Wanted Photo Frames that are Made in USA

Create a Post
Item Wanted
B

Baer Charlton

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
Joined
May 24, 2004
Posts
21,029
Loc
On FB
That was the forth walk out...... "made in the wrong country"

This woman even took me to task about the three "better" companies,
even our best selling company, suspiciously does not mark their frames or
the boxes, that look amazingly like the same boxes we get from another
company that at least has the honesty to leave the "China" sticker on.

Roma was close at Made in Canada..... but still no sale.

I'm really getting tired of this. My only "grown, made, shipped" in USA,
starts at 8x10 and goes up.

I tried to show her the high-end ones I have that are made in Romania by
a small company, but she just gave me a big stink-eye that was almost
as harsh as my sister can lay out.

It's not like I need them to be as cheap as WalMart..... but I would just like
to have SOMEthing to offer.

I guess, if I had won the lottery last night... I know what kind of company
I would have started.
 
Try Furst Brothers. Some of their stuff is imported, but some is made right there in Baltimore. Call Donny at 800-638-9398
 
On of my plans in the back of my mind is to put up signs in the shop "Made by Me". I know that this doesn't help with photo frames, but it does with the custom side.
 
At WCAF there were a couple. One that comes to mind is timeless frames in NY. Drawing a blank on the other. We sell a ton of framatic. They are very simple metal and a few woods. The shipping might not be too bad for you since they are in LA.
 
You can check with North Carolina Moulding to see if they have ready mades. I have purchased Made in the USA mouldings from them which I make into ready mades.
 
Is Martin Aborn still in business? I don't know what they do/did for materials, except that we once entered negotiations with them to supply moulding.
 
wpfay said:
How about http://www.urbanashes.com/
Click to expand...

That's right, 100% made in the USA, from urban recycled lumber, manufactured with transitional and disabled labor. I recommend the Spalted Sycamore or White Washed Wormy Pine. They also have Fir from deconstructed abandoned homes in Detroit, call Denailed Detroit, cause the amount of nail holes in the lumber.
 
Wally & Randy, thanks. I sent an email this morning. Randy, great window display. How have
they been received?

I think we could have a nice fit here to entice the young set in. The "reuse" funkyness,
and the back story go straight to the heart of what everyone "professes" to be about......
(other than bicycling and walking). So it will be an interesting trial.

We'd cough up the front window for them for January.
 
People have liked them, the quality is not something you find in a Garret, Picture Woods or Vermont Hardwood. These are from trees that are meant for the wood chipper. It is the flaws that give them character. I have had several repeat customers. Paul@ UA has been looking for retailers and breaking into the museum gift shop retailers. They just came out with several colors, white and green milk paint finishes on pine or basswood, which look great for coastal areas.

Funny enough in the last year or two I have had a few customers coming in looking for "Made in America" and I am able to say, "Not only do I have "Made in America", I have "Made in Michigan". Check them out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/UrbanAshes?fref=ts

Price point wise, they are not made in China prices, they are comparable to Roma or Bella photo frames.
 
David N Waldmann said:
Is Martin Aborn still in business? I don't know what they do/did for materials, except that we once entered negotiations with them to supply moulding.
Click to expand...

David, Unfortunately they went out of business in 2008. They sold Italian moulding assembled in the U.S. at photo frames. They were a great company. We have since move that business over to Roma photo frames. Again Italian moulding, assembled in Canada. All first world countries = Equal Trading Partners! :thumbsup:

For pure American Made photo frames, we sell Bella's Prisma line in our shop as well as Bedford Downing.


John

P.S. As an aside, I'm always amazed that when discussions focus on "photo frames", many folks start talking about ready mades. I know that our industry is plaqued by language, but in my mind these are two different animals.... ;)
 
I forget how to spell it, but Laville. They do a shabby chic thing that has a good spin.
 
John Ranes II said:
I'm always amazed that when discussions focus on "photo frames", many folks start talking about ready mades. I know that our industry is plaqued by language, but in my mind these are two different animals.... ;)
Click to expand...

I have 1200 frames in sizes 2x3 to 11x14... every single one is marketed with a photo of people
in them.... every single one is already made........

explain please how these are different from themselves.
 
Artrageous said:
...for one thing, none of them are stamped 'Made in America'.
Click to expand...

