Sports memorabilia, beyond the jersey
Sports memorabilia that is not flat, like a signed ball, a bat, a helmet or boxing gloves, goes into a custom display case built around it: deep enough that nothing touches the glazing, held in a way that can be undone, never glued. We design each one at our Costa Mesa counter with the piece in front of us.
What sports memorabilia can be framed besides a jersey?
Signed balls, bats, helmets, boxing gloves, a race suit, and the tickets that go with them. A few of the pieces from our shop:
- A signed ball, a bat or a helmet. We create custom display cases for signed balls, bats, helmets and other sports memorabilia. Medi shows two baseballs in one of the memorabilia reels on our Instagram.
- A pair of boxing gloves. A shadow box deep enough that the glass never touches them, with a photograph, a ticket or a program from the day in the same frame.
- A race suit. One went into a tall black shadow box, mounted at full length.
- Tickets and programs. Framed on their own, or beside a jersey or a pair of gloves: our computerized mat cutter cuts several openings, shapes and lettering into one mat.
“They not only do a stellar job, they have creative ideas when you are framing something unique,” Jenny Y. of Huntington Beach wrote on Yelp in December 2023. If what you are holding is not on this list, that is not an answer: bring it in.
How is a signed ball, bat or helmet held in a case?
It is supported in a way that can be undone, and never glued, because gluing memorabilia down can permanently alter it. The mounting is chosen for the object, and the case is built deep enough that nothing touches the glazing. The depth is decided with the piece on the counter, for the same reason a jersey has to come in: a photograph cannot tell you how thick it is.
A case does not have to hang on a wall. On FOX 11 for Veterans Day, Medi showed a World War Two army cap standing in a table-top shadow box, and a 1902 officer’s sword held in its case by magnets, so it lifts out and goes back in. How a piece is held, and how it will hang or stand, is decided with it on the counter.
How do you keep an autograph from fading?
With the glazing, and with distance. Daylight fades ink slowly and unevenly, so a signed piece goes behind UV-protective or museum-quality glazing chosen with you for the piece, and the case keeps the signature off the glass so nothing rubs it.
For a signature, the question that matters most is what the glazing does about light. Regular clear glass keeps dust and fingers off the piece; UV-protective and museum-quality glazing are there to slow the fading that daylight causes. For a piece you could never replace, ask for museum-quality glazing, and we will hold the options against it at the counter.
What does it cost to frame sports memorabilia?
Every piece is quoted in person, at the counter, once we have seen it, and there is no published price list. The price follows the size and depth of the case, the moulding, the glazing, the mat and layout, and how the object is mounted. A three-dimensional object generally costs more to frame than a flat print, because it needs a deeper box and more work to mount.
Nothing is made in advance: every frame we make is individually crafted by hand in our Costa Mesa warehouse, for the piece it holds. Our jersey page sets out what moves the price of a jersey frame, row by row.
What should you ask any framer about a jersey or a signed piece?
Ask about the build, whoever frames it. We can only speak for our own counter, so these are the questions we would put to a big-box store, an online framer or a shop like ours:
- Will the glazing touch the piece? Fabric pressed against glass marks, and the mark does not come out.
- Is it glued down, or mounted so it can be undone?
- Are the mats and the backing acid-free?
- Which glazing does the quote include: clear, UV-protective or museum-quality?
- Can I hold the samples against my piece before anything is cut?
Here, the box is built deep enough that nothing touches the glazing, the mounting can be undone, the store is completely acid-free, mats included, the glazing is chosen with you, and the samples are held against the piece itself. Our guide to comparing framers goes through each question.
Is framed memorabilia a good Christmas gift for a fan?
Often, yes, because the best framed gift is usually something the family already has. Several pieces can share one box, like a pair of gloves with the ticket and a photograph from the day, and there are more ideas in holiday gifts worth framing.
For a gift, bring what you can tell us about the person and the room it is going to, and if it is a surprise, tell us that too. December 15 is our last drop-off date for orders to be completed before Christmas. Everything is specially ordered and cut to size, so bring it in as early as you can and tell us the date when we design it with you.
Bring the piece to the counter at 1671 Placentia Avenue, Costa Mesa, Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm or Saturday 9am to 1pm, no appointment needed: an in-person design consultation is required for framing 3-D objects. Call us at (949) 791-8780 during shop hours, or tell us about the piece with the quote form.
