The Framers Forum

Hi All

I am interested to seeing the mixed bag of feeling to this question. It does cross over into the territory of possibly taking business from another shop, framer or gallery, or does it?

Is it cricket or ok for me to buy product (artwork, limited editions, sculpture etc) from a fellow framer to supply to MY customer who has requested a certain piece for me to find for him or her? It is likely he or she the customer that is, has seen this item somewhere else.The reason I would be asking this is, I like a number of framers may not have an account set up with the supplier of the item in question.

I would expect to pay a trade margin to the framer / gallery in order for me to apply my mark up on the item.

I am sure this may be contensious and may be seen as undermining the item and the supply chain in question.

My stance on this is, I may be assisting the relationship of the framer / gallery with the supplier by shifting more product. I may be helping to get rid of long standing stock and of course, I may be helping a wee bit with their cash flow.

I have the customer, he or she wants the product and wants for me to find and supply it, I need your help to find it but will you help me?

I have in the past, simply directed the customer to the shop with the artwork they are after, asked the person to let the gallery/ framers know who sent them, and have had the favour returned.

I see nothing wrong with what you are suggesting, just not worth my time in logistics and negotiation.

I have long since stopped seeing other framers/gallerys as competitors and even have some leaflets and booklets of other gallerys in the shop for customers to take.

DEEPJOY wrote:I would expect to pay a trade margin to the framer / gallery in order for me to apply my mark up on the item.

I'd have news for you!

If you are buying from a retail outlet that your customer, if s/he could be arsed, could have found, then your mark up is calculated on your time and travel to source it (which process you've already started by posting this) instead of him/her doing so - I'd be looking at 100% at least, unless (maybe) I'd get to mount and frame the thing as well.

If it was medal ribbon we would supply , as we are cheaper than other sources (because it has to be wholesale purchsed in long lengths) . medals - again we would offer from our stock or obtain from our sources .

It is actually a sculpture.

I think that is fine - we have contacts with a few galleries in the trade that we swop stock around at cost price -and it works quite well for all of us. We also get calls from "unknown" galleries looking for particular prints and as long as we are happy to sell and the buyer is happy to pay me a price so that I make something too, I wil do a deal.

We have occasionally have an "unknown" gallery call us and expect us to sell them a piece at trade price so that I make nothing on it - needless to say, I usually turn them down and suggest that their customer calls me direct. I can't understand how any business could expect me to supply them without a few quid being in it for me.