I really need to decide on one or two album companies and stick with it.
I currently offer Graphi, Zookbinders and La-Vie.

La-Vie I'm keeping for sure and because there is just too high of a demand for 'matted type' albums and they just ROCK! I have Cypress boxes right now to have a parent type album.

Graphi has just dropped the freakin ball lately. Since I started with Graphi, my clients are just not crazy over them and just have not been having great feedback, and with all the current problems and loops and hoops you have to go through them with this 50% off crap lately...well...enough. Their option with parent albums is just so good!

Zookbinders I really like and my clients like them too but as I do not like the option as far as parent albums go. AT ALL. Might as well just get a whole other album they are $$$.

So I've always heard good things about Leather Craftsmen and when I was at Jess' and Beckers yesterday they looked awesome.

So tell me all about them. What you like about them, what you don't like and most importantly what do you do with parent albums.

Thanks!!!!!

my eyes are going to be glued to this thread as well.

im really interested in what people have to say about LC.

I use these the 800 series matted albums for my portrait work. My own wedding album is a 10x10 matted LC. I have not seen its equal in terms of quality - maybe Queensberry, but I do not want to deal with an overseas company.

You should see if you can get a brief tour at their factory in Santa Ana if you're still in the O.C. See if Becker can hook you up; they offer tours once a month, but maybe they'll give you a quick look. After seeing how they are put together by hand I was completely sold.

I'm not sure what your parent album issues are... LC has a gorgeous 8x8 matted that is perfect for that purpose, and even the 5x5 is a great book. LC's sizes refer to the maximum image size, not the page size; i.e. their 10x10 matted is actually more like 12x12 on the exterior.

Their flushmount albums are built the same way as the matted, I am just a huge fan of the matted. I love all the customized options you can ask for - and if you have an idea for something, they'll do it for you even if it's not something they usually do.

HTH,
Dawn

Thanks for the feedback, but alas I'm in St. Louis where its a balmy 16 degrees.

I lurv lurv lurv Leather Craftsmen. It's all I've been using (3500 series), and they haven't let me down yet. Big plus for me is that I'm only an hour away from them (LA office) so it wouldn't be hard to drive over and iron out any wrinkles I couldn't handle over the phone.

They really make a solid book that's timeless....not gimmicky.

id even love to see some people post some pics or any other info... im really interested in what people have to say as well.

Not terribly helpful, but... for a couple of detailed images, check out the "Eos Classic Matted Album" under "Boutique" on my site:

http://www.eosphoto.com/#

Seriously - you could never go wrong with LC. Never. Think timeless, rich, quality, best materials available, completely customizable and handmade. They offer studio samples at 50% off, just get one and see! At least call them and get their samples and catalog; make sure to request the cork liner samples, the rice paper liner samples, the premium liners, and mat samples along with the leather swatches.

One interesting thing that they told us during my orientation/factory tour almost a year ago... they are seeing a trend towards more matted album orders. They have noticed that changes in album styles usually start on the West coast and then make their way East. I think they have kept up with the flushmount trend, but I always think of them as the matted album experts - I think everything else out there tries to emulate them.

Love love love them! And - just icing on the cake - every Friday they drive their van down to SD and drop off/pick up any orders for me as needed. Not having to shell out $$ for shipping - what a beautiful thing.

Ali, what was a telling you this morning?!!

yea i can say here in NY the flushmount albums never really ended up taking off. many people offer them, but i think a contemporary matted album never really went out of style here in NY.... although the market here is much more traditional by nature.

for me im interested in a company like la-vie for matted albums because there is no work involved. no ordering prints and shipping them, or putting images in mats, or any of that stuff. send off the wedding on CD and get a kick butt album back.

the LC flushmount albums id be interested in seeing and hearing more of though.

I noticed that exact same thing and I like it, matted books are so much nicer to look at.

I think I sell 3 matted books for every 1 flushmount book

I replaced Zook with LC. Zook customer service is why I left but now I am so glad that I did. Zook feel machine made to me while LC has a little more of a handmade feel. Hard to put into words but it just feels higher quality to me.
Ira at LC takes care of me and is ultra responsive to any questions I have. I only just switched at the end of last year so I have only done samples with them but if they keep up the level of quality and service I won't be switching anytime soon.
Studio sample 10x10 3500 books are about $100, get one and see if you like it. I am getting a fine art album studio sample soon too, I am really interested to see just how nice it is.

What was I telling you this morning?!




That is exactly what I was trying to explain to Luke. You just can't put your finger on it, i told him they felt a little more 'modern' feeling.

hey, you were on the money.... per usual. i never question that!

Good cause if you did we would have a problem!

after attending b's party of 5 and seeing all of his LC's i have a few samples on the way... they should be here in about a week so i will update everyone! i loved the look and feel of the 3500!

I saw the LC books at Imaging in January, and was honestly blown away with their quality and price. I'm offering them now as well.

