Moonshine Framing

We have full time picture framers and fully equipped workshops. Whether you are an artist exhibiting, or a customer awaiting a frame, we want you to feel that your art is in safe hands. We use top quality industry standard equipment, which is frequently maintained and our staff have considerable framing experience between them, making 1,000s of bespoke frames per year plus bulk orders for artists/galleries and the trade.

Many of our frame mouldings and finishes are unique, many made specially for us. Some hand finished, polished and limed finishes are exclusive and not available anywhere else.

For commercial buyers and resellers of our products we are GS1 registered. (GS1 standards make it easy to do business globally using a unique set of identification numbers for products, companies, locations, services, assets, logistics units or customers at any point in the supply chain. No matter where in the world a business is based or what language you use, trading partners can always understand one another using GS1 standards). The Product Number is the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), often referred to as the bar code number or the EAN/UPC numbers.

Staff are always available to offer advice on framing without any obligation.

FINE ART TRADE GUILD: If you want to read why we are not members please see here: The fine art trade guild and us

The Fine Art Trade Guild

Why we left the fine art trade guild

The Fine Art Trade Guild Logo

(The actual FATG logo can't be reproduced here for legal reasons)

The Fine Art Trade guild are an accredited trade organisation who claim to represent the entire art and framing industry, yet when asked they can't tell you how many people work in the industry, or how many businesses there are in the art and framing industry. Ask any other trade body about the size of the business they claim to represent and they will tell you. How can somebody claim to represent an entire industry if they haven't got a clue how big that industry is? If you don't believe me, email or phone the fine art trade guild and ask yourself. They certainly do not represent us.

But there is another reason it's more personal with us:

The Fine Art Trade Guild had our membership subscription for almost ten years. This is paid each year, by direct debit.

One year our membership lapsed. This was due to an administrative error by the guild. Then following a "complaint" to trading standards we were accused of "recklessly displaying" the silly little FATG logo after the guild told trading standards we were not members.

Our membership certificate was "seized" as evidence, and we spent six months trying to sort out the matter. This included invitations to an interview under PACE rules (Police and criminal evidence), and a lot of time and trouble.

The FATG caused this business, it's owners and it's staff a lot of trouble, inconvenience, and aggravation by not admitting their administration had screwed up, not just once, but two years running. Despite being told repeatedly the first time that they had to prefix the account number with a zero they couldn't manage to do it and therefore failed to collect the money that was waiting for them in the bank.

We then had to ask them several times to confirm their administrative error had caused the problem, and they promised more than once by phone to "put things right", but instead they wrote pompous letters supporting the prosecution and actually assisted trading standards in trying to prosecute this business, even though we had paid our subscription for the full year, and were current members.

The guild wouldn't reply to our emails, letters, and even recorded delivery letters about the matter, before, during or after the case. We simply needed them to confirm their administrative error, but they refused, or someone couldn't be bothered. To paraphrase their own words, they really don't give a toss, do they.

Until we receive an apology and an assurance that the same thing will never happen to another FATG member, we will continue to tell people what a bunch of clowns we think the fine art trade guild are.

They have never apologised, or admitted their mistake If you join them, or if you are a member already, the same might happen to you.

*quotes from the master of the FATG from the Framers Forum 2011

Home back

* "..... You don't like our committees, you don't like our industry suppliers or should I say, their influence, so tell me. I'm listening. I am rattled, but fortunately I don't give a toss.
The above is quoted from Max Roberts, Master of the Fine Art Trade Guild.

Anybody can simply pay for a membership and join the fine art trade guild. Then can do a one day or two day "course" or buy a "study book" and take the GCF test (if they pay for it) - basically this test is making a picture frame to get themselves the letters "GCF" after their name. (guild commended framer).

Whilst having some sort of qualification is better than nothing, the fact that someone completely inexperienced and new to framing can get a ticket and profess themselves as "Commended" is stretching things a bit.

But they say: "The Guild Commended Framer qualification is recognised worldwide as the prime qualification for picture framers....."

It takes four to five years to train a good framer. We have seen people start in framing with zero experience, and within the same year they are displaying FATG certificates and calling themselves "Guild commended". Go figure that out. Oh, and you are not allowed to display the certificate if you are not a member, because it has the precious FATG logo on it. So you can earn this qualification, but can't put the certificate on your wall unless you join the fine art trade guild.

We have seen awful work carried out by "commended" framers. To us this made up qualification means absolutely nothing. It does not guarantee that you will get a good, or even a half decent job done. It does not even guarantee that the work will be done by someone with the qualification, just "overseen" by someone who has. Overseen?

There are a set of framing standards" that the FATG have.

These are actually a good idea, one of the few good ideas the guild has had in the last hundred years. The Standards are so that customers can see exactly what is involved in different types of frame and make an informed choice.

On their web site they acknowledge the existence of their five levels of framing, but if you try to look on their site at the individual levels, you find it is "privileged information" for paid up guild members or registered trade members only (since 2009). what is the point of setting "standards" then hiding them from the public (framing customers).

FINE ART TRADE GUILD: If you want to read why we are not members please see here: The fine art trade guild and us

The Fine Art Trade Guild

"If you've had a bad experience at the guild, I'm very sorry, but that is life". (Quote: Max Roberts "Master" of the Fine Art Trade Guild)

Why we left the fine art trade guild


	MOONSHINE FRAMING PENZANCE est. 1994