As the current reigning Duke of the Hobby Lobby, I feel compelled to write a review. So how did I end up at the Hobby Lobby so many times that I was able to claim the crown? Simple answer... The framing department.
I am not a fan hobby lobby's general business stance on LGBTQ folks, and typically avoid supporting businesses with such stances -- but in this case, there is no other framing shop in town that can offer the quality for the price. Plus, this Hobby Lobby has a secret weapon -- Sandy!
Sandy has worked at Hobby Lobby for 8 years! Every time I've walked in to the framing department with some vague idea of what I want and the intention to keep to my small budget, Sandy has been there to assist.
Example: I needed 24 odd sized screen prints framed for the Board Members of my non-profit-- and had a budget of $400. Sandy measured and totaled; then measured and totaled some more, helping us brainstorm about what work we could do ourselves to save on cost. She gave us her full attention, treating us with honesty and respect. She understood our budget constraints and truly thought of everything she could do or offer to save us money.
We ended up purchasing pre-made frames (during a 50% sale), cutting the prints down ourselves (saving us $1 for literally every cut they would have made) and paying her to prepare perfectly sized acid free foam to protect the prints. She also suggested and helped us find a special black touch-up pen for the frames. (Since wall frames tend to get little bumps and scratches.) The custom cut foam boards were ready a week later. Granted we are a non-profit so there was no sales tax ... our entire project cost $364! Woo-hoo.. under budget!!
She was so incredible that I asked if I could snap her picture for Yelp! She said yes and she's now the picture that pops up when you check-in. After I snapped the pic I got a message from Shan K. It said something like "Sandy is the best, I love Sandy -- she helps me frame all of my kid's artwork!"
After having such a great 1st experience spending my company's money and seeing how high quality things turned out, I told my Mom I wanted to get my UofL memorabilia framed as my birthday present. So Mom and I visited HB and there was Sandy!
I came in with literally a mismatched bag of posters, autographs, magazines, game day programs, trading cards, tickets and prints. Sandy let me spread it all out all across the counter. She helped me find what I could fit into a pre-made frame and what had to be custom. She even introduced me to an even cheaper, but super cool "floating frame" for game tickets and photographs. She explained every single detail about how the magazines and newspaper needed to be mounted in the custom fram, still giving me options in matting or frame type. She offered lots of pro-tips about why to avoid one large frame and how to organize things to make the pieces seem cohesive. She gave us nearly 2 hours of her time as I weighed options and came to final decisions.
This framing job won't be under that same $400.. but my Mom was extremely pleased with the quoted prices for custom frames -- and I'm pleased to save Mom some money by doing several myself using the pre-made frames -- which I'll purchase when the frames go back on sale for 50% off.
General round up of custom-framed items:
- Sports Illustrated magazine with basic black frame ($42)
- full-size newspaper with thick black frame and red trim lines ($75)
- really large original screen print with 2 tone single matting ($100)
(the frames have been ordered, so no pics of finished product yet)
As I need other frames I will return to Hobby Lobby and wait for Sandy- and if Sandy were to ever move stores.. even to the other end of the Earth (like the Outer Loop store) .. I'd drive across the Earth for her great customer service, level of expertise, undivided attention and unwavering cost-efficient brainstorming. She's the BEST!
-- 5 stars for Sandy and frames IF you wait to buy them for 50%. (You're on your own if you work with anyone else and pay full price ) read more