SIDELINES

RoboFramer

PFG, Picture Framing God
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 19, 2002
Posts
9,041
Loc
United Kingdom, West Sussex Coast. (Bottom centre)
Business
Retired
Do you have a sideline to framing; do you have several?

4 Reasons I ask..................

1. I think I could be in with a shout at having the most!

2. I'm a nosey old Git!

3. Always ready to diversify - might see an idea I like.

4. See #2 above.

OK Framing and 'fine art' take up 40% of the shop plus a nice sized workshop and most the corridors out back.

Then there's (and none of this is done in half measures)

Needlecraft - all types and all the associated accessories

Knitting wool

Haberdashery - incl 2000 + reels of ribbon

Other crafts (Rubber stamping, cardmaking, pergamano, teabag & Iris folding, Hama beads,claymaking...........maybe more - Pat's 'side')

A dry cleaning agency

Photocopying service

Greetings cards and giftwrap

Giftware - novelty and not so (see photo below, from our window this evening)

Cushion making service for needlepoints

I spend most my time in the engine room and can't keep up with Pat's side, but if I remember anything else........

shopatnight005.jpg


Must paint that windowsill!

[ 01-14-2006, 08:02 PM: Message edited by: RoboFramer ]
 
I've been wondering for a while if any shops out there got in on the scrapbooking craze early on. I think the two go well together and I think that the industry has helped a lot of people appreciate the idea of conservation.
 
John - those sheep are hilarious!! I love them - they are just adorable!! I'm guessing you probably got them somewhere in your part of the world??

We have a small section for Cross Stitch supplies - it's not as big as I would like but it's not a huge money maker for us so we can't afford to give that much space to it.
 
Sandra, we could not get enough of those sheep at Christmas, three sizes, all with names like Meg, Jock, Beth, Gordon etc.

The company that we get them from is called ENESCO - massive affair, don't know if they sell overseas.
 
do they actually have real sweaters and toques on or are they just painted to look real??
 
You could always get one of those hella-cool little laser boxes and do brass plates, plastic tags, glass etching and other engraving. I always like the idea of that, but I like the person who we buy plates from too much.
 
John, I had to look up "pergamano." Never heard of it.

The teabag and Iris folding made me do a double take,too. Care to explain what these are? It seems obvious, but I'd rather you tell us, so we know for sure!

I smiled when you posted your pic (on the frapper map), and there was "Haberdashery" on your sign.

I almost started a "favorite words that begin with H" thread.
 
Originally posted by johnny:
You could always get one of those hella-cool little laser boxes and do brass plates, plastic tags, glass etching and other engraving. I always like the idea of that, but I like the person who we buy plates from too much.
Reminded me of another sideline - calligraphy (which is how it all started for me)

We talk customers out of brass plates - unless it particularly suits - instead we offer to cut a title aperture in the mat and hand write the text -in anything from watercolour to pure gold leaf.
 
I always thought a haberdashery was a shop that sold men's clothing and accessories. Isn't this what Harry Truman did before he became President?
kaffeetrinker_2.gif
Rick
 
Rick,

I googled it - you are right - men's clothing(but only in the States) Harry Truman (also captain Cook)

In UK it is needles and pins, buttons, ribbon etc - anything that is sewn on or with.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haberdashery

Check out famous haberdashers on that link for a real surprise!

Sooooooooo - anyone gonna tell us what their sidelines are?
 
Sideline: Cleaning and repairing oil paintings. Not a lot of profit in it, as it's very labor intensive and the supplies are expensive, but I enjoy it and we will often get a frame job out of it.
 
Not a sideline - full-fledged "portions" of the business:
Caning and wicker repair
Caning and basketry supplies
Art, Craft and Antique shows
Freelance Writing - books and articles

Goals for this year: Looking at one new (but connected) area, and expanding 2 others.
 
For "sideline", did you mean something somewhat related to framing done in your store, or something completely different unrelated to framing and not done in your store.

Besides framing, I'm also a landlord (residential not commercial).
 
I sell art and gift items in the store.
It's all handcrafted, mostly by local artists.


My shop offers photo restoration and art and frame restoration services.
 