MarK . . . . you're not helping. Keep it up and I'll have to send Shayla over to talk sternly to you.....

Frameworks, the last order of 50 frames we got in from them looked like they had tire tracks
on the black paint, the wood was southern Mexico Snottree, and when we called them to return
them, we got nothing but blow back... the rep finally came by and told us to field destroy.....
I told him BS - - bring your car around.
We're fine with "shabby chic"..... just not "shabby".

Of course, in this industry and the ensuing two years since.... your experience could be 180 degrees from
ours....
 
Baer Charlton said:
MarK . . . . you're not helping. Keep it up and I'll have to send Shayla over to talk sternly to you.....
Click to expand...

I can't imagine Shayla talking sternly to anyone. :cool:
She is a Grumble Angel. :thumbsup:
 
Baer, have I ever tried to 'help'?

Of course I'm only kidding about adding 'Made in America' stickers to your products. The belief some folks have that products made in America are made better, just because of their origin is foolish. Quality is quality.

If a customer believes in you and has faith in the quality of your work, they should trust that even the [strike]ready mades[/strike] photo frames, are not the typical 'Made in Indonesia' carp they can buy at the big box stores.

Quality products cost more. Quality craftsmanship is more expensive. WalMart and Michaels are here for those that don't care.
 
John Ranes II said:
..........
I'm always amazed that when discussions focus on "photo frames", many folks start talking about ready mades. I know that our industry is plaqued by language, but in my mind these are two different animals.... ;)
Click to expand...

I call 11 x 14 & smaller, manufactured frames with easel backs, photo frames.
I call any size open back frame a ready made.
We sell 11x17 & larger, factory manufactured plastic frames and I call them poster frames.

I realize the photo lab gives me an advantage in this area but I love the cheap stuff and I assure everyone that rich people buy plenty of inexpensive photo and poster frames.

Hate to say it but it's a rare occasion that anyone mentions anything about "Made in America"

Doug
 
Funny thing about this area is there are an enormous number of retired union workers. Never seen so many people who are retired in their late 40's to early 50's and not one of them cares if it is made in the USA. The ONLY thing they care about is that the price is cheap, cheap, cheap. A very large percentage of them encourage me to carry Chinese plastic frames so my prices will be below Wal-Mart's on the cheap Chinese plastic frames.

Very sadly the majority of these retirees are former public employee union members looking for a cheaper way to buy a cheap Chinese plastic frame. Most of these same people are the ones telling me how good the economy is as they explain that I should work for nothing so I don't starve to death due to the horrible economy. I'm sure they believe the gov't cuts me a check weekly for showing up and 100% of my price is profit that I stash in bank vaults around the country and world. :bdh:
 
Never saw a working man want to bet up on other workers so much.
Kind of makes me sick. :vomit:
I sure like my tax dollars supporting the poorly paid average Walmart workers who have to be on food stamps to feed themselves and their kids even though they work a 40 hour week.
Costco understands this and pays a living wage.
Welfare for Walmart, OK. Working folks getting paid a decent wage, not OK.
 
It is a shame some people work 2 or 3 high paid framing jobs robbing the highly qualified Wal-Mart workers the opportunity to have one of those high paying jobs. Just Sayin'
 
Different terms for different products...

Baer Charlton said:
I have 1200 frames in sizes 2x3 to 11x14... every single one is marketed with a photo of people in them.... every single one is already made........ explain please how these are different from themselves.
Click to expand...

Here ya go....

DVieau2 said:
I call 11 x 14 & smaller, manufactured frames with easel backs, photo frames.
I call any size open back frame a ready made... Doug
Click to expand...

Thanks Doug. I think da Baer already knew this. :D

John
 
Thanks John, I did, but forgot that there were people out there that sell "Open" frames
anymore. We sell all the way up to 18x24 with glass and backer..... why?

Perceived value. With a slip of regular glass, and some scrap from a dud or flaw....
we have a frame that is of "higher" value.
A ConClear up sale is pretty easy... "They put just the cheap regular glass in there . . ."
along with a custom mat...... "You saved so much on the frame . . . "

and I can hear the "But you lost out on a CUSTOM sale"......

yup. We turned our $$$ instead of the vendor's $$$. Our mark is a wee higher
on the stock, because of the convenience to the customer, and the rent on
the space it occupied.
90% of the time, the sale included CC and a mat.... and 10% it was a
cash and carry. Whaaaaaaa....... out the door, turn left.. the bank is two blocks down....

