What's your "Killer" moulding?

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Puppyraiser

PFG, Picture Framing God
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You know, the one you put down and 9 times out of 10, you KNOW you've got the sale? I would appreciate it especially if you could take a digital snap and send it to me at HowardsArt@aol.com The reason I want these is that I am teaching a class in Orlando on Selling Techniques (I forget exactly what it is called) and I want a section on Killer Frames. We, for instance, have a 'stars and stripes' from Orr Mldg that goes on anything patriotic with an almost guaranteed sale. And it makes a fabulous inner frame on military shadowboxes... Thanks for helping me out, guys!
 
that sounds like a cool moulding......what a novel idea..........wouldn't sell in OZ but would be cool to see it..........hope you get some good responses and hope your class is a good one.......wish I was in it!
 
Ellen,
It always seems to evolve, but currently its the 807XXX series from Design Guild. Part of my "Value Line", 6 finishes in the same profile, all "chameleons". Saved several sales, and when I spec it for a corporate design, I get real good feedback.
 
I would say that almost anytime someone brings something rustic or with several trees, if I put down one of those antica mouldings from larson, I sell it almost everytime... Of course I know those moldings go well on other things too, they just look really good on outdoorsy stuff. Sorry I don't have a picture.
 
Ellen, Mine would be 3120 from Roma. Actually any member of this series is a great seller and has been for years. Whenever they want something old looking ,but not ornate.It works in city homes and country homes, modern homes and period homes.

Judi Meade
 
LaMarche used to make one with naked cherubs cavorting around a 2 to 3 inch frame which was great with the gay crowd or something humorous. retailed as I recall around $30 per foot and of course they discontinued it.
 
Ellen,

There are many strong caracther moldings out there, but it is the framer who makes a certain molding into a "killer". This is the molding he/she brings up as his first and best choice in most occasions. As a supplier I freequently noticed this subjective aspect in the framing business. More over, when for some reason the selling person quits working for a certain framing shop, and completely new people assume the selling part, the "killer" molding steps back in rank and some other "killer" molding is getting born. Guess where the former "killer" will tend to resurface again? Right. I've seen it to many times to be a simple coincidence.
The killer molding topic can't be easily separated from a certain "killer" sales rep. It isn't by hazzard that killer moldings are being always introduced to you through one of your best liked sales people, have you noticed it? As you imagine, manufacturers compete for the service of most "likable" sales reps on the market because their professionalism, peronal charm and close ties to most important framers within a territory is key to their success as well as yours.
 
In other words, we sell what we like and we buy from reps and companies we like.

Ellen, almost any moulding can become a killer moulding if you throw the sample in the fireplace.
 
So Cornel can you tell me how to be more liked??? Think I need the help.

So do you think then, that a friendly framer with his/her best customer can sell them pretty much anything?

Wondering what other think, and want to see more responses to the Cornel

Patrick Leeland
 
I think a lot of the frames I sell are from samples I LOVE!!! When it comes to showing the frames on the wall, I always hesitate to pull out those samples I think are ugly. But if I wanted to sell what I call an ugly frame... I think I could.


(oops this is an edit)
I didn't read everyone's post... sorry if this is confusing.
 
ELastLight.jpg


Ellen, there's the picture. Garret 253-078C. I'll sell it over a cheaper black any day.

A "killer" moulding IMHO, is one that is so classic that it will still be nice looking, and timeless, 30 or 40 years from now. And aged or antiqued solid cherry does that.

Right now, the hottest (volume) sellers are what I love to slam as "flat boards". And primary color of choice is black.

Black because it goes with the furniture or drapes? No... black because it requires no creativity. It ranks IMHO right up there with white mats.

I hate it when I hear a framer talk about a narrow black frame and wide white mat as "Classic" or "Gallery". That "look" was "Classic Gallery" in New York in the late 40s & early 50s for the cheap poor "Beat" crowd. And it should have stayed there.
 
