"Special Order" Pricing

[Moglet]

With the ever-increasing cost of carriage these days, I've become much more focussed about "lumping together" my materials purchases from each of my suppliers (e.g order from main Irish suppliers once a week, from main UK suppliers every 4-6 weeks, depending on the time of year).

Also, now that I've established a decent stock holding for mounts and mouldings, I'm being more careful about ordering "new lines" (especially as I've paid the 'price of inexperience' and now have a rack clogged with mouldings I doubt I'll ever get another order for... ).

Whatever about mouldings, I find that having to buy a 5-pack of mountboard (from some suppliers) for a single-frame order is less than desirable. Occasionally, I will hand-paint mounts to match a specific colour requirement, but this option is a non-starter when it comes to the likes of patterned or fabric-covered boards.

With this change in "purchasing strategy" I have two potential dilemmas, namely protracted turnaround times and curbing of design flexibility, The first is relatively workable, but I am reluctant to compromise on design. Therefore, I am looking at developing a pricing method for "specials."

How do other members approach special orders from a pricing perspective? Also, how do customers typically react to such additional charges (no smart answers to this one, please! )

(My apologies if this has been discussed previously on the forum, but I could not find any related back-posts from the site search.)

[osgood]

Whatever about mouldings, I find that having to buy a 5-pack of mountboard (from some suppliers) for a single-frame order is less than desirable.

Aine,

Down here I can buy one sheet if I choose! If a supplier insisted on 5 packs, I think I would be giving that supplier the big flick.

The best suppliers are the one who accommodate what their customers want. Thats why I have sacked a couple of suppliers in the year or so and that's why one particular supplier gets the majority of my business and another one gets a good portion of the rest of it.

[Merlin]

Aine

Try D & J Simons a try. They will sell you single sheets as long as your minimum order is 5.

A very handy way of 'topping' up the rack when you do not want 5 of each colour.

[Moglet]

The best suppliers are the one who accommodate what their customers want

Absolutely, Ormond. As a sprog, tracking them down is part of my problem, but I'm getting there slowly!

John, I'm OK on Slater Harrison board, as I can get single boards from Glenwood, Lion, Sisslings and Simons (best price to date is Simons, btw). But also purchase direct from Arqadia and they don't offer split packs. Scopas in Kilkenny have a nice range of conservation-grade boards (can't remember the brand), but they too sell in 5-packs, so I'm less inclined to order from them for that reason.

[osgood]

Áine,

Have you tried Bainbridge Alphamat? It's my preferred standard mat and has been for many years.
It is the only matboard that has Zeoltyes in it, which traps gases from inside the frame package.

There are only two c/p/a mats that I have trust in and the other one is Crescent Rag. Many others claim to be cons. quality, but some that I have seen have real issues with fading, very rapidly.

[Roboframer]

I'm a bit blasé about carriage although I'm always conscious of whether an order is likely to be carriage paid or not.

How are Nielsen in Ireland?

They'll do single sheets of mountboard - well, individual colours with a minimum quantity - 5 or 10 mixed. But I'm very lucky - I'm on their van route and they will send just one sheet of mountboard on that. Wednesdays and I have until 1 pm Tuesday to order.

As Ormond says - artcare is good stuff too and very competitively priced.

I won't charge any extra for a rush job, but if it means ordering something for it by itself I'll include the carriage charge, but that's the only time. Customer reaction is fine - most appreciate they are queue jumping, but if the extra is a problem, or indeed if they are too late for next day delivery (Arqadia up until 4 pm) they will have to choose something in stock, which is a lot. Make that too much!

[Not your average framer]

Hi Áine,

I stock primarily Nielsen Bainbridge mountboard and usually order directly from them about once a month, but sometimes more. I keep a good stock of perhaps about 600 sheets, which includes also some Tru-Vue, Arqadia, Daler and Colourmount. So usually I've got something that will do the job from stock.

Mostly I buy 5 sheet packs of each colour which I wish to maintain a stock of, but if a customer requires a non-stock colour, I expect them to order it from the Artcare range, so I can use any left over bits as undermounts for anything else. (I like to use up the left-overs straightaway).

If they won't wait until I am ready to place my Nielsen order then they pay extra to cover carriage and I charge them to cover the rest of the sheet of mountboard too. I'm doing them a favour - Not the other way round!

I make up the rest of the order with two more packs of five sheets of whatever I fancy for stock, (or two packs of two sheets of Ultra thick Artcare boards).

My mark-up on mountboard makes sure that I always come out of the deal to my advantage. I don't apply the same mark-up regardless of size, but my chart has a sliding scale, (I always win)! I don't believe in being cheap and I make sure that my work is worth the extra.

[Moglet]

I've been looking into the Artcare range (partilculary because of the more "active" protection it affords, as Ormond mentioned) but again it's the 5-pack problem over here.

With regard to passing on the carriage charge, John, that would be fairly OK for my Irish suppliers, but for shipment from the UK, it's getting prohibitive. For example, one of my customers brought in three prints recently. The first two I could produce using my regular stock lines, but I advised him that the board I needed for the third piece (an Arqadia board) was a special order and it would therefore have a longer turnaround time. He was happy with this. Normally, I order from Arqadia once every 4-6 weeks, and there's usually enough in the order to rationalise out the carriage costs over the full consignment. However, all I need to order at the moment is this one 5-pack of board, and the carriage is €44 (c. £30): it's way more than the pack of boards!!!. It's a real problem for me.

[Not your average framer]

However, all I need to order at the moment is this one 5-pack of board, and the carriage is €44 (c. £30): it's way more than the pack of boards!!!. It's a real problem for me.

Hi Áine,

If it's a problem for you, it will be a problem for your competitors too! Could this be a chance to invest in some stock and up-stage your competition by offering a superior product from stock and give yourself an exclusive status in the eyes of your customers. You will of course need to work at getting the message across.

It's very easy to persuade your customers of the advantages of Artcare mountboard. One assumes everyone else is pushing something else, instead of Artcare. So, if it's that exclusive in your locality, how much extra can you charge for it?

If you can sell Tru-Vue glass, then the same customers should be willing to flash some extra cash for the superior conservation qualities of Artcare, if it is presented to them in the right way.

[Roboframer]

I've been looking into the Artcare range (partilculary because of the more "active" protection it affords, as Ormond mentioned) but again it's the 5-pack problem over here..

So Neilsen (UK) won't do a 5 pack of mixed colours to Ireland?

I think they are big and ugly enough to sort that out and from what I know of them they are very agressive marketeers (?) Even to the extent of undercutting their distributors.

I've known my Neilesn rep since day one - (even if he did run over ma dawg!) But he worked for someone else then - I'll pick his brain for you.

[Moglet]

Food for thought, NYAF.

John, I'd appreciate it if you would!