What's Your Best Selling Moulding style!!!!

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blackiris

blackiris

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Posts
10,624
Loc
Sandwich, IL
I was going through some of my end-of-year stats the other day........
I was noticing that I use certain types of mouldings than others.:D

For example........It's probably been 6 months since I've sold any Gold ornate style frames or silver for that fact. My biggest selling style for last year is a finished modern wood/dark moulding and of coarse black frames.

Its interesting to see what the trends are bringing in.......and how much influence you have with your customers!!!

I'm sure it will be totally different for all parts of the Grumble world.

So I was just wondering what type/style of mouldings you use the most? :shrug:
Thought it would be interesting!
 
I hardly ever sell gold moulding anymore....customers in my area actually steer away from gold these days. I do sell lots of the more tribal looking dark wood carved frames. Pewter tones are also hot for me right now. I still do some very ornate pieces, but the frames will gravitate more toward the antique silvers than toward the golds.
 
For me its the ebonized walnut look, simple frames, rarely any gold, rarely any wide profiles, but I like the clean modern look and that why customers come to me.
 
I've found that whatever is "in" now is "out" tomarrow. I try to keep a good cross section of many profiles & colors. I also try to give the "newer" profiles more prominate positioning on my walls. :kaffeetrinker_2:
 
It's really driven by what my customers bring in (on those rare occasions someone actually darkens my door with artwork in hand). I think the real pitfall is continually going back to the same handful of mouldings, rather than exploring the hundreds of other possibilities on your walls. As designers, we can get complacent and boring, too. I find it useful to periodically move my moulding samples around, and I often see mouldings I've never really noticed before.

All that being said, I've pulled most of the moulding samples that are wider than 3 inches. They don't sell, but they certainly collect a lot of dust.
 
1 1/8" black and the black poster frame special. From students to artists to architects, black is in. Big chunky blacks are popular too, as are 3/4" but the matt black wood, just over 1" is the best seller. Coffee/chocolate seems to be hot right now too, as is distressed dark. Clear maple not so much as a year or so ago.
 
we sell so many of the rustic veneer frames, also the solid cherry formal-looking-but still classic ones. Of course 1" black wood is a bestseller too.
We do actually sell quite a lot of gold and champagne frames.
We never sell the real beat up gold and silver "rustic" profiles, I think customers who are into gold by default aren't into rustic.
 
I also have found that gold mouldings are out in my area. If I sell gold it is almost always a muted gold or copper/bronze color.

The clean yet distressed look of LJ's Ferrosa line, ebonized walnut and mocha from Garret and Nelson's Mldg. sell well.

What I term "Almost Black" mouldings that have some decorative features but have a more antique finish also do well.

Black mouldings that have an inside bevel by the rabbet that draw you into the work are about the only black mouldings that move for me.

Last on the list of decent movers are silver leaf mouldings that are warm in tone.
 
Tuscany and rustic are still big.

We sell very little golds and rarely contemporary designs.

I almost never sell anything that is "squared off" (unless it is basic black for basic function). People want a little character with their moulding.

And anything with a gold or silver 'lip' - forget it! It just collects dust.
 
Mostly dark cherry and pewter. Rarely gold "looks like my grandma's place". Chocolate brown is also popular, just wish we sold more than the 2 styles we currently have. Black is 3rd on my most sold list.

Thankfully, not white :vomit:
 
Sorry to say it, pals, but you sell frames just like tomatoes and cucumbers, by the pound. You should sell the frame that will integrate perfectly with the artwork and will please the owner today, tomorrow and thirty years from now because it is the perfect choice, not the trendier, more/less expensive frame that happen to match his sofa.

This type of framing is already taken by BB's and many other types of businesses that offer wall decor solutions to simple people framing cheap, disposable "art". You need to reinvent yourself into an art specialist and servant, not a wardrobe guardian that dresses the art work in readily available or fashionable outfits. This is not how you'll resist in this business for the next crucial couple of years. I warned you. What you do is same old Mary with a different hat. Everybody can mimic that type of framer with 1000 bucks worth of tools after reading two of Vivian's books. You are struggling for your dear business life today because anybody can do it, and anybody a bit crazy can do it for less than you can. The framers that will evolve from the current framing culture, were them left unchallenged, would close their shop for having their phone lines or CMC down.
 
