My Cal Ripken Jr. Jersey & Cards Framing Project **MANY PICS** Finally Finished!! (Update 3/3/2016)
jeffcbay
Posts: 8,950 ✭✭✭✭
So this project began when I received this signed Ripken jersey from my Dad for my birthday back in 2010. I wanted to have it framed, but I wanted to do something extra special with it since it was a gift from my Dad. Below I will outline my entire process, along with pics/scans and total costs involved. Pics of the finished product are at the end of this very long post.
The Signed Jersey (PSA/DNA Certified):
The Concept
I had noticed another board member framed a jersey along with some cards, so I thought it would be cool to completely surround this jersey with other Ripken jersey cards, all of which having the same grey jersey swatch color that matches the signed jersey. In December of 2011 I officially started the design and planning for this framing project.
First I drew a preliminary sketch in AutoCAD so I could figure out exactly how many cards I would need, layout how I would want the cards oriented, and exactly how LARGE this frame would be. I estimated that I would need (36) total cards, and the frame would be a whopping 40"w x 48"h!!
Preliminary Sketch:
The Cards
Once I started purchasing the jersey cards, I discovered the 2009 Topps Legendary Letters Set that had Ripken's letters with the grey jersey color. So I figured it would be cool to have "R-I-P-K-E-N" across the top of the frame, especially since this jersey is signed on the front, so the nameplate wouldn't be visible once it's mounted. While this seemed like a cool idea, it was VERY DIFFICULT to track down all six letter cards, because these cards are only numbered to 50. This part took the longest, because I wasn't about to start ripping packs to hunt for these cards, so I had to shop around and wait until they magically appeared on the internet somewhere. I started searching for these cards in December of 2011, and I finally found the last letter I needed in July 2014!! Madness...
2009 Topps Legendary Letters with my costs:
($50.00)
($40.00)
($27.00)
($31.74)
($57.38)
($35.00)
I spent 2012 and 2013 purchasing the GREY Ripken GU jersey cards. I knew I needed 10 portrait cards, and 20 landscape cards (not including the letter cards). Since I knew this project would cost me a ton of money (more than I typically spend on myself), I tried to keep the cost of the jersey cards to a minimum. I limited myself to under $15 per jersey card, with no color patches or auto combos. Below is a list of each card I have in the frame, along with what I spent on the card. All except one of these cards were purchased on ebay or COMC:
2000 Fleer Showcase - Feel The Game ($7.07)
2000 Invincible - Game Used Gear ($7.25)
2001 Donruss Studio - Diamond collection ($8.62)
2001 EX - Behind the Numbers (10.62)
2001 Fleer - Final Cut ($7.61)
2001 Fleer Premium - Material Issue ($12.49)
2001 Fleer Tradition - Turn Back the Clock ($9.95)
2001 SP Authentic - Cooperstown Calling ($12.98)
2001 SP Game Used Edition - Authentic Fabric ($6.50)
2001 Topps Gold Label - MLB Award Ceremony Relics ($10.00)
2002 UD Piece of History - The MVP Club ($7.62)
2003 Fleer Rookies & Greats - Boyhood Idols ($10.00)
2003 Fleer Rookies & Greats - The Naturals ($5.80)
2003 Leaf - Away Jersey ($7.25)
2003 Leaf Certified - Fabric of the Game ($10.15)
2003 Topps - World Series Tribute Relic ($11.62)
2004 Donruss Timelines - Boys of Summer ($8.66)
2004 Fleer Greats of the Game - Glory of Their Time ($10.00)
2004 Leaf - Players Collection ($12.80)
2005 SP Legendary Cuts - Classic Careers ($9.99)
2005 SP Legendary Cuts - Glory Days ($7.55)
2005 SP Legendary Cuts - Legendary Lineage ($7.55)
2005 UD Reflections - Fabric Reflections ($12.95)
2006 UD Epic - Materials ($10.01)
2007 SP Legendary Cuts - Masterful Material ($5.03)
2007 UD Ultimate Collection - Star Materials ($5.82)
2008 Donruss - Threads (from PC)
2008 SP Legendary Cuts - Legendary Memorabilia ($10.25)
2008 UD Sweet Spot - Sweet Swatch Memorabilia ($6.50)
2009 UD Icons - Legendary Icons ($12.99)
The Frame
I waited to purchase any of the framing materials until I had most of the cards purchased. Obtaining the framing materials was intense, due to it's size and custom mat cuts. I have this great place I use for all of my custom mat and glass cutting, they are Cook's Art Supplies (North Canton, Ohio). I gave him all of my dimensions and my sketch, and he was able to cut everything exactly how I wanted them. Here are all of the framing materials and costs:
Frame: 40" x 48" silver metal frame, cost $120
Black Cut Mat: 40" x 48", cost $160
Orange Backer Mat: 40" x 48", cost $46
Museum Glass: 40" x 48", cost $63
Acid-Free Foam Board: cost $8
Hardboard Backer Board: 40" x 48", cost $14
Card Holders: bought (50) Pro-Mold 120pt Real Thick Card Mini-Snap Tite Holders, cost $36
The Frame Assembled by Itself:
The Final Assembly
I took the last two weeks of December off work so I could spend time with my family and catch up on projects around the house (plus my work has a use it or lose it policy on vacation days). This was the perfect time to finish this framing project!