One of the reasons that moulding companies put out so many mouldings is because framers have great taste. Any frame that fits the art, the budget and most importantly the customer likes is a killer frame. The key word is that the customer likes.
remember instead of selling by formula, customers value your opinions.
 
with the diversity of opinions on this thread, sounds like Ellen's gonna have to do her own homework on this one. Maybe there is no "killer moulding" out there?

I still miss the naked cherubs
 
9 time out of 10 if we put Framerica's Stainless Steel down, it is sold. More like 9.5 times out of 10.

BW26966
BW74966
BW66966
 
Killer needs to be defined.

Is it killer because it looks great no matter what the price? That's killer for me.

Is it killer because it's cheap?

Is it killer because you've shown them the other 2 and they want something mid priced?

It almost sounds like Ellen is looking for killer "theme" mouldings.

She may be more interested in the variety of responses she gets.
 
If Killer means I can "get the sale," then for me it would be the Academie line from Larson. Actually, I would re-state that and say it's a "federalist frame" of which the LJ series is my "best priced" example.

I am in New England. 98% (probably inaccurate, but you get the idea) of the homes are old colonials. It's easy to talk about the history of a federalist frame and how it fits with the architecture of their home. Saves many a sale.
 
Originally posted by DTWDSM:
9 time out of 10 if we put Framerica's Stainless Steel down, it is sold. More like 9.5 times out of 10.

BW26966
BW74966
BW66966
Click to expand...
I loved those too on all the NASCAR items I get. AMPF stopped carrying it and Larson never has. I guess I need to buy those direct.
 
Originally posted by Cliff Wilson:


I am in New England. 98% (probably inaccurate, but you get the idea) of the homes are old colonials. It's easy to talk about the history of a federalist frame and how it fits with the architecture of their home. Saves many a sale.
Click to expand...
Either a colonial or a McMansion built to look like a colonial!
 
The mouldings that seem to sell the best for me (and, co-incidentally[?], the ones I enjoy selling the most) are what I call "almost black". LJ has many families of these mouldings including the Java, Arquadia, Saranac, Cortez, and, my absolute best selling moulding, the Ferrosa line of iron and pewter.

The Ferrosa line often will compliment a difficult design when none of the other thousands of samples seem to work well. The pitted timeless finish has a way of bringing out warm tones well, yet the profiles are somewhat modern in appearance. They go well in almost any decor and are excellent for stacking in combination.

I almost never sell a true black finish frame.

I also agree that Orr's stars and stripes gold and silver mouldings make an excellent inner frame on military framings and combines well with many of Nielsen's metal mouldings.

Dave Makielski
 
I don't really have one Go To moulding, though I also sell plenty of L-J's Academie line.

There is a 2" walnut Burl that seems to work curiously well either when a customer says "Do you have something fancier" or "I want something a little less dressy." That always makes me scratch my head. It's a simple Ogee with a matte finish. I get it from Furst Bros. right here in Baltimore, but plenty of ther vendors have it.

You guys know those cherubs were originally created to decorate child sized coffins, right? Learned that tidbit from the rep who brought me the samples. I hated selling it after that.
 
Jerry, depending on how much you buy, Framerica direct would be less than what you buy it for from a distributor even with shipping.

If you only buy one or two boxes then maybe not but once you get over 4 boxes I would guess that it would be a no brainer.

Gotta go the driver just showed up with 8 boxes right now.
 
Well, if this ain't the easiest question I've been asked all week...

I have 1" satin black on ramin that sells to just about everybody. It's easy to cut, easy to join, easy to touch up, easy to fix when the customer's toddler dents it. It has plenty of depth for spacers and no offensive frills. It's my workhorse frame and priced to move. This one is 10-520-10 from LeWinter Moulding in Pittsburgh.

An off black with red rub (they call it brown) is coming in a very close second. It's a petite 7/8", with a tiny egg and dart pattern on the outer edge, a daisy pattern on the flat middle panel, a tiny bead near the sight edge and an antique gold lip. It also comes with a truly elegant silver lip. Gryphon 12-6020 and 12-6021.

I don't think I could sell a stars and stripes pattern to save my life.

edie the andiamquitepatriotic goddess
 
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