Cornell,

I beg to differ. I had a customer in on Thursday night who needed seven 23 x 29 frames with 8 ply mats, UV glass, foamcore. He has a photographic show to hang on Tuesday. A local independent photography shop rush printed his photos. He chose a 2" black moulding, pure white 8 ply, UV glass. I had to rush order a box of black from San Diego to arrive here on Monday. He will assemble DIY on Monday afternoon, after we cut the mats and cut and join frames. We'll make sure he gets it done on time even if we have to stay late. We will give him a lot of help, and are prepping the job this weekend.

He is somewhat typical in my shop. He can't get this kind of service and help on the internet. Heck, he couldn't even get it at the BB. They sent him to me. He spent around 275. each. He paid for convenience, speed, bread and butter quality, help, and advice. Do you think he could have had this job done on the internet?

I had a woman in last Saturday who needed 6 photos restored, shipped, printed, and framed for Valentine's Day. I contacted Digital Custom, got everything rushed, bent over backwards to get her frames finished, and last night after work, she picked them up to take them home to her husband for Valentine's Day. This customer is chief counsel for a large corporation. She paid for convenience, speed, personalized service, and quality. Do you think she does her framing on the internet?

Our University clients walk their jobs over with a purchase order in hand. We deliver back or they walk back over on their lunch hour, getting a little California sun on the way. Do you think they have their certificates framed on the internet?

This morning on my way to work, I stopped by a local corporation to inspect a small problem with the cropping of some small poster images we recently framed for them using Nielsen frames. I took one look, scooped them all up, and told them I wanted to take them back for a quick adjustment. I'll drop them back again on Tuesday. They know I won't let them hang anything on their walls that does not reflect the professionalism of their environment. They rely on me for quick service, good clean design, personalized attention, and a workmanship guarantee, Do you think they have their framing done on the internet?

Yes, some of our ordinary framing has gone to the internet, and all of our poster sales have gone, but those of use who deal with ordinary framing, offering decent quality, great service, and quick turnaround will survive and, if we are smart operators, thrive.

On the high end (yes, we do both,) I need to get a price from you on an oval frame for a customer's bathroom. I showed her one on your web site and she fell in love with it. You'll get an email from me.
 
Kirstie,

I didn't touch the high end framin topic and, anyway, I am not looking at high end framing the way many framers do. Incidentally, too many equate high end with expensive framing, gold glittering antique reproduction frames, but I don't. In my views high end framing is all about the framer and the service he is capable of providing, not the price of the frame. More over, the frame makers should make what custom framers visualize as being needed, not be regularly providing a set of potential design solutions in form of corner samples. If a simple, inexpensive frame is all it takes to happily merry foever that piece of art with its frame, so be it. It is certainly about high end service that a stupid, heavy, expensive antique replica was not used instead.

High end custom framers should frame for posterity and put their artistic talent at work, as opposed to commercial artwork dressers whose 2000 corner samples on the wall give them the brutal power of a crushing amount of possible combinations, of which a few are certain to be acceptable.

If a painter was to paint the way many framers do their job, he'd ask his buyers what size, shapes and colors they prefer, and finally come up with a rendition of their buyers painting.
 
Whynot said:
If a painter was to paint the way many framers do their job, he'd ask his buyers what size, shapes and colors they prefer, and finally come up with a rendition of their buyers painting.
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This is EXACTLY the way a painting is done on commission. "I want a painting of my daughter wearing the dress she wore to the Inaugural Ball." is unlikely to lead to a painting of a bowl of fruit.
QUOTE]

Whynot said:
High end custom framers should frame for posterity and put their artistic talent at work, as opposed to commercial artwork dressers whose 2000 corner samples on the wall give them the brutal power of a crushing amount of possible combinations, of which a few are certain to be acceptable.
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Well, of course we do. But the customers still want what they want. And those 2000 corners allow us to give them something that a) they want, b) enhances the artwork and c) frames for posterity. We do it here every day.
 
Well said Ellen!

I personally think having a large choice on my walls is what brings in my customers back over and over again. I keep rearranging them to give a fresh look and my customers really like the fresh selection ever visit.

Cornal, I would like to get some samples of your work, so I can start teaching my customers the difference. Some of my customers would love your work, and even appreciate it.

Let me know what your policy is on samples. E-mail me!


As for my best sellers...It would have to be the rustic veneers right now, and of course classic black.