I started with the frame laying face down on my kitchen table, carefully slid the glass into the frame, then slid in the black cut mat. What a task... you never really know how fragile a piece of 40" x 48" glass can be until you have one laying on your kitchen table! Fortunately I have zero accidents!
Then I took all (36) cards and placed them inside their snap-tite holders, and placed them where they needed to go. There is a slight rhyme and reason where I placed each card. I tried to make it as "feng shui" as possible. Once I had them all where I wanted them, I took clear packing tape and secured EACH CARD to the back of the mat so they would not shift or slide once I seal the frame. I'm glad I did this, because this will keep each card securely centered in it's own slot.
Next I took foam tape and went around every card and the main jersey opening so I could give the jersey a slight shadow box effect. It's only a 7/16" gap, which is plenty for this setup and gives it a cool effect. I mounted the jersey onto the acid-free foam board using fabric needles to keep the jersey secure and tight, It's not perfect, but it's as good as I can get it with this being my first jersey mount. I placed the PSA/DNA Certificate card into a top loader and attached it to the jersey's foam board. I wanted this displayed, and I thought this was a cool place for it.
Once I had the jersey where I wanted it, I slid in the orange backer mat and carefully pinned that to the jersey, keeping the jersey secured in place inside the frame. Then I slid in the hardboard backing to help everything tight and flat. It was a perfect snug fit inside the frame!
The total frame weighs just under 40 pounds!! I mounted it to the wall (found a stud) using two 50-pound wall hooks. Some day when I grow up and have a man cave, this will be the centerpiece. Until then it will have to settle for being mounted in my messy card room. lol
HERE IT IS!!
Thank you for reading this ridiculously long post, and thank you to those who helped me along the way with my card purchases and to my supporters/followers on the thread in the BST forum. This was an insane ride... I can't wait to show my Dad.
EDIT on March 3, 2016:
So life has happened, in a VERY good way, and I now have a second child! My son was born on February 11th!! So of course I had to make my card room into a third bedroom. I'm very happy to put my hobby aside for my family, so it's all good.
With this immense size and fragility of this frame, I had to build a wooden case so I could safely store it. Here are a few pics. It cost about $120 in material, but it was really fun to build!
The Signed Jersey (PSA/DNA Certified):
The Concept
I had noticed another board member framed a jersey along with some cards, so I thought it would be cool to completely surround this jersey with other Ripken jersey cards, all of which having the same grey jersey swatch color that matches the signed jersey. In December of 2011 I officially started the design and planning for this framing project.
First I drew a preliminary sketch in AutoCAD so I could figure out exactly how many cards I would need, layout how I would want the cards oriented, and exactly how LARGE this frame would be. I estimated that I would need (36) total cards, and the frame would be a whopping 40"w x 48"h!!
