You're right - I am negative about museum. I much prefer Artglass in those situations, and less in all the others. We still get customers wanting the etched non-glare, regular, and whatever. I'll sell museum if I have to, but because of the scratching of museum's underlayer, Artglass is becoming more of what I pitch.
Understand, too, that the area I sell in is really in a bad economic condition with government layoffs and plant closings. I have to be careful not to scare away customers by pitching what they can't afford - those that did this are all gone. I've been watching the ratio of repeat customers to new, and I'm still getting my old ones coming back. Just had an Ottawa car dealer in yesterday with a Daytona poster, and he says that his business is significantly down. These are not upselling times.
My reply here is not about glass standards. That has been covered amply in the thread. This is about attitude, and not necessarily yours.
The word "Pitch" really has no place in framing design, nor does the notion of "Upselling." As experienced designers, it is our job, in fact our responsibility, to show our customers various levels of protection and visual design that will enhance and protect their art to the best of our ability. You don't need to pitch or upsell in order to sell beautiful framing. If your customer trusts that you have various price options for the art, and you openly and honestly present a few of each, then with your gentle guidance, it is your customer's choice as to what materials to use. Not showing the best is a disservice to the customer. And so is only showing your very high end.
Here's a case in point. I had a couple in yesterday who wanted to frame four pieces using bright colors on their sets of photographs of flowers taken on a recent vacation. We picked 8 ply Pure White matting, Museum Glass, and a variety of Bella, LJ, Guerrini, and Fotiou glossy colors, including a fabulous stacked combination using a Bella Lollipop color with a striped Guerrini as the inner frame. All three of us were doing a happy dance after that design was finalized. Then out came piece number five. They wanted a ready-made frame for a simple family photo.
With equal enthusiasm I found them
a knock-your-socks-offRoma frame made from custom remnants that was already fitted with CC glass and acid-free foam core. We added an Artique mat, and they were out the door on this one for under $79. That last one was the icing on the cake and solidified us as a framer who could adjust to their budget as circumstances warrant.
I relate this little story because so much of this is about attitude. If you feel you can't sell MG or other premium glass, you won't. If you feel it is a rip-off, then don't even try to sell it. But if you love beautiful, elegant protective framing, you will sell the heck out of it because you believe in your product. If you respect your customer's budget, and the budget is small, you will show them your great selection of affordable options that will make them happy and bring them back. I don't think you need to be the framer in town that goes out of business if you are able to adjust to the customer's needs and offer the best of both ends.