I still sell golds, but not as much, but it is classic and will come back, so I'm not pulling them off the wall anytime soon.
 
I have exactly 1 customer that could/would pay $50+/ft for framing. If I had $4000 in CC samples I would pay for them sometime in 2025. Having seen the light, I would never buy a new CC sample anyway. I would simply put up a post here on the G that I want to buy used samples. I suspect I would pay $500 for that $4000 pile of firewood....errr CC samples.

This is an old figure but probably still typical. About a year ago I learned that something like 3 of 10 shops that bought LJ's CC samples have ever sold a single one! Why don't the reps openly share that with you when they are trying to get you to cut a huge check for this junk? Jennifer, how many have you sold since you invested in them? If you have even sold one you stand out from the crowd.

There is a rumor that George Bernard Shaw was discussing theater with Henry Ford. He told Ford, "Mr. Ford, there is the difference between us. You think only of art, and I think only of money." Ford could afford to pay anything for a show and wanted the best. Shaw knew that he had to sell to a lot more people than Ford if he was going to eat.

Following Shaw's example my best seller is a 1" black. Ford wouldn't like it but I only think of money. #2 on down changes with my tastes. I have never sold many whites but I'm selling a bit now. Chocolate and light blue is popular now....I'm having a hard time adjusting to these color combinations. There are some smooth brown/blacks from Omega that are moving pretty well. Like many I'm selling very little gold. Silver is selling 2 to one to gold.
 
Since I sell a lot of rustic and Mexican furniture, my best sellers always are barnwood frames. Lucky for me, they are easy to handle.
 
For us it is what I call a lodge look that is very popular. It is kind of a dressed up rustic style that would include everything from LJ Antica to Roma Tabbacocino. Of course simple blacks still sell the best of all.
 
blackiris said:
...
So I was just wondering what type/style of mouldings you use the most? :shrug:
...
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The original post asked which mouldings are used the most. It's unfortunate that the majority of custom framing consumers cannot or will not afford closed corner frames with custom ornamentation and finishes. It also is true that certain styles and finishes of frames are trendy and that is exactly what blackiris was inquiring about. It is also true that many framers have thousands of corner samples and many even have visualization software in order to assist a customer to see what their custom job will look like.

It's very rare that I have a customer come in and I show them a picture of a tree and try to explain what their finished wood frame is going to look like.

I understand what you are trying to say Cornell but it should have been started as a new thread because your post has nothing to do with blackiris's valid and relevant question.
 
Cornel:

Please read the question(s) c a r e f u l l y before you start your usual diatribes.

Not every customer, soccer mom, kids' art, designer, architect, artist want your incredible frames. And those, dear Cornel, are real world every day customers that go for the frames that the majority of Grumblers listed as their best selling frames.

If somebody were to frame exclusively for art galleries then you may have a point.

But, sorry, no cigar this time. Not even a cheap imitation one from China.
 
barnwoods, cedars, pines, rustics, almost blacks, dark walnuts and oak, some gold and some silver.
we are in a rural area with lots of lakes and nature, ranches, etc so our art and framing leans that direction. about 70% of what I call "informal" framing, but all of it is done conservation .
 
Cornel's post is something I tell customers. Don't be a "framer." If you want to succeed offer and be able to do more. A good framer and framer that will be around for years doesn't say "No." The last shop I worked in in DC did extremely well. The owner never said no. So it gave us more opportunities that the two other framers a couple hundred yards away were not able to do. We refinished furniture, we made podiums, we crated artwork, we hung art, we did many jobs on site, we had a conservator visit us nearly every Saturday to do work in our back room. She would also take work back to her studio that needed more extensive work.

I also have to say that it made the job more interesting. We were involved in many different things each day. We were highly organized and realized our capacity. We never had time to sit and relax. It was very stressful, but we were paid very well. When an owner refuses to do jobs, that makes it easier for employees to refuse. Our owner would not say no...he would think and find away to satisfy the customer.

Jay H is right. If you look through most companies catalogs you will see what is the best seller for most right away. It is a 1'' black. Many companies have 2-3 pages consisting of 50-100 items. It is the default moulding for most. It is simple and people tend to think it will be the least expensive item. In most cases it is a bit cheaper.
 
