The Framers Forum

Hi Everyone

I have been framing for years, but am new to the forum. I have a framing workshop and gallery and when I set this up I kept very strictly away from art supplies etc as I really didn't feel this was my speciality in case someone asked for advice etc. I have noticed though that quite a few of my customers who are amateur artists are now asking if I could supply this sort of thing as they don't want to travel to get stuff and there aren't that many places around here that sell art supplies.

Can I ask for your thoughts please on whether you feel this is a good add-on to have available and if it is which brand do you think is the one(s) to go for. Any advice on this subject would be appreciated as I am struggling to come to a decision on whether to go this route or not. Don't want to miss out on a possible opportunity, but equally don't want to tie up loads of money in stock if it isn't going to be worth it in the long run.

Many thanks

Tudor Rose

Hi Tudor Rose

Artists materials could be a good one for you. The only trouble, as I see it, is what to stock! Oils, water colours, Gouache, Acrylics, Canvas, Canvas boards, brushes, paper, and that's just the start of it!! I think your best bet is to ask the Artists who come in your shop - take their details (if you don't have them already!) and stock the most popular items.

As for which brands to stock I think Daler Rowney and Windsor & Newton are two of the best known (if they're not owned by the same company these days!) - it's a very competitive market both for the wholesaler and the retailer so be careful what you stock!

Good luck!

Hi Tudor Rose

Welcome to the forum.

My advice don't do it.

Until last year we sold art materials now we don't. My shop had been selling them for over 20 years , although I have only owned the shop for the last five. Sales had been declining for several years, you can't compete with the internet. Customers who buy serious quantities buy from there leaving only small purchases. There are alot of artists around here, they would regularly spend £30, £40, £50 on various materials, then if we saw them it was for the odd tube or brush because they needed it today. The service from suppliers was getting steadily worse, unless you are buying serious quantities you do not get the discounts or the back up. If you stock Daler which we did people wanted Windsor and Newton! Oh and the price of stock, to do it properly you are going to be talking several thousand pounds, all those colours in a box of six, oils, watercolour, acrylic, student quality, artist quality?

Our main business is framing and there I am putting a £200 job together and I have to leave it while someone takes 15 minutes to make their mind up and tell me they can buy a £3.50 tube of paint cheaper somewhere else. It really was not worth the hassle.

We are near Croydon until a couple of years ago there were two shops selling serious art materials now there isn't one. When the largest closed I thought good, we will pick up some business we are the nearest supplier this side of Croydon - we saw almost nothing.

The reason there is no one around you selling art materials is probably the same as here, it's not viable. Just do a search on the net check the cost of a tube of paint then see how much Daler or W&N will sell you the same tube.

So please think very carefully then forget it!

Concentrate on the framing and the gallery.

All the best David.

I would be careful on this one. Amatuer artists are very quick to tell you they cannot get what they want locally and equally quick to tell you they don't want to pay retail prices.

Take a look at these two websites

http://www.artsupplies.co.uk/

http://www.saa.co.uk/shop/default.aspx

Then decide if you can compete on price with them.

Unless you are buying in very large quantities then you will have to use wholesalers (I can give you details if you PM me). This puts you at a disadvantage on price.

I stock some art materials but it is very limited and it moves very slowly. I have made a point of getting to know some art tutors locally and offer their students a discount. This does bring in some framing jobs and from that point of view it then becomes worthwhile.

What I think you should be looking at is not doing this for your existing customers but think about what new customers you can gain by stocking art materials.

The range of art material is vast and artists are very fickle in what they buy and the brands they like.

On the plus side once you have bought it in and put it on the shelf then it pretty much sells itself as the customers select what they want come to the till and pay. Compare that with spending time measuring artwork, deciding on mount colour, frame choice, shall we have non ref glass? etc. etc. Then you have to order moulding, mount board, time taken to do the job and so on.

You will also need to display the materials and to get the display stands then you will have to buy all the stock that fills them!

A good knowledge of the materials helps as well which I do not have but my wife is an artist so can help me out.

Hi Tudor Rose and welcome to the forum,

My personal instinct is to say don't do it, as I hear so much negative feedback from those who have tried it. However, it might be worth asking Danchip for his opinion as he sells art materials as well as framing and can speak from actual experience.

BTW, where abouts in Devon are you? I'm in Bovey Tracey and there are now quite a few of us forum members in Devon and we are slowly growing in numbers.

Hi and Welcome Tudor Rose.

I wouls agree with the previous comments. It's not something you can do half-heartedly. If you look into it, there is a mind-boggling number of stock lines that fall into the category of 'Art Materials'. The investment needed would be massive. You would also need to compete with online suppliers whos prices are maybe 40% off high street prices. You would have to shift some serious orders to get even a modest return.
Also bear in mind that paints have a limited shelf life, so you could find yourself junking quite a lot of the wierder colours. Artists (weird lot) also tend to be very brand loyal. So you would maybe have to stock the same colour paint in several different ranges. Not good business.

Wow thanks everyone for your really helpful responses on this. To be honest I think my lack of knowledge of art materials would have caused me major problems - I hadn't even considered the shelf life of paint!

That has really helped put things in perspective and I agree that there are probably much easier lines to stock that will bring in just as much turnover.

I think I am going to like being on this forum

Tudor Rose