Sam Flax Orlando

What Sam Flax Orlando does

Sam Flax Orlando is a family-owned, single-location specialty art supplies retailer operating at 1800 East Colonial Drive in Orlando, Florida. The company traces its brand heritage to the original Sam Flax store founded in New York City in 1919, whose iconic logo is held in the permanent design collection of MOMA. The Orlando location has served Central Florida's arts community for over 30 years and operates with a small team of approximately 10 employees. The store is open seven days a week with traditional retail hours, and essentially all revenue is generated through in-store walk-in traffic since e-commerce is limited to e-gift cards.

The business is built around three core product categories: fine art supplies (paints, brushes, drawing tools, papers, canvases, sculpture, and drafting materials), professional custom picture framing (over 3,000 frame options with conservation-quality archival methods and museum glass), and curated gifts (fine writing instruments, art books, stationery, furniture, and home goods). Pricing is unit-based across all revenue streams, with student and teacher discounts available on ID and gift cards sold in tiered denominations from $25 to $500. A direct-to-schools catalog launched in May 2024 opens a B2B channel for educator purchasing.

Customer segments span individual artists and hobbyists, custom framing customers, gift shoppers, art students enrolling in classes, and schools/educators. The go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer retail with event-driven community engagement, including the Wall Project mural festival, Paint Strong Orlando (a community art response to the Pulse nightclub tragedy), Summer Sessions art classes, and Fall Fest. Marketing relies on Instagram, email newsletter, Google reviews, and local community events rather than paid digital acquisition. There is no disclosed revenue, no external funding, no parent company, and no institutional ownership — the business operates as an independent family enterprise.

Name

Sam Flax Orlando

Legal name

Sam Flax Orlando

Website

https://samflaxorlando.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sam Flax Orlando is a family-owned, single-location art supplies and custom framing retailer serving Central Florida artists, hobbyists, students, and educators. The 10-employee store offers fine art materials, professional framing, gifts, and community art programs under a 100+ year-old brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Supplies Retail

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fine Art Materials Retail (Paint, Canvas, Drawing) (CRALACAB)

Keywords

• Art supplies retail
• Custom picture framing
• Fine art materials
• Creative gift shop
• Art education classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Art Supplies Retail: Sale of art supplies including paints, brushes, drawing tools, papers, canvases, and craft materials to consumers and artists.
2. Custom Framing Services: Professional custom picture framing services with over 3,000 frame options and hundreds of mat choices. Services include conservation framing, dry mounting, custom mirrors, canvas stretching, and shadow boxes.
3. Gift Products: Sale of fine writing instruments, books, stationery, furniture (easels, drafting tables), home goods, and celebration items.
4. E-Gift Cards: Electronic gift cards available in denominations of $25, $50, $75, $100, $200, $300, $400, and $500.
5. Art Classes: Summer Sessions art classes taught by instructors like Jay Golden, Susan Long, and Paul Vincenti.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sam Flax Orlando operates a single brick-and-mortar retail store in Orlando, Florida selling fine art supplies (paints, brushes, drawing tools, sculpture, drafting, crafts, papers, and surfaces), professional custom picture framing services with over 3,000 frame options and conservation-quality archival materials, and a curated assortment of gifts including fine writing instruments, books, stationery, and home goods. The store also offers E-Gift Cards and seasonal art classes.

Product overview

Sam Flax Orlando operates as a traditional brick-and-mortar retail store specializing in fine art supplies, custom picture framing, and unique gifts. The core offerings consist of Art Supplies (spanning painting, drawing, sculpture, drafting, crafts, papers, and surfaces), Custom Framing services (with over 3,000 frame options and conservation-quality materials), and Gifts (fine writing instruments, art books, stationery, furniture, and home goods). Additional services include E-Gift Cards and community programs such as art classes and public mural events. The company primarily serves artists, designers, students, and creative enthusiasts in the Central Florida region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Art Supplies Vast selection of art materials including paints (acrylic, oil, watercolor, gouache), drawing tools (pencils, pens, markers, pastels), sculpting supplies, drafting tools, crafts, papers, and surfaces for artists of all skill levels. Sold at the Orlando retail storefront.
• Custom Framing Professional custom picture framing service with access to over 3,000 frames and hundreds of mat options, featuring conservation-quality archival methods, acid-free mats, and museum glass for long-term preservation. Services include conservation framing, dry mounting, custom mirrors, canvas stretching, and shadow boxes.
• E-Gift Cards Digital gift cards available in denominations of $25, $50, $75, $100, $200, $300, $400, and $500, sent via email and redeemable for merchandise or services in-store.
• Gifts Curated retail selection of fine writing instruments (LAMY, Kaweco, Caran d'Ache, Retro51), art books (TASCHEN, Chronicle, Half Price Books), stationery (Rifle Paper Co., Cavallini, Pepin Paper Press), furniture (easels, drafting tables, stools, lighting), home goods, and celebration items.
• Art Classes (Summer Sessions) Seasonal art instruction programs including introductory courses in acrylics, watercolors, and oil painting for beginners and intermediate learners, with free in-store try-it tables and stations during events.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City Arts Downtown OrlandocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity Arts Downtown Orlando is listed as a special thanks sponsor for the Wall Project 2022 event, indicating a community partnership for local arts initiatives.
• The NashminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a special thanks sponsor for the Wall Project 2022 event.
• Hittn' SkinsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a special thanks sponsor for the Wall Project 2022 event.
• Plus Skate ShopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a special thanks sponsor for the Wall Project 2022 event.
• Shin Jung Korean BBQminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted the Food & Beer Garden at the Wall Project 2022 event, providing food truck venue for the community event.
• Wall Project MuralistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with muralists including Andrew Spear, Boy Kong, Chris McAlister, Christian Stanley, Dolla Short, Iva Pittman, Naomi Haverland, Olivia Stafne, Peterson Guerrier, Robbie Lee, Sabrina Shumaker, SKIP, Sumner Mormeneo, and Willie 'Wie' Soto for Wall Project 2022.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/samflaxorlando
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sam-flax-orlando

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sam Flax Orlando