Jay H

I like your idea of buying preowned CC samples. Very inventive. :)
As of LJ's CC line ...why is it that I am not surprised at all that they don't sell well?
It takes time and expertise to make money off CC frames. LJ has spent big money in hope to buy the expertise in no time and that doesn't garantee overnight success; some times it never does at all. It is obvious that LJ doesn't know enough to tell good CC from poor quality CC and acts on those frames just as if they were length molding or chops of industrial grade. Luckily for them, not many of their clients know the difference and they get to learn about CC frames the hard way. I am sincerely thankful to LJ for teaching their clients that difference on their expence. As result, if you noticed, many grumblers became interested and considerate about my frames despite some being overly afraid for my future due to the LJ and Roma's stepping into my market.
Perhaps this weekend I'll spend some time to articulate a very instructive real story that would make your eyes pop out. That story would hopefully unroot some of your (and others) well entranched wrong ideas about CC and how poorly they would sell to their customers.

Paul N

I am not proposing my frames as a fix but framers vision changing. That's just how you tend to see my intervention. All I am saying is that 2000 corner sample business is about framers' insecurity drapped as rich offer while the fashionable framing is about ready made solutions in custom framing. That's a market from where custom framers are being pushed away and obliged to reinvent themselves if they want to survive.
But, I know, your shop up there in New Canaan is placeed under a light pole which makes you believe that sun is always shining up above your business and you have nothing to worry.
 
Whynot said:
But, I know, your shop up there in New Canaan is placeed under a light pole which makes you believe that sun is always shining up above your business and you have nothing to worry.
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Actually Cornel it's shining brighter than you think.

But please stick to making frames and leave preaching to people who are better at it.

Just because I sell other companies' gold leaf frames and not yours doesn't mean the sun is setting here in la la land.
 
Black is top seller by far, sold a few thousand feet of it last year, the secons most popular is a mocha/espresso color with a orangeish cherry 3rd.

Cornell, While I disagree with you quite often, I do know that you are passionate about your frames as you should be because they are very nice, some of the nicest that I have seen. That being said I thnk that your product only appeals to a very small percentage of the people who frame things, mainly because of the price. The price that you charge is justified but let's remember that only 10% of the population ever frames anything to begin with, of that 10% I would guess that 60-70% have no clue as to what framing costs when they walk into a frame shop. To show these people a CC frame that is xxx.xx/ft would require many framers to have a cardiologist on staff at all times to take care of the customers when they get the price.

There is a very small market for the products that you sell, and I think you have a very good handle of that market. I think though, you need to realize that most of the people here on the G do not cater to your market and when you come here and tell us that we are not doing the right things to survive, you really need to learn more about what the majority of framers in the country are really up against.

If I were to go the route that you are telling us that we need to go in order to survive, I would go from being a shop who is much higher than the national average to being a former shop (ie closed) in less than a year. The real worls is that we must give the customers what they want, we actually have to create what the customers want before they realize that they want it. Yes we must compete with the big boxes and online companies and we can to a point. If we can not beat them then we need to figure out how they do what they do and then improve on it.

I am sorry to say that selling beautiful CC frames such as yours is not the silver bullet that most framers in the country need right now. I am also sorry to say that a silver bullet will not save many of the framers in this country right now either, they needed to change years ago and did not, they are paying for it now.
 
See, Paul, you managed o prove that Goebbels was right in saying that a lie becomes a truth if repeated enough many times.
I was not talking of my frames. You are putting words in my mouth and other readers wrongfully conclude that I might have said just that some place, on a different page, or perhaps on a different topic. My intervention was not about me and my frames. It was about you, the framers, and your future.

Then you wrongfully assume that I wanna be everything to everybody and therefore must be jealous at your selling other CC frames but mine. Now tell me: had I ever solicited your business and been refused? Were you able to sell my frames and I denied your access to my frames? So, I can't be blamed for your bad business decisions. Believe me; I didn't know that you sell such frames. Good for you! I know of Handwright Gallery in your lovely town and I knew of John Archer. So, I'm glad you became a tribune for quality frames and, guess what: you indirectly help my business because you train your customers to appreciate quality and see the difference when given the chance (and you can't stop your customers to see and talk better frames, can you?). Anyway, it would have been plain stupidity to limit yourself at commercial molding frames in a town like New Canaan, CT, and I commend you for resisting that routine. You don't happen to sell antique picture frames reproductions too, do you?
 