I got my hands on a copy of their price list! But it really close to Zookbinders. There is a lot less work in Graphi and parent albums. LC prints too doesn't it?

I pulled a couple out and the biggest thing is that the zook pages feel like laminated plastic. They are so ridgid and all plasticy on the edges. The covers are kind of the same way, they feel like plastic with leather wraped around them. The LC just feels like it is better quality. At first it bothered me that the pages don't lay flat but now I am into it, it feel much more like a custom book. Even the sound the pages make is better when you turn them. How is that for subjective!

does LC do printing as well? i see they obviously do binding, or design & print & bind... but do they offer just printing and binding?

Are you talking about La-vie because you can outsource your album production?

Just messin with ya - LC is an AMAZING album. The only thing I don't like is having no real choice in covers. You can have leather ... or .. leather.... or ... maybe leather. lol

Whenever I sell a flushmount album (about 50/50 for us) we sell full wrap covers or full photo cover Graphis. Nobody ever seems to get the leather option for Graphi or Albums Inc. (great book, crappy parent album pricing).

M

it's a great point matt and just to touch on it quickly.... im not against outsourcing at all. if a company like la-vie can do your job for you, and do it freakin well, then do it!!!!! im picky about what i want representing my business, but la-vie is an option i totally trust. their albums are just plain sick.

LC can do print and bind, I do believe.

Yessir...you are correct. I design all my books in-house then send to LC for printing and binding. They do also offer digital design for one-stop shopping. Over here on the West Coast my couples have only asked for flushmount albums....the 3500 delivers.

They do print and bind but you have to call them and have them send you the price list. Last I checked they couldn't even email it. I got a Xerox'd page with pricing in the mail.

After YEARS of pain with Art Leather (was a montage art book lover), I recently made the switch to LC, with their 3500 series and am SOO happy that I did!!! I went with the 3500 because LOTS of clients were booked in with the Art Leather MAB and I needed something similar that I could easily switch over to without clients being upset! I've done samples in the celadon and apricot suede and they are gorgeous! It was a GREAT decision!!

Could you tell me what like a 10x 10 or 10 x 20 would be if you don't mind? Are they really $$$? Zookbinder in-house prints are about 40% more than WHCC.

I sent you a PM, Alisha. Pricing shouldn't be discussed in a searchable forum IMO.

Thanks Floyd, I agree.

I am not at my desk now so I don't that info handy.

Floyd,

Would you mind PM'ing me with the pricing as well? I have signed up with them today, but need to decide on an album this weekend, so I don't really have time to wait around on a mailed copy of the price list. I'm looking at a 30 page (15 spread) 10x10 3500 series. Print & bind if possible. I normally use ZB and if you all are liking the LC over the ZB and it's obviously cheaper, then I'm definitely interested!

Thank you so much!!

+1 here, too.

Excuse my ignorance, but why not? Is pricing being changed depending on the customer? I am very, very surprised to see anyone, little alone 3 people echoing this. Am I missing something? We all discuss pricing of labs, camera's and whatnot, why not albums?
I must not have gotten the memo...

i think they are just saying that because clients can find these threads..... and they might not like their clients knowing how much they are paying for the albums.

sounds like you guys all love LC.... which is pretty much what ali and i wanted to hear

Because some people get albums for say X and charge 3x which is the industry standard. Some people charge 5x and some charge 10x the cost of the album - and basically who wants their clients to google them and find out that $7000 album cost $700 or whatever? (not specific to LC as I don't have their price list)

(or basically +1 what Luke said)

M

Exactly what these two cats just said. Do you want your clients to google you, and come up with your price on an LC album? Or how about if MY clients are doing some googling, and come across your post, and see that I'm charging 8X that price for what they perceive to be the same album?

THAT was the point Floyd was making. I have also seen guys on FM discussing the same thing. And then people get PO'd because brides have way too much info all of a sudden.

Do you think it's a coincidence that LC and other album companies don't have their pricing publicly available? Right there on their website? Nope. They send it out to qualified professionals who in turn are expected to be professional about it, and keep this confidential pricing private.

Makes sense. But I don't exactly appreciate your tone.
Besides, do we really think brides don't know the cost for an 8x10 that we charge $50 for? I guess I have always considered pricing in those terms. I don't ever post in public what I wouldn't want a bride to see, but I don't care if she see's my costs so I guess I am different in that sense.
I am right upfront with brides about my costs, pricing and time so I don't think in those terms. I generally spend 12-15 hours working on albums so that time plus the cost of materials works right into my pricing. Plus, the album is a work of art itself, so there is a charge associated with that. But I guess not everyone works that way so I shouldn't have said anything in public.
Sorry...but no need get personal.

BTW- I deleted my post out of respect for the rest of you.

Colin, there was no "tone", nor was I getting personal. My apologies if my post was improperly received.

Thanks, I appreciate that.

Thanks for all the feedback so far!