Picture Frames - To make or not to make?

Japanese Garden, Portland Oregon
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Prints may be purchased on Etsy

When people buy a framed image, do they really care what type of frame it's in? That's a question that's been on our minds lately. It takes great time and expense for us to make our frames by hand out of solid oak and we sometimes overhear customers discussing how they might be able to frame the image cheaper if they just buy it matted. Obviously, the question at hand pertains specifically to photographic prints, as it's unlikely someone would want a painting to be framed on the cheap.

This past weekend, we got a little unsolicited feedback when one of the people who bought a framed image specifically mentioned that she'd been attracted by the fact that our frames were noticeably higher quality than what she'd been finding elsewhere. Well, that's one vote in favor of our woodworking. We're still considering offering our prints in both our handmade oak frames and some less-expensive production line frames, as well, though. What do you think?