It seems this thread has turned into a flame-fest aimed at Cornel, who cordially invited it in his first post. As usual. If we can get past his adversarial commentary, I think Cornel's defense of higher-end frames is mostly valid. We sell what we promote.

But once again, the original topic has gotten lost.

I have a wall full of gold and silver frame samples, but only occasionally sell them. Like most others here, I sell a lot of black. And cherry and oak. Typically, my customers buy what I put on the table in front of them. That is to say, I mostly sell what I like. I like the frames that are most profitable.
 
Cornel:

I'd venture that 80% of most sold frames (and I'm being really conservative here) are not gold-leaf. And there is no way in he11 to swap those figures. Would it be good to make every customer buy one of those frames? Absolutely: Mininum labor, maximum profit. But...

There is a market for each. Period. Yes, even here in New Canaan.
I sell both and my customers expect it.

The same household that has say 20+ gold leaf frames, also has a need for plain, black, dark brown, rustic (sells a lot) you name it, simple frames for whatever reason or occasion.

As you may know, the town is a family community, everybody is married with large houses, lots rooms and lots of kids who all seem to come out of art classes with things to frame. They do also have expensive art that cries out for a beautiful gold frame.

But not every piece of art benefits from a masterpiece frame.

Case in point, just yesterday, one of my good customers came with a large painting. It definitely wouldn't look good in a gold leaf frame. I went with frame from Designer and it looked great. I could have thrown a $225 / ft gold frame from AMCI at it, and the customer would have willingly paid it.

But again, it would not look good in it and I wouldn't sell it just to make money while not happy with the way it looks. Ethics trump money.

I am glad I am helping your business indirectly. I think we all benefit when people have an appreciation for good frames and in this town the vast majority fortunately do.

And by the way, Pierce Archer is out of business, for like 20 years now. Just to keep you up to date about New Canaan.

Betsy from Handwright gallery is doing fine. And sells both kinds of frames too...:)
 
DTWDSM said:
Black is top seller by far, sold a few thousand feet of it last year, the secons most popular is a mocha/espresso color with a orangeish cherry 3rd.

Cornell, While I disagree with you quite often, I do know that you are passionate about your frames as you should be because they are very nice, some of the nicest that I have seen. That being said I thnk that your product only appeals to a very small percentage of the people who frame things, mainly because of the price. The price that you charge is justified but let's remember that only 10% of the population ever frames anything to begin with, of that 10% I would guess that 60-70% have no clue as to what framing costs when they walk into a frame shop. To show these people a CC frame that is xxx.xx/ft would require many framers to have a cardiologist on staff at all times to take care of the customers when they get the price.

There is a very small market for the products that you sell, and I think you have a very good handle of that market. I think though, you need to realize that most of the people here on the G do not cater to your market and when you come here and tell us that we are not doing the right things to survive, you really need to learn more about what the majority of framers in the country are really up against.

If I were to go the route that you are telling us that we need to go in order to survive, I would go from being a shop who is much higher than the national average to being a former shop (ie closed) in less than a year. The real worls is that we must give the customers what they want, we actually have to create what the customers want before they realize that they want it. Yes we must compete with the big boxes and online companies and we can to a point. If we can not beat them then we need to figure out how they do what they do and then improve on it.

I am sorry to say that selling beautiful CC frames such as yours is not the silver bullet that most framers in the country need right now. I am also sorry to say that a silver bullet will not save many of the framers in this country right now either, they needed to change years ago and did not, they are paying for it now.
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I agree with most of what you posted, and I could not have said it better myself. ;)

PS I believe you can thank Pottery Barn for the enduring popularity of the 1" Black moulding. Also, since we are near the ocean, rustics, barnwood, and driftwood frames are big sellers for me.
 
Jim Miller said:
It seems this thread has turned into a flame-fest aimed at Cornel, who cordially invited it in his first post. As usual. If we can get past his adversarial commentary, I think Cornel's defense of higher-end frames is mostly valid. We sell what we promote.

But once again, the original topic has gotten lost.

I have a wall full of gold and silver frame samples, but only occasionally sell them. Like most others here, I sell a lot of black. And cherry and oak. Typically, my customers buy what I put on the table in front of them. That is to say, I mostly sell what I like. I like the frames that are most profitable.
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Ah Jim, right on the mark again. If we don't seek the best deals on the quality mouldings we sell the most, we are not doing our job as diligent buyers. Quality is the operative word. I wonder how many blacks, cherrys, and oaks you and I have tried in order to settle on a great price/quality balance.
 
