Your very well thought out and practical answer to not send the customer across the street could be a thread in itself.

I couldn't agree more than to not lose a sale over $6 when you know they won't come back in most cases! I will bend over backwards to help a customer with their "needs" and sometimes it requires biting the self-serving bullet - but then there is always the hope of a bigger payoff in the future.

I have so many people walk into my store thinking my store is the old art supply/frame shop that was down the street for many years prior to her closing/retirement. I will not - read NOT - ever send them to the BB for supplies. I will suggest other local art supply stores hoping if they ever need custom framing they will think of my store, since they did walk in for a different reason!

I guess I am guilty of major frankenthreading here. Sorry.

Roz
 
Originally posted by Bob Carter:
The customer that walks across the street will probably never come back. Am I going to dig in my heels and lose a potential client over a lousy $6 because they don't meet my standards?
Click to expand...
I agree whole heartily with Bob. I win over new customers every week for this very reason. I will spend 5 min explaining the difference of mat board, or glass, even backing material. If they really are looking for cheaper they will find it. I just love it when they find it with me. My standards are giving people what they want. Hopefully all my competitors with be sending me new business, maybe I wouldn't need to advertise but just give hand fulls of business cards to the "elite" frame shops. Better yet, my new location can be the "elite" shop, and I could send the cheap customers to my original location, that way I could service both ends of the spectrum.

Jerry
 
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