Frank Lloyd Wright. This great poster was begifted to me a few years ago, by someone who turned around and did something a kinda mean to me. It's been in a cardboard tube since then, while I insolently refused to hang it....
...but it IS...
...a nice poster. Heavy stock. And I love the image.
So dang, I broke down and took the thing into Michael's Crafts on Sunday afternoon. I told the girl in the custom framing department that I wanted to go cheapest possible route to frame the thing. Just make in hang-able.
A mat? NO!
Glass, she asked me? Glass, or plexiglass, whatever's CHEAP.
I purposefully did not use the word "inexpensive" because "inexpensive" simply sounds more expensive than "cheap," and I wanted CHEAP. Look, I'm not making an investment to frame something an...
So, the clerk at Michael's tallied up the cheap frame and glass, and gives me a grand total: $178.99.
$179.00?!! I made some coughing-snorting-laughing sounds, as I removed their weights from the corners of my poster and rolled it up. Look, she's working for little more than minimum wage, and I KNOW she knows that almost $200 for a poster frame is outrageous. But if that's what they charge, it's what they charge. Thanks for your time.
She caught me. Wait!
"What kind of money were you thinking about?" she asked me.
Ok. I know full well that custom framing is not cheap, but I'll bite. "Fifty bucks."
She messed around with the computer calculator, and quoted me back: "$61.88."
I asked her, "for what?"
For the very same frame and glass that she'd just quoted me $179 on!!!
Get OUT!! I was incredulous, and it took every ounce of my being not to write a number on a piece of paper, slide it face down to the girl, and ask her to go show it to her manager for approval.
All I could think was, "what would have happened here if I'd sprung for the $179?" Would she have ever, in a million years recalculated the cheaper price?
I don't think so. And $61.88 was a hell of a price for a custom frame and glass...but Michael's doesn't get my money.
I'd rather pay more to a vendor that won't try to screw me over.
Like the guy that gave me the poster.
Having art professionally matted and framed costs a fortune! You can get gorgeous museum reproduction art online for pennies and go bust just getting in presentable form for your wall.
ReplyDeleteA few years back, I invested in basic matting and framing tools & materials for do-it-yourself projects at home. It saves me bundles and other than the really fancy frames, I can have whatever I want.
I'm the cheapest woman you'll ever meet ... I mean "inexpensive" ... hell, who am I kiddin', I mean cheap!
Oh, wait....you said cheap?
ReplyDeleteI'll just change the price!
Amazing.
that's amazing....just shows you how many many things we are paying WAY TOO MUCH for and just don't know it. And I'm always amazed at how expensive it is to even buy a frame and try to do it yourself. I bought the prettiest poster online (like theresa said--for pennies) and it's still in the tube after about two years because 1) I keep forgetting I have it and 2) when I remember and go to get it framed, I can't stand the thought of the $100 it'll cost....Sigh.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I love that print of yours. Too bad it's got a jerk attached to it in any way...:)
WHAT? Oh ~ this is wrong on So Many Levels. Truly. Can you just grab a poster frame at Target or something? 'Cause the print is fabulous.
ReplyDeleteI don't quite get it.
ReplyDeleteBut I'll have to try it next time I'm in the market for a new car!
"30,000!?! That's to expensive." I'll say.
"Well, what were you thinking about spending." Sales dude will ask.
"Oh, $90 or so?" I'll reply.
"Sold!" He'll say and I'll dance around for joy.
That is highway robbery. I think IKEA has something you'd like. In fact, Target has some GORGEOUS frames right now. I'll email you what I used to frame Kristin's pix of the boys. I'll bet you can find exactly what you want....
ReplyDeleteYikes. Michael's sucks.
Yardsales, Goodwill, St.Vincent De Paul, thrift shops and rich neighborhoods on trash day.This is recycling, we are told we must do it, so go for it!...June
ReplyDeleteJune is right sometimes estate & garage sales are great. I found a beauty of a frame with an old scratched oil painting, popped out the old but in a new picture and the frame was only $5.
ReplyDeleteI love blown glass! Looked like a fun night.
Agree with others, you will likely be able to find something very suitable at Ikea for less than $40. OR, try Costco. We had a large poster we bought in Paris, ot get framed at a 'place' was over $200. We got it done very nicely at Costco for $35.
ReplyDelete