So that big coupon you see nearly every Sunday in the Michael’s ad supplement must be a good deal right? Not so much–at least not from what our clients tell us.

At least once every week or two we get someone who stops into our store after getting a quote from Michael’s and ends up telling us that our regular old price is lower than what they were quoted at Michael’s. Sometimes an awful lot lower, particularly if you are looking for a single framing component–like just getting a mat cut or a replacement piece of glass.

And they always tell us we are faster. We turnaround most of our less complicated projects in anywhere from a day to a week. Need something quick for a retirement, birthday or anniversary–just ask. If we can possibly accomodate, the answer is yes. You see, we have this funny idea that we work for you, our customer. Novel, huh?

How Can We Beat Their Prices?

So, how does a tiny, little locally owned frame shop beat the big boxes on price and service? Well, despite our small size, we are associated with the largest picture framing franchise in the United States, Frame Minnesota USA. They help us by negotiating with our suppliers for great prices on framing materials. We buy our top sellers in bulk and pass along the savings to our customers.

When you shop at Michaels, the frames and mats are cut out of state and then shipped in to the local store for assembly. Because of the detail involved in what we do, that just sounds like a nightmare. We cut and join nearly all of our frames on site in Eagan, MN. Matting cutting is done onsite using a Wizard computerized mat cutter. This gives us some amazing creativity at a reasonable price (hop on over to our ideas gallery on the web page for some ideas). And because of the labor savings accomplished with the computerized mat cutter, we can offer really great prices and larger projects–something involving say, 10 identical (or nearly identical) items. We have the ability to make things happen right here in our store. Its kind of fun–sometimes stressful but always interesting.

Now, I won’t lie. We carry some really nice products in our store–olive wood from Italy, gold leafed frames from Spain, fun funky colored frames and a huge selection of mat colors and textures. Things they just don’t carry at the big boxes and some of them are more expensive than anything that you’ll find at the store known for stickers, beads and Chinese holiday decorations.

But if you think a 50% off coupon is always the best deal, give us a few minutes to show you our ideas. You just might be surprised that great design doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Just the leg!