OT - Jersey Framing
Good morning friends. I’m hoping I can get some advice from the faithful to help me with this. I’ve got an autographed Tom Brady jersey that I’ve had for years and recently added a Michael Jordan jersey and Tiger Woods red polo (thus completing my GOATs collection which has been my goal for like 10 years).
I don’t have any experience framing these type of things. My question is to those of you that have experience framing jerseys: what’s the best type of frame and glass to get for this? Do you recommend some type of UV resistant glass to help with fading of the signatures? Those of you that have had this done, do you recommend framing them myself or getting it professionally done?
Any help is appreciated. In closing, here’s hoping the offense can carry the team this year because I’m more than a little concerned with the defense. And as always, Go Blue!
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:17 PM ^
Just need a Michael Phelps speedo and you’ll be all set!
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:28 PM ^
I think I’d prefer his swim cap instead of his speedo, not that there’s anything wrong with that lol.
So your username is tennis_labeef and you’re recommending a swimmer before Club Fed, Nadal, or Sampras polos? To dust off an old chestnut, username does not check out.
Lol good point. I was going more for the Michigan connection with Phelps, but now you have me rethinking my life choices
....you mean a Kate Upton bikini.
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:20 PM ^
In Soviet Russia, jersey frames you!
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:30 PM ^
Where do you live. I got a Cecil Fielder jersey framed 15 yrs ago at DC Sports. They have a store in Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights. It was $185.00 15 yrs ago, so I'm sure it's more today. Go to any sports memorabilia store near you, they should be able to help you out. Let the pro's do it.
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:37 PM ^
I really appreciate the info! I’m in south Orange County, California. So I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to the Sterling Heights location. I called a local framing place and they basically said it starts around $300 and that seemed a bit high for the low end frame/glass. But I’ve never done this before so I could be totally wrong.
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:59 PM ^
I have 4 Michigan framed signed jerseys (for those interested Harbaugh, Woodson, Desmond, Brady). Be prepared to pay a shit ton for framing. 300 sounds super cheap. With the GOATs you have, go big on framing. And definitely make sure the glass is UV resistant. That's a cool collection you have.
EDIT: I had mine framed at a highish end framing store here in Sioux Falls, but my dad has had a few done at sports memorabilia stores and they do a great job (and are significantly cheaper).
I appreciate the advice. Thanks, I’ve spent a good amount on the jerseys themselves so I want to make sure I do the right thing to protect the signatures.
I sure as hell can’t afford a down payment on a house here in Orange County anytime soon, so this collection at least checks one box off on my life goals list. My wife and I have a combined $110,000 saved over the last 5 years and are still 2-3 years from being able to come close to 20% down payment on a home...but that’s a much different and more depressing conversation lol.
Don’t put that much down. Keep your hard earned cash for home upgrades, landscaping, things that increase the home value. That can help eliminate PMI. There’s websites galore that discuss this 20% “myth.”
I have always put down 5-10% on a house and made sure I had no problem paying the mortgage regardless of whether it was 5% down or 20% down (basically don't buy more than you can comfortable afford) and made upgrades to the house/property to increase equity/appraisal value.
If you had a picture that size with a nice frame it would cost you that much, so yeah, a jersey is an investment. I have buddy that didn't want to spend the money to get it done right, so he did t himself, and we laugh everytime we are over his house. He doesn't care though, he just says, "The jersey hasn't lost any value".
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:35 PM ^
Diva LeBron will most likely be calling you...My advice is not to answer.
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:35 PM ^
With the signature, I think the biggest thing is to avoid placing it in direct sunlight. Artificial light doesn't seem to cause too much fading, at least from what I've seen.
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:36 PM ^
I thought this post was going to be about the Axe™ Body Spray ? plaque contested between Rutgers and Staee...
You sure it's a plaque? Thought it was an empty box of Natty Light Ice and couch embers.
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:37 PM ^
Interesting how you framed your OP and I don't know how to frame an answer here, sorry and good luck!
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:39 PM ^
Make sure you have polarized or UV protected glass in the frame. I learned this the hard way. I have and autographed 1997 Scott Dreisbach jersey, signed by the entire 1997 team. I had it hanging in my office where the sunlight could hit it. Gradually the signatures now look like a bunch of ink blobs. Something I didn't notice until I decided to move it to my basement.
It still looks cool in the frame, but has zero value.
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:49 PM ^
Damn, that’s brutal and definitely what I’m looking to avoid. I will never be able to afford a second version of any of these so I need to protect them as best I can. Thanks for the info!
I think you just answered you own question! Spend the money up front to do it right, even if that means you have to do one at a time over a few months to fit it in the budget.
Also, don't sleep on a Michaels's craft store - I've had many an item framed there, including a jersey, and they've always done a great job for about 20% less than a local shop. About once a Q they typically have a really good sale/deal on framing - I suggest hitting the website and signing up for their email list or whatever.
3rd generation glass man here. Laminated safety glass (with vinyl interlayer), just like the windshield in your car blocks 99% of UV light. Cheaper than museum glass. Typically 1/4” thick.