Preliminary Sketch:
The Cards
Once I started purchasing the jersey cards, I discovered the 2009 Topps Legendary Letters Set that had Ripken's letters with the grey jersey color. So I figured it would be cool to have "R-I-P-K-E-N" across the top of the frame, especially since this jersey is signed on the front, so the nameplate wouldn't be visible once it's mounted. While this seemed like a cool idea, it was VERY DIFFICULT to track down all six letter cards, because these cards are only numbered to 50. This part took the longest, because I wasn't about to start ripping packs to hunt for these cards, so I had to shop around and wait until they magically appeared on the internet somewhere. I started searching for these cards in December of 2011, and I finally found the last letter I needed in July 2014!! Madness...
2009 Topps Legendary Letters with my costs:
($50.00)
($40.00)
($27.00)
($31.74)
($57.38)
($35.00)
I spent 2012 and 2013 purchasing the GREY Ripken GU jersey cards. I knew I needed 10 portrait cards, and 20 landscape cards (not including the letter cards). Since I knew this project would cost me a ton of money (more than I typically spend on myself), I tried to keep the cost of the jersey cards to a minimum. I limited myself to under $15 per jersey card, with no color patches or auto combos. Below is a list of each card I have in the frame, along with what I spent on the card. All except one of these cards were purchased on ebay or COMC:
2000 Fleer Showcase - Feel The Game ($7.07)
2000 Invincible - Game Used Gear ($7.25)
2001 Donruss Studio - Diamond collection ($8.62)
2001 EX - Behind the Numbers (10.62)
2001 Fleer - Final Cut ($7.61)
2001 Fleer Premium - Material Issue ($12.49)
2001 Fleer Tradition - Turn Back the Clock ($9.95)
2001 SP Authentic - Cooperstown Calling ($12.98)
2001 SP Game Used Edition - Authentic Fabric ($6.50)
2001 Topps Gold Label - MLB Award Ceremony Relics ($10.00)
2002 UD Piece of History - The MVP Club ($7.62)
2003 Fleer Rookies & Greats - Boyhood Idols ($10.00)
2003 Fleer Rookies & Greats - The Naturals ($5.80)
2003 Leaf - Away Jersey ($7.25)
2003 Leaf Certified - Fabric of the Game ($10.15)
2003 Topps - World Series Tribute Relic ($11.62)
2004 Donruss Timelines - Boys of Summer ($8.66)
2004 Fleer Greats of the Game - Glory of Their Time ($10.00)
2004 Leaf - Players Collection ($12.80)
2005 SP Legendary Cuts - Classic Careers ($9.99)
2005 SP Legendary Cuts - Glory Days ($7.55)
2005 SP Legendary Cuts - Legendary Lineage ($7.55)
2005 UD Reflections - Fabric Reflections ($12.95)
2006 UD Epic - Materials ($10.01)
2007 SP Legendary Cuts - Masterful Material ($5.03)
2007 UD Ultimate Collection - Star Materials ($5.82)
2008 Donruss - Threads (from PC)
2008 SP Legendary Cuts - Legendary Memorabilia ($10.25)
2008 UD Sweet Spot - Sweet Swatch Memorabilia ($6.50)
2009 UD Icons - Legendary Icons ($12.99)
The Frame
I waited to purchase any of the framing materials until I had most of the cards purchased. Obtaining the framing materials was intense, due to it's size and custom mat cuts. I have this great place I use for all of my custom mat and glass cutting, they are Cook's Art Supplies (North Canton, Ohio). I gave him all of my dimensions and my sketch, and he was able to cut everything exactly how I wanted them. Here are all of the framing materials and costs:
Frame: 40" x 48" silver metal frame, cost $120
Black Cut Mat: 40" x 48", cost $160
Orange Backer Mat: 40" x 48", cost $46
Museum Glass: 40" x 48", cost $63
Acid-Free Foam Board: cost $8
Hardboard Backer Board: 40" x 48", cost $14
Card Holders: bought (50) Pro-Mold 120pt Real Thick Card Mini-Snap Tite Holders, cost $36
The Frame Assembled by Itself:
The Final Assembly
I took the last two weeks of December off work so I could spend time with my family and catch up on projects around the house (plus my work has a use it or lose it policy on vacation days). This was the perfect time to finish this framing project!