Besides framing, we have the following:

* Readymade frames - new
* photoframes - have always had
* special order crosstitch items - nothing that can be found at the local craft store
* Art sourcing - we will help you find a print that goes with that couch! - new
* Art hanging services - new
* Interior Decorator consultations - new
- room arrangement - using what you have
- wall space planning for current photos or art
- framed decographs (fancier plak-it), canvas transfers (done out-of-house),preframed art on special order from catalogs

These are items that are being launched in the very near future with direct mail to current customers. These are all items that have been consistently requested over the last year, so I am adding them to see how it goes. Everything I am adding adds to or enhances the custom framing piece of the business. Since we moved, we are up 22% in our framing.
One of my reps reported that most of his shops in NY were down 18-30%, so I'm feeling good about our direction as we finish up our 4th year in a retail location.

Elaine


Looking forward to 2006 to see growth
 
John, aka RoboFramer,


Let me know when you're coming up to the Spring Fair this year and we can spend an evening talking about Sidelines, Framing and English Ales!
I'll be there for the first three days, so let me know if Sunday-Monday-Tuesday works for you?

Staying downtown Birmingham.

P.S. The sheep look a little W+G influenced. They are definitely something we could sell in our shop.

John
 
John

We always go up on the Saturday, after work and arrive late, spend all day Sunday at the show then drive straight home. So we'll have to meet at the show. However, we have another show to attend, same venue, 2 weeks earlier - crafts. So maybe this year Pat and I will attend that and I'll go to the Spring Fair alone for 2 days.

I'll drop you an email closer to the date with confirmation, mobile No etc.

The sheep are by Toni Goff - his ltd edns are/were avaiable through Washington Green
 
Rick, John 'clink' penny just dropped 'W&G' is also a publisher, Something or other beginning with 'W' & 'Giant' I think.

Could easily be Wallace & Grommit inspired.

Enesco do sell in the States, whether they sell this range or not though I don't know. Tony Goffe also does a range of very comical cats too.

Enesco will be in one of the giftware halls in Birmingham.
 
Originally posted by MarkyW:
For "sideline", did you mean something somewhat related to framing done in your store, or something completely different unrelated to framing and not done in your store.

I guess I could have called this topic "What else do you sell"

But mainly I mean un-related to framing - even if you can frame it once it's made/bought.

Surprised I've not seen more artist supplies - we're always asked for them but have no intention of ever stocking them. All the 'other' crafts though were taken on by very popular demand.

Just thought of another - decoupage.
 
My husbands sideline (love, other job, etc) is Flying. He teach flight instruction and is getting into aerobatics starting this year. I am a perpetual flight student and co-pilot.
 
Originally posted by RoboFramer:
...Could easily be Wallace & Grommit inspired.

Enesco do sell in the States, whether they sell this range or not though I don't know....Enesco will be in one of the giftware halls in Birmingham.
Rick,

I was indeed thinking of Wallace & Grommit! :D We sold a bunch of their items when the three shorts were running in the U.S. Licensed products can be a real pain, however (10-12 new vendors and a short life span.)

I'm still a big fan, but haven't seen the full length new feature yet. :(

RoboFramer,

Enesco is a bit to "mass produced" for us and the real issue is that their products show up at the neighborhood drug store around the corner. Indeed they were exhibiting in building 2 at the Atlanta Gift Market last week.

John
 
I sell ceramic murals, do photo restoration, portrait photography and framing.

As a sideline I do speaker support presentations for CEO's and CFO's. I'd like to do less, but it puts food on the table when the studio isn't.
 
Opposite to the answers so far framing for me is a sideline. My primary source of income is as a telephone network technician for the incumbant telco in western Canada (TELUS). I am in my 20th year, at 25 years the pension is worth talking about so I plan to hang on at least that long. That is where my online name comes from....I am a phoneguy and a canuck!

I do picture framing as a sideline, that I hope may turn into something bigger later in life. Most of my customers are other telco employees and word of mouth referals. I really enjoy the framing, and the creative process involved. For now I am learning, framing as much as possible and playing too!

I also do custom renovations on the side, though I am taking less and less of that work as my children get older....they need more of me now. During our recent lockout (July - Nov 2005) this kept my family fed and all our bills paid, so that is a good thing. Every customer I met got a card for my picture framing business too!

James
 
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