Mark, I've bought for years from American Frame, which has a pretty nice selection and quality of both metal and wood frames. Customer service is great too.
If you are doing your own assembly (i.e. matting, mounting, assembling glass and frame), you might want to check with your local framing companies. I used to buy all my wood frames on-line, but due to some of the larger sizes that I regularly sell (30x40+), shipping is always very expensive. So after checking with my local shops, I now get great deals on my frames (and non-glare glass as well). Since I'm doing all of the framing work, all they do is cut the wood and assemble the frame, so they can sell the frames pretty cheaply. Plus because I buy local there's no shipping, and if you're buying as a business you'll pay no sales tax.
I use culver art and frame, kendall hartcraft and mayne framing supply, but at the local PPA conferences 2 or 3 others show up as well, a local framer does some of the more custom or large work if I need it, and they us a local (a county over) framing supply store as opposed to mailorder companies.
Culver offers all sorts of things - I use mostly the mat/frame/glass deals, but they also offer 'ready mades' (just the frame) and I'm starting to sell more of them (unmatted photos and art) but I had to buy some tools (fletcher gun and points - $90).
Pictureframes.com is pretty fast. On the orders where a frame was damaged, they were quite fast in getting a replacement shipped out. The customer service is also good.
Their selection could be larger, but it will cover most tastes.
I do my own framing, or at least part of it up to 24X36 (frame size). I don't have a solution to frame larger than this myself.
I buy the frames and glass from Aaron Brothers, often with a 40% off coupon. I cut my own mats and foam core and assemble the finished piece. I buy the foam core and mats from a local art supply store. I would estimate that it costs me an average of $27 for an 11X14 in a 16X20 frame (not including paper or ink). 18X24 is closer to $35 actual cost because you can't get as many mats out of the 32X40 inch sheets.
Its pretty easy to cut mats and the tools are not expensive. I'd say you'd break even on the cost of the tools after two to four frames versus the price I've paid to have work framed. Logan and Altos are the big mat cutting tool makers. It takes me 30 minutes to an hour to frame a piece depending on how fast I'm moving.
I thought about making my own frames, but the tools for that would take much longer to recoup the expense (planer/joiner, miter saw, router with table). Plus I figured the woodworking would take alot of time (although I do enjoy it).
I just tried these guys. they seem to have good prices, although I will compare with those others posted on this thread. They have a big catalog too of photo related archival items which I really enjoy.
I've done a lot of framing with Frame Destination - www.framedestination.com
Pricing, quality, and customer service are absolutely top notch. Photographer owned.