I started with the frame laying face down on my kitchen table, carefully slid the glass into the frame, then slid in the black cut mat. What a task... you never really know how fragile a piece of 40" x 48" glass can be until you have one laying on your kitchen table! Fortunately I have zero accidents!
Then I took all (36) cards and placed them inside their snap-tite holders, and placed them where they needed to go. There is a slight rhyme and reason where I placed each card. I tried to make it as "feng shui" as possible. Once I had them all where I wanted them, I took clear packing tape and secured EACH CARD to the back of the mat so they would not shift or slide once I seal the frame. I'm glad I did this, because this will keep each card securely centered in it's own slot.
Next I took foam tape and went around every card and the main jersey opening so I could give the jersey a slight shadow box effect. It's only a 7/16" gap, which is plenty for this setup and gives it a cool effect. I mounted the jersey onto the acid-free foam board using fabric needles to keep the jersey secure and tight, It's not perfect, but it's as good as I can get it with this being my first jersey mount. I placed the PSA/DNA Certificate card into a top loader and attached it to the jersey's foam board. I wanted this displayed, and I thought this was a cool place for it.
Once I had the jersey where I wanted it, I slid in the orange backer mat and carefully pinned that to the jersey, keeping the jersey secured in place inside the frame. Then I slid in the hardboard backing to help everything tight and flat. It was a perfect snug fit inside the frame!
The total frame weighs just under 40 pounds!! I mounted it to the wall (found a stud) using two 50-pound wall hooks. Some day when I grow up and have a man cave, this will be the centerpiece. Until then it will have to settle for being mounted in my messy card room. lol
HERE IT IS!!
Thank you for reading this ridiculously long post, and thank you to those who helped me along the way with my card purchases and to my supporters/followers on the thread in the BST forum. This was an insane ride... I can't wait to show my Dad.
EDIT on March 3, 2016:
So life has happened, in a VERY good way, and I now have a second child! My son was born on February 11th!! So of course I had to make my card room into a third bedroom. I'm very happy to put my hobby aside for my family, so it's all good.
With this immense size and fragility of this frame, I had to build a wooden case so I could safely store it. Here are a few pics. It cost about $120 in material, but it was really fun to build!
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Comments
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When you include the uniqueness, planning and execution it may be number 1.
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Enjoy!
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My Top 3 favorite things here. From your dad. The R-I-P-K-E-N quest and success. Conceived, designed, built and assembled by you.
An amazing piece of a great player by a dedicated collector.
Congrats!
Jim
You worked very hard on this and it should be the focal point of your collection for years to come!
IMF
I have one question, though. I noticed you used clear packing tape. You do know it is inferior to brown packing tape, right?
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<< <i>You can't see it but I am giving your project a standing ovation. >>
+1 Amazing job.
Thanks,
David (LD_Ferg)
1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
I think the "LETTERS" Cards are the "Icing-on-the-Cake"
Thanx for sharing - the best.
Looks absolutely awesome! Amazing work!
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Al
<< <i>Very well done. Here are a couple of oddball items
This actually reminds me of something I made back in 2002. I made three of these identical frames for my Dad and my Brother for a Christmas gift. I gave my Dad #1/3 and I gave my Brother #2/3. These were also very fun to make.
I also made this for my Dad for Fathers Day several years ago. These were self-subbed so they have consecutive cert numbers. I was pretty proud of this one too!
Thank you all for your awesome words... I really appreciate it all! I never would have imagined it would have received such awesome responses. Thanks!
Best for the new year!
I'm unfamiliar with the lettering, which is so cool. Is the "JR." available? Looks like you have the perfect amount of space for it at the top.
Regardless, congratulations. Labor of love.
<< <i>Completely awesome project. There's def a premium if you ever plan to sell it.
I'm unfamiliar with the lettering, which is so cool. Is the "JR." available? Looks like you have the perfect amount of space for it at the top.
Regardless, congratulations. Labor of love. >>
Thanks! There is no "Jr." available, and he never had Jr. on his jersey anyway so I'm not too worried about it. I'll never sell this... my daughter will have to deal with it when I'm gone.
Congrats
collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.
looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started
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Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.