What's selling coast to coast: from sports memorabilia in San Fran to conservation in Connecticut, here's a slice of what customers are clamoring for across the country

Art Business News, Feb, 2003 by Carol King

Preserving memories has always been a strong selling point for the framing industry. That holds true today more than ever. As the prospect of war looms and acts of terror become more pronounced, fond memories of good times passed seem to have taken on a renewed preciousness.

In an informal sampling of framing trends, Framing Business News interviewed a handful of framers across the nation. For the most part, all reported that memorabilia framing--whether family photographs or baseball mitts and trophies--has taken a prominent place in their shops. People are framing personal items that hold great sentimental value.

Of course, marketplaces, just like frame shops and customers, differ. Although similarities were uncovered, no two stores were identical.

Frame shops are as diverse as the owners themselves and the people they serve. The stores mentioned in this article differed greatly. Locationwise, some are in villages, others are in metropolises. Their clientele is also varied--some serve retirees while others cater to Fortune 500 movers and shakers. Product offerings ranged from stocking rustic wood samples to manufacturing 23-karat ornate gold frames.

There is no singular definition of a frame shop customer. However, by providing a glimpse of what's selling in individual marketplaces, FBN hopes to put the spotlight on new or potential trends that are coming down the pike and ignite ideas to expand current business offerings.

Observations from our seven interviewees follow:

Senior Clientele Has Eye for Quality in Arizona

The Frame & I, Prescott, Ariz. Ida Kendall, co-owner

Prescott, Ariz., is described as the state's "best-preserved" town. It got its start with the discovery of gold and was the state capital until 1889, when Tucson (temporarily) was awarded the distinction.

Today, downtown Prescott's motto is "History Lives On." Visitors to the community, according to its Coalition for Tourism, "will find quaint boutiques, fantastic restaurants and an eclectic array of galleries featuring local, regional and national artists."

Among those galleries is the 20-year-old shop, The Frame & I, owned by Ida Kendall and Kathleen G. Roeth. Customers of the facility are fans of original artwork and upscale prints, as well as collectible items, according to Kendall.

"Our area is comprised of many retirement-age individuals," she said. "There is a dichotomy in that segment of the market; some are quite affluent while others live month to month. The working-age people in our area are quite often small business owners, real estate professionals, educators or investors." On average, the shop's customers spend about $100 to $150 per frame.

"Original artwork and photographs are prominently in the lead for framing requests," she continued. "We also do quite a bit of object framing, including christening gowns, fireman's hats, police memorabilia, baby shoes, locks of hair, you name it. Posters are always a staple framing item, but limited-edition offset lithograph prints are dropping way off. However, we are seeing many more giclee prints."

Treatments are usually in single or double mats, she reported. "The matting is usually 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide," she said. "Color is popular. We don't see a lot of the white, black or cream boards that seem to be the design trend elsewhere. Additionally, we use a lot of fillets, both on the frames and on the mats."

The shop also sees a trend in rustic frames. "The rustic frames are popular, and we are seeing an increase in requests for more variety in color. Gold and silver are always popular, with silver becoming more so every day. Our customers seem to like rare woods, like walnut burl, as well."

Kendall observed that because of the current economy, customers are less likely to make impulse purchases. "Our clients are attracted to quality design but less willing to spend a lot if they don't see the value in it," she said. "To offset that, we are now working more with large companies, designers and art professionals than with individual walk-in customers."

High End Doing Fine in Los Angeles

Jerry Solomon Enterprises, Los Angeles David Carroll, designer

Jerry Solomon Enterprises is a high-end shop that has gathered a team of top-notch professionals, reported David Carroll, a designer for the company. "On the premises, our staff includes design consultants, craftsmen, carvers, gilders, finishers, mat cutters and fitters," he said.

"The bulk of our clients are collectors, museums, designers and hotels," he explained. "Our moulding prices range from $15 a foot to $750 a foot. We recently put a $1,000 frame, purchased at Wiggins of London, on an original work of Picasso for a collector. We have very high-scale customers."

What's being framed? "I have not seen any real changes in the trends of the art we work with," Carroll said. "We are framing works by Picasso and Jasper Johns for the museums. The hotel work seems to be more classic, less non-objective, more abstract. We are also seeing an increased use of carved and gilded frames."