This type of response is why I posted here. Thank you! So if I go to a local framer they would likely have the laminated safety glass as an option?
Not likely that they would have it in stock, but any glass co. would have sheets that they could cut to size for you.
3rd generation ass man here.
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:48 PM ^
I personally like the look of a jersey in a shadow box, over the look similar to a framed picture.
I think the depth and 'non-flatness' a shadow box gives you is a better look.
IMHO...
yea, i'd go to a local framer. for a set of three items with exceptional value, i wouldn't scrimp on this.
FWIW I've gotten a few pieces of artwork framed at local shops for roughly $400-500, so i'd expect something in a similar range for each of these.
I live outside of Detroit and have three framed signed jerseys (Brady, Woodson, Howard) that were professionally done. Cost ~$300 per frame. Mine are not exposed to sunlight, so went the non-UV route. There's definitely skill involved, the framer has each jersey positioned identically so the margins are the same in each frame, there are no wrinkles/creases in the jerseys, and the tacks used to hold the jersey in place are not visible. Given what your jerseys are worth, I'd suck it up and pay to have it done professionally and know it's right.
What Mort said. Add include the UV glass.
Believe it or not, many JoAnn Fabrics have a frame center and they're really good at it. They also run regular coupons that really take the bite out of the price.
I haven't had them do a jersey before, but I have had them do some very fragile, family heirloom type stuffs and they crushed it.
Good luck. Pretty sweet collection!
What kind of cost, roughly?
The coupons can be 40-50% off bringing pretty big projects into the $200-300s.
It's still pricey, but the final cost on the delicate heirloom was pretty impressive. And it's bigger than a jersey frame.
Put it this way, when I have something to frame, I don't price-check. I go straight to JoAnn.
If you are into woodworking or have a friend who is, a DIY frame or shadowbox would be pretty cool.
Whatever you do, definitely follow the advice of others in getting UV-filtering glass to protect the ink and fabric dye from fading. Then again, if it's in a basement, not as big of an issue.
You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on a custom frame. There are perfectly decent $100 frames on Amazon or elsewhere, but custom would certainly be nicer. If this is your one piece of memorabilia, custom may be nice. If you are starting a collection, then you have to balance the ongoing cost of framing with aesthetics/quality.
I have a sports room and on the walls are autographed Bears jerseys. I bought the more expensive wood frames off Fanatics and did it myself. It wasn't hard and they're protected. Looks very clean as well.
Someone come buy my Jim Harbaugh framed helmet and jersey. Expecting a third baby need to clean out the man cave.
Haha! I have the signed jersey and helmet as well. Was super happy with them till around November of 2018. At least he will always be a great Michigan player (hopefully we will still be able to say coach at some point lol).
He signed them for me at a satellite camp in Tennessee. He was super friendly, time to sell them to someone else. The last two years have been tough for us, still like the guy but honeymoon was over a long time ago.
While not "mandatory" like UV-protection, anti-glare coating is nice too, unless you are 100% sure you will always display in completely indirect light.
Yay. Something I can contribute to. I own a picture framing store and also run a chain of stores in the US and Canada. I'm not going to slam anybody else but I'd recommend going to a local mom and pop near you that has good reviews and that you feel comfortable with when dealing face to face. There are some good big box stores out there but in reality you're not always dealing with the most highly educated frame department employee. We hired 2 from Joanns over the years to work for us and we had to tear down and then build back up their knowledge. Your typical employee gets 6 hours of training and then it's OJT from there on our.
Any good local mom and pop will be price competitively with any big box and will give you a tremendous value compared to a diy box from amazon. You should opt for conservation mounting of the jersey (ask about attach-ez mounting as an reasonably price yet safe method). At a minimum choose Tru Vue Conservation Clear glass. Do not go with a non-glare or a conservation reflection control because your jersey needs to be set back in the frame and those glasses will blur the view the further away the item gets from the glazing.
Average cost in our system for a jersey is about $389 for an approximate 30 x 38 sized frame. It can go up from there. Many shops offer specials in the $299 range where you can choose some upgrades. This is a good deal for the most part.
Must haves -
1. Removable without any damage
2. UV protectant glass (frame shops won't carry safety glass but should have 99% UV filtering glazing options)
3. All acid free materials (mounting boards, etc)
4. Don't cheap out. You'll regret it most of the time in the long run, if not the short.
PM me for a recommendation in your area as I deal with vendors and stores across the US and we have 2 locations of our system in OC that I could recommend if you'd like.
Hell yeah, this is what I’m talkin about! I’d love recommendations since you’re in the industry. If you run one of the stores near me in OC I’d gladly give the money to a fellow Michigan fan. Out of curiosity, how would one PM someone on mgoblog? I assume it’s every bit as easy as editing an OP...
Hmm. Yeah. I forgot where I was for a minute. You can email me here by removing the spaces and replacing the ! with @. Given the size of the area one of my guys may not be terribly close but I'll point you towards a quality option either way.
kje22kje ! yahoo.com
April 23rd, 2021 at 10:49 AM ^
Thanks, I sent you an email. I really appreciate your insight.
being framed was a really bad experience for me.... I'd rather not go back there