The Framers Forum

Generally nobody sells oversized ready made frames. It just not worth keeping them in stock just hoping that you will get the occasional sale, so nobody does them. However, if you work out some prices for a few oversized ready made frames, which you can make at short notice, I don't think you are likely to have much competition at all. I've been working out a price for ready made frames up to 30 inches by 40 inches and particularly on the large sizes, there are some particulars worthwhile profit to be made.

Will I get much business from displaying a price list for this range of ready made frames, well who knows? But what Have I got to lose? Nothing, I don't make the large sizes at all untill somebody comes in to paid me to make them a frame. The price for a 30 inch by 40 inches frame works out at £90 and there's quite a decent profit in producing one of those. Looking at the prices for the more common standard frames sizes at a similar mark up, the amount of profit for the level of the work involves is much less worthwhile.

It's not going to be a particularly good end of the market for volume of sales, but the potential profit margin on much larger than usual frames being produced at relatively short notice is quite interesting. Where else are costomers going to go for oversize frames available at short notice? Might be a gap in the market which is worth exploiting!

Edit - Having had time to think about it, I have been able to decrease my material cost needed to reinforce the three larges frame sizes and as a result I have decide to reduce the 30 by 40 frames to £90, which still allows me plenty of profit, but hopeful won't deter sales too much!

You have repeatedly stated the bottom end of the market is not where you want to be yet continue to try and produce items as cheaply as possible. Should a customer with a 40x30” artwork come along - why not try to convert them to custom framing job? It sounds you are geared up for handfinishing and have plenty of stock to be able to service them. It seems crazy with your skill set and stage of life to be targeting the bottom feeders. Until you are serious about opening your doors you are purely guessing at the type of customers you might receive. I think you should be targeting customers who are keen spend on custom frames and receive the buyers experience that goes with that, offering them a superior product rather than scratching around with the ready-made market. These customers are already shopping at IKEA! Be unique, be different, offer an experience which I’m sure you are more than capable of. There definitely still are these type of customers around even in the current climate. You just have to find them (or them find you) and this goes back to being visible via and website and social media IMO.

Realistically, how many people are going to be passing (and stopping to peruse) your shop window, in what you've said is an increasingly quiet town, which is coming to the end of the summer tourist season, and who are wanting a 30" x 40" frame, in the style/colour you've chosen, and who want to spend £90 on an impulse purchase on such a frame. To me it doesn't sound like a realistic proposition, but maybe I'm wrong...

I don't call up to £90 for an oversized RMF the bottom of the martket. Most of this prices is profit!

It's not a busy town, but we've got quite a few artists. They usually are a bit tight fisted when I comes to money, but they soon find some money when they find a buyer for an artwork!

Fair enough. Good luck.

Disagree with me no problem but please don't edit my posts

Quote: but please don't edit my posts

Oh dear! What's happened? I'm not aware of doing this! Have I clicked on the wrong on screen button?

Fruitini wrote: ↑Mon 01 Aug, 2022 6:41 am This is not the bottom end of the market. The is a very decent potential for mark up, because no one else is comprting in this market.

Looking back at Fruitini's post, Mark, I think this is the bit he is referring to. Although I may be misremembering, I certainly don't recall seeing those sentences when I read it the first time. It doesn't appear to match the rest of his comments on the post, but does align with your thoughts on this. As you are a Moderator, his statement assumes you have the ability to edit other users posts.

Thanks Jo,

Oh dear, the edit button always looked it moderators to edit anything and I never realised that I must have pressed it by accident. Big cock up by me! Thanks for letting me know, I have no idea! All fixed now!
Thanks,
Mark.

Hi Fruitini,

I am sorry that I repied at the bottom of your thread. It was not something which I had any idea that I was doing at the time and a big foul up by me. I hope that you will accept my apologies. It's not something that a moderators should ever do. Very sorry!
Mark.

Hi Mark - apology accepted. I can now see it was a genuine mistake. And sorry if I was a little over-sensitive - it was an unnecessary reaction. I've never met you although feel I know you well from reading your posts over the years. You have my sympathy and frustration that you clearly want to be in a position to trade but your health and situation is clearly holding you back.

Thanks Fruitini,

It makes me feel better about it now!