Seeking Tips: Baseball Card Collages
 

I've decided to start a back burner project I've thought about for 2-3 years. I'm an artistic guy, I can draw better than many, I do wood furniture restoration, etc., so I've decided to try a baseball card collage. For others on this site who have tried one, what are some tips and pointers you would share? What type of glue did you use? What's the best scissors? Did you use an Xacto knife? How many layers of cards? Did you put some sort of finish over the top? How many hours did it take?

All suggestions and anecdotal evidence would be appreciated.

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Got some tips and pointers off of Twitter. Talked to Ben Caraher. Going to see how it all comes together. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...90826cf397.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5a49501f67.jpg

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Day 1 of arranging pieces. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e2b585882d.jpg

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Very cool
Good luck with it

Love to see the progress pictures

+1 best of luck getting the style of look you want and please keep us updated with pics as you go.

end of weekend updatehttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b0f6e1d0db.jpg

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Coming along very nicely. What size is it?

Size is 16x20 inches

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Day 4 update. The yellow roof section took 2 hours. I didn't have any of the pieces cut, and that took roughly an hour... it would have been less but I cut up the whole card rather than just cut out the YANKEES. Total hours involved so far equals 14.

My wife suggested I use the Yankees team name for the roof section, and I thought that was a solid idea. I think it turned out well.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f0690296a2.jpg

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Veterans Day update. I'm at 20 hours between drawing, cutting, and adhering. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...703b7c1886.jpg

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Nice progress. Are you only using 1990 Topps to do this?

yes. I don't think I'll need to use anything else. 90 Topps is such a colorful pallette; it lacks yellow, so I bought 100+ checklists from a member here. I'm thinking of doing the orange Wheaties next. I will have plenty of cards leftover from this. maybe not blue though.

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Cool, are you putting any special to you cards in it? I have never made one but have gladly paid to have several made. On my T206 Red Cobb I had the artist use a lot of 1990 Donruss Wade Boggs cards for the red background. I am a huge Boggs fan. I also had a few 89 Fleer Bill Ripken cards put in my 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken F Face piece.

no, I'm not that sentimental about it. There is a quote I'm using as inspiration: "Make it new," from poet Ezra Pound. I thought about making this an exact replica, but then I'd be disappointed when I couldn't accomplish that. So this way, each day I'm pleasantly surprised and proud of myself!

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25 hour update. Not sure I'll be gluing anymore this weekend. I am cutting out brown, bats, navy, and black. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...08ff8d400e.jpg

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38 hr update. I did a lot of cutting this week. The pants did not take 13 hours to complete. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...367a1e50aa.jpg

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It is coming along very nicely. I don't think I have seen one done with card strips like that before.

Thank you. I looked at a few examples, and some I didn't like because the pieces were too big and clunky. So I decided smaller and thinner would be the way to go.

41.5 hour update.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8da9f45f06.jpg

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Very nice!

Wish I had the time to do something like this, right after the time for the countless number of other things that I can't to find the time to do. :mad:

3 to 4 more year until retirement when I hope to start shortening that list. :)

The Devil's in the details. This bottom section with his name is taking forever! I think that took me 6 hours. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0361b3d32d.jpg

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thank you. my job description changed this year: more pay and less requirements. This is only a one year trial though at work, so next year might be a different story. I'm a teacher, and my new position doesn't include homework - that's how come I've now got free time when I come home.

Retirement is still three decades away for me!

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Looks great.

Are you trying to make it smooth with only one single layer of cards? For example the ones I have would have a solid layer of yellow cards with the Gehrig and Yankees on top of it. Making it two layers thick there.

yes, it's all flat in a single layer. the grass and sky went pretty quickly using the long strips. but the name portion is small strips that still take the same time to cut and place.

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56 hour update! The name box had so many small pieces! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8a1ebb0883.jpg

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Looking very nice. Do you plan on framing it?

Yes, I will frame it. The couple people I got help from said they modpodge it at the end. I can't imagine keeping it clean without a frame. Dust would stick to it.

62 hour update. I found it hard to get free time over Xmas holiday to work on it. So now that I'm back to work I'll have more disposable time.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...13f212fca0.jpg

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Wow, you are getting close! It looks good!

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Eclipsed 70 hourshttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1263f7966d.jpg

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That is coming along great. It is amazing for your first time doing one.

thank you. I think I was fortunate that he had no facial details I need to replicate. otherwise I'm certain I would be a tortured soul.

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79 hours and 90% complete. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...50d7c6e403.jpg

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Here is the final product. I'm currently at 84 hours. I need to seal it with mod podge, so that will likely add an hour of work time. It'll get framed around the beginning of March. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8638f41213.jpg

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Tim,

That is fantastic, great job! Loved following along with your progress on this project from the start. You should be darn proud!

thank you. I figured posting about it here would help me have a stick-to-it attitude.

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Incredible work of art!

I really love the detail, especially the 1990 Topps background.

That is amazing. I really like how you made it flat instead of having it vary greatly in thickness.

My wife said it looked professional instead of the ones I have that look like a 3rd grade art project.

Have any plans for another and if so of what/who?

You really "made it new"!

Looks amazing! Huge congrats!!!

That really looks great. Well done!

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Thank you all for the kind words.

I have chosen a new project, Ben, thanks for asking. 1991 Bowman will be the main set I work with. I colored the underlying mat because on my Gehrig the white would show through the blue sky and it bothered me. So hopefully this will blend better. Right now I'm in the process of cutting cards. Might be able to start on the face next week. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...a37a763044.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6189e98946.jpg

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Nice second choice Tim, looking forward to seeing it.

Good luck with the trademark/red stamp in the BL corner...YIKES! lol

It won't be as bad as it looks. The larger outer circle will be pre-cut. The smaller letters I will either pre-cut with an Xacto knife, or use the pinstriping from 1990 Topps. The pinstriping is very versatile! Getting the white to fit inside the letters is a little frustrating, but not difficult. You just keep cutting smaller until it fits.

In my photo of KGJ, the yellow edge is what I call pinstriping. It's very thin and allows me to make some fine detail easier than it appears. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...125932ff1e.jpg

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This is 15 hours of work. I pre-cut a bunch of cards, so most of the time so far is with that. Face is hard, but I think it's going to turn out okay. I didn't have much of a face on the Gehrig.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...98b0c50c7c.jpg

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WOW! Super start Tim, can't wait to see the finished product. Great job.

24.5 hour update. The three random cards are going to be part of the border. My mother also told me the face is too dark, so at some point I will need to replace some pieces to make it lighter. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...75a3baf46c.jpg

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Or . . . you could tell her to take her sunglasses off!


Or . . . you could go with "artistic impression."


Or . . . tell her that it would nice if JUST ONCE she cold support her child's endeavors!


Seriously though, looking good, and cool idea to include cards in the border.

That is coming along very nicely. Before changing anything I would finish the whole area and then see if you like it or not. The 51 Bowman Willie Mays I had done had the opposite problem. His face was too light for me. All it took was the artist replacing 2 or 3 pieces and I was more than happy with the result.

good to know! thanks for sharing.

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I think I agree with her. Specifically the left cheek and the wrinkles around the right eye.

Thanks for the kind words.

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Had to take a break from Babe Ruth to work on Barry Larkin. Larkin is signing in June, and I want him to sign it. This is currently at 39 hours of work.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...992c46766e.jpg

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