I know full well that my type of frames address a very narrow segment of the market. But you miss my point because you are getting too emotional toward the messenger.

The need for black framers stays the same or grows slightly in this country. The need for hand made gilded frames stays the same or grows slightly. Yet, indies go out of business. I am not aware of BB's taking on hand made gold leafed frames so, such frames representation will proportionally be getting better with remaining framers, but that's not the point either. The point is that while your train is slowly moving away from you and catching speed, you are still sitting on the platform asking each other what's the fashion in framing like. Your Titanic is sinking while you wanna learn the steps of the newest dance that's danced in Paris. Fashionable colors and frames are not your strongest edge because that's something your competition can adopt too in a blink and, before you know it, they may be giving the world the next "fashion" in frames.

You need to reinvent framing, if you are capable of, on a different level that would make you superior and ireeplaceable custom framers, but you are incessantly perfect same old, frivolous and superficial skills and methods that brought this critical situation upon you in the first place. The need for CC frames is already taken care of by well established custom framers. And even those are suffering because their "lower end" (your bread and butter) chop and joined frame orders dropped drastically. That's what I am telling you and you are replying that black molding sells much better than gilded frames and I am an old, fat, arrogant, avoidable small manufacturer instead. PETTITEFUL!!!
 
Jim and Kirstie mirror my opinion- I show what I like and I like the most those items where I make a great return

To be fair, that changes constantly and that stimuli tends to be what consumers seem to ask for the most

Those of us that have been around can probably remember which items tended to be th emost requested:

A few years back the Florentina (by Larson)used the be high demand; then it got knocked off, showed up in Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond and it slowly faded

Same with so many other items (like Vettrianos as a recent example and digital frames soon)

So, here is the Bob Carter Life Cycle of Style of trendy products

Introduction (mild demand)
Pre-Target (strong demand, not yet in their stores)
Target ( they start to carry, still strong, gets knocked off, but start dwindling your inventory)
Post-Target (they own that market now,sits on your wall)
Post Mortem (for us)

I suspect the Antica line from Larson is in the Target stage approaching the post-Target

Anyone else see other examples?

That flat architectural flat black frame is still our number one (like Nielsen 5-21 of years past) and we euphemistically call it the "Crate and Barrel" look. Consumers instantly relate agreeably
 
Cornel makes some good points. I am still at the level where closed corner frames only supplement my bottom line (in a very satisfactory way). I am at a level, that has taken years to develop, where I can say, as I did above, that my best selling frame is a $32 foot 1" Munn Antique Metal Gold (chop) frame. The big boxes are not selling this frame.
 
It is always interesting to see what others are selling. Seems trends are similar. Black has been number one for years now. Gold has all but died. Especially ornate types. Silver is still fairly popular. Sleek, modern, straight lines have been the trend for a couple years. Hard woods have made a comeback too. Definitely back to basics and simple non fussy lines are good. Distressed woods still remain popular. So, a black, distressed, no ornamentaion, about 2 inches wide hits the spot here.
 
Bob Carter said:
Jim and Kirstie mirror my opinion- I show what I like and I like the most those items where I make a great return

To be fair, that changes constantly and that stimuli tends to be what consumers seem to ask for the most

Those of us that have been around can probably remember which items tended to be the most requested:

A few years back the Florentina (by Larson)used the be high demand; then it got knocked off, showed up in Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond and it slowly faded

Same with so many other items (like Vettrianos as a recent example and digital frames soon)

So, here is the Bob Carter Life Cycle of Style of trendy products

Introduction (mild demand)
Pre-Target (strong demand, not yet in their stores)
Target ( they start to carry, still strong, gets knocked off, but start dwindling your inventory)
Post-Target (they own that market now,sits on your wall)
Post Mortem (for us)

I suspect the Antica line from Larson is in the Target stage approaching the post-Target

Anyone else see other examples?

That flat architectural flat black frame is still our number one (like Nielsen 5-21 of years past) and we euphemistically call it the "Crate and Barrel" look. Consumers instantly relate agreeably
Click to expand...

