The Framers Forum

Greetings fellow framers, I`ve just recently started framing with no problem getting work...but today I was asked to frame a signed football. How do I keep it in place inside the box and what sort of dosh should I charge for doing such a job.
Any tips on this one will we most welcome.

Consider putting it in an Acrylic box.

Dream Keepers are in the forum’s supply directory.

https://scenes.biz/framersdirectory/index.php?m ... mfromid=14

http://www.dreamkeepers.co.uk/display_cases.htm

http://www.dreamkeepers.co.uk


If it were me I would go about x2.5 or a bit more and the vat on cost.....for that job

Thaks for that Dermot, thats a useful site to know, i`ll put the idea to my customer

I have always wondered how you guys frame footballs do you have any tricks for stopping the ball losing air imagine a sad slightly deflated ball in a plastic box can you make your own frames for footballs to go on a wall or are the physical dimensions of the ball too weird to look good hanging on a wall

I’ve never used it, but I have heard of some people inflating a ball with an injectable foam product that, when it sets, takes the shape of its container.

Sorry, I don’t know the name of it, and I doubt that it is “archival”.

Hi Alec,

I too framed a football, along with a signed cricket ball and signed Rugby ball all in the same frame.

The football & rugby balls were inserted into a nicely cut holes in the mount, about a 1/4 of the size of the ball, and then
siliconed on the backside to hold in place. This was very effective and did not deter from the appearance.
For the cricket ball I used the purpose holder supplied by Lion.

Cost.........well as was suggested 2.5 times + vat at cost should do it.

Good luck

John

You always learn something by browsing here.

We've just taken delivery of some new acrylic football display cases, made locally. They are very nice pieces of work and framers can customise them by making up a base rim in a suitable picture moulding and fitting an engraved plaque inside.

But we'd never thought about the problem of the ball deflating. I think you can buy stuff which you squirt into car tyres to minimise punctures - I'll look into that.

Sadly, you won't be able to make your 2.5 mark up, as they'll cost around £60, less £10 if collected. But, it means that you can sell them with base rim and plaque (£7 from our friend Mr Cooke in West Bromwich - order on the web) for around £95. But, you'll make about £30 for half an hours work, and £60 an hour ain't too bad.

You're 'avin' a laff Martin!

£67 outlay (ex VAT?) for a £95 return (incl VAT?) - Er - No! The difference is eighteen quid - that wouldn't cover half an hour's overheads.

I want a minimum x2+VAT (so - x 2.3 at the current VAT rate) for anything I simply buy to sell on - if I can't warrant that final retail price then the trade price is too high.

For something I buy and then have to do 'half an hours work' on I'd be looking at far more than a 2.3 mark up. Your figures would relate to a loss for me, unless, possibly, I was selling hundreds at a time.

I can sell a 20x16 lite of museum glass for £66 at a x3 mark up - it took me approx 10 seconds to cut, maybe another 5 mins to clean and fit.

The operative word in your quote above is 'sadly'

Hi Martin,

You haven't mentioned the cost of matterials for making the base, so I think £95 is a bit on the low side. I don't think that we should be thinking, "how cheap we can make this", after all £95 is not a lot to football fans who are into collecting this stuff.

I would not rule out charging £200, if it can be done to really look stunning!

As for the ball deflating, I don't see why this is such a big deal. It may go a bit soft,but I doubt if anyone will notice.

Not your average framer wrote:
I would not rule out charging £200, if it can be done to really look stunning!

The basic 'sell on' price at a 100% mark up would be £154.10 (incl VAT) - that leaves £45.90 to make that £200.

How long's it going to take to make something 'stunning' for that £45.90?

Ah. That's me told!

I'm all in favour of our customers making a healthy profit. It's a question of what prices you think your market / customers will bear. If you think that you can get regular business for something like the football case at around £200 then that's fine. But, my gut feeling is that customers might be rather more willing to buy at around £120. In any business, you're never going to be able to make the same margin on everything you sell.

Everyone knows that you normally make a minimum x5 mark-up on 'window' glass, but with speciality 'picture' glass, you can only make a smaller mark-up, yet you make many more £'s per hour of working with that.

This is a very healthy discussion. Keep it running.

Roboframer wrote: The basic 'sell on' price at a 100% mark up would be £154.10 (incl VAT) - that leaves £45.90 to make that £200.

How long's it going to take to make something 'stunning' for that £45.90?

Hi John,

For a man with a CMC, you tell me. I think you'll soon crack that one!

I like to sound impressed when a customer brings football or sport related items into my shop. I always ask a lot about the item for framing and I usually get told what it cost. IT IS NEVER CHEAP!

These things are all about kudos with one's mates. Kudos is something these guys will pay good money for, but it must look the business. So, how much do they want to "up stage" the rest of the gang? We all know the answer to that one! £200 is not out of the question, if it looks the dog's ......!

Hi Martin,

Are you going to be doing a nicely sized bevelled mirror to fit inside the base under the football?

It makes perfect sense if the ball is covered with team signatures.

There would need to be space between the mirror and the display box, for a pair of stacked mouldings, which would be hand finished in team colours.

Lions sell square perspex boxes specifically for framing footballs....might save you a bit of work!

ALEC wrote:I was asked to frame a signed football. .

So - what happened - did you get the job or not, and if so how'd you do it and how much did you pay and charge??

Lion newsletter just landed.

They have got Football cases.