The Framers Forum

Hi all,

Another new framer asking for guidance on pricing! I've just completed my first two box frames and wondered what people would have priced them at. You can see them here

http://smu.gs/kNZGNq

For the Parachute Regiment memorabilia box:

Mounts Size:- 46.5 x 52.5 (cms)
Moulding No: Black_Brush_Deep_37mm (AQ.441227000)
Arqadia single mount hayseed with black suedette back mount
2mm float
2mm MDF back board
box constructed from Frame Box (AQ.206400000) and (AQ.208400000) with foam core spacer.
outside of frame box painted black to match frame.

Many thanks,

Pete

My pricing programme comes up with a figure of £120.20.

There is a fair bit of work there - main frame + two stacked frameboxes, foamcore spacers, painting back of frame in black, mounting the items etc.

Nice job by the way.

My pricing software comes up with £110.80.

Steve

I would also charge £120, but I would make the box using a cheap factory finished black moulding to save time, as it is very easy on this sort of job to end up spend more time doing the job than you had ever expected.

Jobs like this, often result in significant left over waste materials, so don't be tempted to do a lower price just to get the job!

Not your average framer wrote: Jobs like this, often result in significant left over waste materials, so don't be tempted to do a lower price just to get the job!

Exactly, a sheet of suedette is £7.60 +VAT and that moulding is £4.57 + VAT per m. and comes in packs of two lengths. Including the VAT that is £42 worth of materials unless you have the rest of the moulding and mountboard sold for another job.

Hi Pete

nice job!

I come out just under £170.

Gesso&Bole wrote:I come out just under £170.

That's more like what I should be charging too, but most medal framing customers in my local area usually will not pay that much. I get around this by controlling my costs, which this means limiting the customers choices and adopting labour and material saving methods.

i come out just under the hundred for the frame with beret - this is over our internet price but the extra depth (also using box frame) is a fair bit of extra work. don't forget i have no choice of moulding for my customers - only have the gold inner and brown outer and blue or crimson backing.

6 items is normally £88 plus post etc

mikeysaling wrote:6 items is normally £88 plus post etc

Hi Mikey,

I know that you specialise in medal framing, but personally I could not make a worthwhile living for that kind of price. It sounds to me me like a lot of hard work for the price you charge.

Is your price dictated by your competition, or is this just the pricing strategy you choose to follow, perhaps priced at this level to attract a lot of business?

The two mouldings indicated below have a combined cost of not much more than your face moulding.
The large flat one could be mitred on its side for the depth and then it could be capped by the smaller one.

Less fuss - much less time - than joining, stacking and painting that flimsy framebox stuff, less overall cost and (IMHO) a better look can be achieved as no mount is required (less cost again)

My cost using this method would be around £115 and with your method/materials .... more!

Many thanks to all of you for your positive and informative replies, it is very much appreciated!

I priced this at £90 but that included a discount as a contribution as a leaving gift for the individual when he left the Regt I served with. I felt I should be charging in the region of £120-150 so will adjust to that in the future; they certainly do take a bit of work and that should be reflected in the price! My customers are mostly military who seem willing to pay the higher price for something well made and with a choice of colours to best match their medals/memorabilia.

Thanks again for your great response on what is my first post!

Pete

Thanks for the idea! will have to give that a try

Roboframer wrote:The two mouldings indicated below have a combined cost of not much more than your face moulding.

Simons blacks.jpg

The large flat one could be mitred on its side for the depth and then it could be capped by the smaller one.

Less fuss - much less time - than joining, stacking and painting that flimsy framebox stuff, less overall cost and (IMHO) a better look can be achieved as no mount is required (less cost again)

My cost using this method would be around £115 and with your method/materials .... more!

Hi John (Robo),

To date I have not pushed this method with my customers, although I have made some sample display chevrons, mostly to try the technique. To be honest, I don't always find joining the two moulding particularly quick to do, to a professionally solid standard.

If I remember correctly, I think that you use a Kreg pocket hole drill to enable you to drill and screw the side and cap mouldings together. To date, I have not got around to buying one of these. If I am right and you do use one of these, would you mind telling me how fast is it to join two frames by this method?

Thanks,
Mark

[quote="Not your average framer"
Hi Mikey,

I know that you specialise in medal framing, but personally I could not make a worthwhile living for that kind of price. It sounds to me me like a lot of hard work for the price you charge.

Is your price dictated by your competition, or is this just the pricing strategy you choose to follow, perhaps priced at this level to attract a lot of business?[/quote]

hi there mark (and others)

i work from home and yes only frame medals/militaria - have only two mouldings inner gold and outer brown (plus a backup brown in case of out of stock) backing is veleveteen choice of two colours blue and crimson all frames same design for removal of back. Keep a low stock level compared with most framers because of limited choice. Only advertise british legion and our website.

Price is giving a reasonable profit with ourlow overheads - we certainly do not pitch for more work and find a steady market for our offering - mainly to military affiliated families and OAPs - don't forget we also attract customers for replacement medals badges etc and our mounting service for medals.

The only area we have largish stock (which appreciates) is medals and ribbons and cap badges etc which we buy from various sources (rarely on the web however - we like to see what we are buying - there are a lot of low life selling medals)

mikey

Not your average framer wrote:Hi John (Robo),
If I remember correctly, I think that you use a Kreg pocket hole drill to enable you to drill and screw the side and cap mouldings together. To date, I have not got around to buying one of these. If I am right and you do use one of these, would you mind telling me how fast is it to join two frames by this method?

Thanks,
Mark

I am interested in this method too. Was this what you used on the violin job? Please do share with us.

Personally I hate using frame box, too much like a cuckoo clock for my taste.

If I can achieve the depth I need by mitreing a flat profile on its side then I don't screw the capping moulding to it, I just glue it - good and proper! Some say it should be screwed to enable easy replacement, but I say screw that! As far as I'm concerned the two mouldings become one profile and I'd only use screws, which would be pocket-holed, if I thought the extra strength was necessary.

The pocket hole jig (not the Kreg, which is no doubt fine - and I can't remember why I bought the one I have in preference - comes in to its own when I need a depth that my underpinner cannot cope with (and I have to adapt it with my own home-made pressure pad for many profiles) and that would be to screw boxes - that my underpinner can cope with - together - and I still use glue.

Here's the violin - and like I said in that topic, I could have used flat battens but I had the frame moulding in stock.
http://theframersforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... 12&p=55516

Had I used flat battens then the capping moulding, having no 'seat' would also have needed to be screwed on.

The only problem with mitreing frame mouldings on their side is that the top becomes the back and if it's a softwood or coated/gessoed moulding that can chip on the back - the back is now VERY deep, so you have to be selective, unless you have a good mitre/double mitre saw or maybe pack out your morso fence.

If you wanted to make a very deep box in one hit - i.e. with a very wide moulding or batten that your underpinner could not cope with, then the pocket hole jig could be be used to screw the mitres together - and the beauty of it is that the holes are on the inside - nothing to fill, and yes, it's quick; not as quick as an underpinner, but quicker than a vice and nails - much.

If the 'framebox' type system came in harder woods and in wider profiles it would be far more useful, but I'd still be putting the capping frame inside it, instead of vice-versa - I totally hate the look of a box (flat or coved) poking out the back of a frame. And remember, if the box is INSIDE the frame, you've got to conceal it; if the frame is inside (or flush with) the box you can use rebate spacers.