So do we lump Antica with olive woods? So may new ones at the show.
Florentines are dead, Ascot is only dragged out to match an old diploma. But we are seeing a resurgence of Academie in all colors. Great classic seller along with the Senelar line when price is not an issue. Hard woods with clean lines are popular. Distressed only in dark. We like the Roma Metro line because the gold and silver are muted. Bamboo is out.

What I see mostly at Target/PotteryBarn/ are blacks, whites, and multiple window frames joined together and overlapping. Those last ones seems so passe, but what do I know?

My favorite new product: Artique 8 ply. How cool that they introduced the 8 ply before the 4 ply when NB and C are cutting back on 8 ply colors. Blacks, Dark Brown, Grey! I think this was a brilliant move. Had a customer fall in love with the new slightly textured one. My staff said Yuk, but I said the cream linen look in 8 ply would sell. It did.
 
Emibub said:
It is always interesting to see what others are selling. Seems trends are similar. Black has been number one for years now. Gold has all but died. Especially ornate types. Silver is still fairly popular. Sleek, modern, straight lines have been the trend for a couple years. Hard woods have made a comeback too. Definitely back to basics and simple non fussy lines are good. Distressed woods still remain popular. So, a black, distressed, no ornamentaion, about 2 inches wide hits the spot here.
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And if so, Kathy, is that revelation going to give you a competitive edge in your business field? Is that something you and only you know of that would make customers from arcross the state flock at your door begging you to frame their valuables as only you can do? Black moldingg is something BB's and the rest of your local competitors are perfectly able to handle as well.

What happens to fashionable frames when their time has passed? Are those objects being reframed to keep up with style or they are just disposed of? Hope that fashionable framing pays well because, if inexpensive, you need lots of such frame orders and much help to see the profit adding up. Not to mention that fashion framing leaves little room for framing expert's enduring and valuable imput.

To me a frame is either right or wrong for its given (art) object. The right frame will remain together with the art work for centuries to come. Everything less than that is Costco and Wall Mart's wall decoration territory, a butaforic effort to mimic art, value, estetics and framing expertise.
 
I don't profess to speak for anybody but I'll take a stab at those questions if I may? Good.

Whynot said:
...is that revelation going to give you a competitive edge in your business field?
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No but just knowing what is trendy will make selling frames and making money easier.

Whynot said:
Is that something you and only you know of that would make customers from arcross the state flock at your door begging you to frame their valuables as only you can do?
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Unlikely but it could. If I have my finger on the pulse of what is trendy better than the next guy, yes I may get some more business than the guy selling 2" white mats on everything.

Whynot said:
What happens to fashionable frames when their time has passed?
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Number 1 I don't care. Number two what’s the option? Should I sell frames that aren't fashionable just because nobody else does? Am I only one not getting your line of thinking?


Whynot said:
Are those objects being reframed to keep up with style or they are just disposed of?
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Both. Either way we get more framing anyway.

Whynot said:
Hope that fashionable framing pays well because, if inexpensive, you need lots of such frame orders and much help to see the profit adding up.
Click to expand...

Since when was "fashionable" also "inexpensive"? I’m learning they are mutually exclusive.


Whynot said:
Not to mention that fashion framing leaves little room for framing expert's enduring and valuable imput.
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Because keeping up with popular ever changing trends is so easy? I'm becoming more and more confused with this. Super ornate historical gold leafed blah blah blah will make a comeback someday. It will be all the rage….will you still feel the same way?

Whynot said:
To me a frame is either right or wrong for its given (art) object.
Click to expand...

Finally I understand.

Whynot said:
The right frame will remain together with the art work for centuries to come.
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Centuries? Are you being serious or just kidding? Do you think I want what my great grandparents had hanging in their house (if they had anything at all)? I don't WANT my art around for centuries. In fact I'll probably toss it before decades end.

Whynot said:
Everything less than that is Costco and Wall Mart's wall decoration territory, a butaforic effort to mimic art, value, estetics and framing expertise.
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A rose by any other name would still smell just as sweet.

What is butaforic?
 
Jay H said:
What is butaforic?
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I don't know but I am sure that somebody here should be insulted


But what do I know, I just sell overpriced trendy,fashionable frames that customers throw away after a few years.
 
I find this discussion a bit pointless, but I'm sympathetic towards Cornel's point of view, that we must find the right frame for the artwork in front of us.