What we want to do is get more 20-30s in the door... and if MIA, and shabby chic with
a great recycle back story can't do it...

Because I almost sold our first Dennis Matthewson frame the other day...... and
we have had his samples for two years now.
 
Baer, I gotta say this about you, you'd be great around a campfire out in the wilderness!! Man, you could close your little shop today and move to Ely and become a professional yarn spinner or tale teller up in the Quetico and probably make more than you do as a wood butcher. Do you know any "Trapper Pete" or "Tales of the Yukon" stories?? They would go nuts over that kind of person on the trails!!

AND, you can still be initiated into the Voyageurs ............... if you know the right people up there.

I could relate the oath to you ........ but then I'd have to shoot ya, it's all very hush hush stuff, doncha know.
 
Tom, is it your rings that are worn out or you missing a few edges on your valve stem?

And here I thought it was only Colorado and Washington that had free range on that dope thing.

What in the world are you talking about?
 
Baer Charlton said:
MarK . . . . you're not helping. Keep it up and I'll have to send Shayla over to talk sternly to you.....

Frameworks, the last order of 50 frames we got in from them looked like they had tire tracks
on the black paint, the wood was southern Mexico Snottree, and when we called them to return
them, we got nothing but blow back... the rep finally came by and told us to field destroy.....
I told him BS - - bring your car around.
We're fine with "shabby chic"..... just not "shabby".

Of course, in this industry and the ensuing two years since.... your experience could be 180 degrees from
ours....
Click to expand...

Bummer! I've not had an experience like that with them. I've had some not-so-great frames from them, but few and far between. For the most part the quality has been decent. Not great, but not bad for $20 (retail) frame.
 
That was our feeling..... order 25 and pitch 3.... price accordingly.

Then we needed these for an order... 2" flat board.... with tire tracks
melted into the paint. Weird.

But their reaction was the final straw.
 
having the SAME challenge here

MY partner and I were at a trade show for his business a few years back
looking for made-in-USA goods for his catalog
We spoke with a manufacturer who was promoting apparel
He said "let me show you our made-in-america goods and our made-in-asia goods"
There was significant disparity in quality--and the usa goods cost considerably more. It was heartbreaking.

I try to add a personal touch to the table frames I sell here-such as handcoloring the paper inserts, adding museum glass, and giving a story about the place they are made. I try to remind people that ours is a Global Village--All people need to make a living. There is Always a local artist who needs a commission. Inevitably they either buy the thing that's unique and truly beautifully crafted or they wrinkle their nose and sniff "it's more than I want to spend"

at which point I give them directions to the Mall

It might help "the Cause" to take a lesson from that trade show vendor and have the Story rehearsed and ready to tell along with a display that illustrates.

back to work now
cheers All
Jo-Anne
 
Simple, put a "Made in U.S.A" sticker on the back of the frame... problem solved. I thought of this, because a couple of years ago i got a box of mouldings in. When taking them out of the box and putting them on a rack, i noticed about 1/2 of the moulding had "Made in Brazil"sticker and the other half had a "Made in Taiwan" sticker (maybe they ran out of the "Made in Brazil" stickers). ALL mouldings were identical... same finish, width, length, etc. I called and laughing, i asked the distributor about this. They thought i was "joking" because the so-called "manufacturer" they deal with is located in China! So... i never believe what's on the sticker. lol :icon9:
 
I believe the Prisma Photo Frames from Bella are made in Chicago. I know the custom ones are.

http://www.prismaframes.com/

Pretty reasonably priced and great quality.
 
Bob Doyle said:
Ready mades? Call and ask them ;)
Click to expand...

Photo frames are for everyday photos, 4x6, 5x7 8x10 with easel backs, ready mades are typically larger variety, 11x14, 11x17 16x20. Didn't we discuss this back around post #17....:shutup:
 
Randy.... had a great talk with Paul Hickman..... I don't think that man sleeps.

We're going over the photos today that he sent, and probably ordering on Monday.

Thanks for the tip, and the good word in with him. Maybe they need a West Coast expansion
of the project. :D
 
Baer, have you looked at Adirondack frames? Looks like Made in America from a lot of cottage industries on Google.
 
Create a Post
Back
Top