It doesn't matter what the hottest selling frame moulding in America is, if our customers are bringing us artwork that doesn't look good with such artwork. We are limited by what our customers bring us. Anyone here that claims to know what his or her customers will be bringing in tomorrow is either a fool or a liar. It's just way too random. Add to that regional preferences, and it's all a crapshoot.

Bottom line is, you can say that golds and silvers aren't selling, but you don't dare pull all your gold and silver mouldings from the wall. You need to have a variety of different styles and finishes. Some weeks it seems all you sell is 1 inch black mouldings, and as soon as you say that, you will be selling antique gold with beads along the sight edge. And then someone's going to come in with some really funky black-and-white photography, and you have a choice between the Generic Soup Can (1/2 inch black frame, white mat), or maybe the Elements line from Nielsen. But don't get comfy with that, because tomorrow you'll get a flood of customers with their ketubahs, wanting closed corner frames. And next week it will be medical school degrees, to be mounted onto plaques and laminated (what the frack is it with doctors, asking to have their $400,000 degrees laminated onto planks of wood?????).

So yes, do please tell me what's hot right now. Because in 5 minutes, it will be something completely different.
 
Good Lord. It is a simple discussion on trends in our stores. I don't think anybody is going to read this and start yanking corners off their walls. I find it interesting how things change from time to time.

As an example, all of a sudden the suppliers are adding color back into their lines, colored frames were it back in the late 80's and all but disappeared until recently. What goes around comes around. I have to say when I first came to my store I had so many people wanting the gold ornates, I hardly sell any these days. Simplicity is the trend now and that is what my customers want.

Not all of our discussions have to be earth shattering Cornel. Why would this discussion disturb you?
 
DTWDSM said:
I don't know but I am sure that somebody here should be insulted


But what do I know, I just sell overpriced trendy,fashionable frames that customers throw away after a few years.
Click to expand...

And I sell a lot of frames with clean, simple lines that will endure the test of time.

Or be thrown out. What won't be thrown out are the finished corner arts and crafts frames. Either way, I make a profit. And making a profit is what we all need to do to keep serving our communities with simple or complex or precious hand made frames.

This is one of those insane, but entertaining Grumble threads. And without Cornel we would not have such contention or challenge to our ideas. And that wold be boring.
 
It has been my observation that many framing designs work fine for a given piece of art.

When we frame needleart, we cut a dummy mat for positioning. Depending on how much the substrate stretches, the opening may have to be fine tuned. Anyway, we just reach for a scrap color and cut it. And I would say 9 times out of 10, the color chosen looks OK with the artwork. This also seems to apply when we cut a dummy to line up a drop down title block or other decorative element for a print.

So 9/10ths of what we design looks OK, then who cares whether the mat is sky blue pink or pinky blue? If the customer wants white mats and black frames, then we sell really nice white mats with subtle enhancements and a variety of choice in black frames. In two years they will want orange and gold. It all looks good with the art and it all fills my pocket. Who are we to say "Oh, honey, that is soooo trendy. You want a classic design. Here take this. I know better than you."

How presumptuous!
 
My intention is starting this thread was to see what trends are in different parts of the framing world....... Sometimes I think I'm so out in the cornfields that it takes quite a while for the trends to hit us.:p

But above all of it we have an obligation to do the absolute best framing job for each customer that comes through our door. If we need to match a moulding, woodwork in a house, or a multiple order of 50 frames........we have to "sell it" to the customer they ultimately can accept or decline. We also have to adapt to their needs.

I think maybe to often (and I'm guilty of it sometimes) we have our go-to frames. Something easy, that we know will look good but we didn't challenge ourselves to make it FABULOUS for whatever reason. Maybe some framers in this thread are just trying to get us to get inspired by the pieces coming in the door and TRY something different and to think outside of the box.......the customers can only say NO!
 
Hey Black-I hear you

I always love to look at "Hot Sellers" lists and "Top Whatever" lists for the same reason. Sometimes it makes me scratch my head and sometimes I will try some

Doesn't seem to be a lot of rhyme or reason, though

But, if everybody seems to say they sell a ton of Coke and Pepsi (and I'm in the beverage selling business) I'm not sure that I would build an endcap of Verner's Ginger Ale

I might put a few six packs on the shelf, though (and i would sure mark 'em up way high)
 
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