RaptorQuiz Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 I just wanted to share something with all my fellow baseball fans here. When I was in college at Truman State University (in Missouri), a fellow student started a little "side project" where he made a replica United States flag using parts of discarded jerseys and baseballs. They got pretty popular around campus. Eventually he started his own company, producing original pieces of artwork, or lithographs of them, if someone wanted to purchase one without spending "extra" money. They are pretty amazing, in my opinion. He also has keychains, bracelets, and artwork with the Texas flag. ...And more! If you're interested in learning more, or even purchasing any of his artwork, visit his website: http://www.baseballseamsco.com/ I am not affiliated with him in any way, and I will get NO benefit from this. I am not trying to "advertise" at all. I just really appreciate this art he created, and I wanted to share it with others who might like it as well. Thanks for reading. EDIT: If anyone has any comments, I'd love to hear them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hory Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 cool, What are the stars on the flag made from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaptorQuiz Posted March 30, 2007 Author Share Posted March 30, 2007 That is the "used" jersey. A blue jersey - the stars are the white background showing through the holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medric822 Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Kinda cool looking. Once, I was realy bored and sick, so I was watching that extreme home makeover show, and they did one wall of a kids room with gutted footballs, and it made me wonder how it would look if it were baseballs. But I dont want to end up spending about $75 for baseball wallpaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaptorQuiz Posted March 30, 2007 Author Share Posted March 30, 2007 I don't want to spend the time doing all that either! I can't remember exactly how long it takes to make one of these flags, but I think it was a pretty long time. I know it takes 3 balls to make one flag. EDIT: Takes about an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaptorQuiz Posted March 30, 2007 Author Share Posted March 30, 2007 In case anyone is interested... I found the link to the PDF of the original article in our college's student newspaper... LINK: http://index.truman.edu/PDF/2003-2004/Sept...11/Page%209.pdf Here is the text from it: Rags to Flags Graduate student Nathan Rueckert’s artistic flags, inspired by his love of baseball, have turned into a flourishing business with the help of campus resources. Maggie Wolcott (Staff Reporter) Three tattered baseballs and a piece of a jersey were all it took to show Nathan Rueckert’s love for America’s favorite pastime. Rueckert, a graduate student in the accounting program and a former Truman baseball player, created his first baseball flag nearly two years ago. His artwork created such a powerful image that he decided to start his own business, the Baseball Seams Company, in October 2001. Rueckert’s company has since taken off, and his artwork is sold at Busch Stadium in his hometown of St. Louis. Baseball fans, from President George W. Bush to the late Jack Buck, have received Rueckert’s artwork as gifts. “I have no idea where President Bush has it hanging, but the joke around my house is we are going to be watching the president’s Oval Office speech [on television], and it will be hanging in the background,†Rueckert said. Rueckert said he got the idea to create the baseball flags shortly after Sept. 11 because of the large display of American flags. He saw a baseball seam bracelet and thought of making a wavy flag from cut up baseballs. He cut up three baseballs and a baseball jersey, showed it to his friends and was encouraged to market the artwork. “One of the questions I get a lot is, ‘How did I know how to start a business?’†Rueckert said. “I didn’t; it was stressful at first.†He went to the Small Business Development Center in Violette Hall to find out how to begin. Glen Giboney, director of the center, said a lot of the students come to the Center with different ideas but are not ready to go into business. “It is not because they don’t have the knowledge and ability; it is money,†Giboney said. “Nate was lucky. He had something there that didn’t require a big up-front investment, and he could do it on a part-time basis.†Giboney said the center helps people solve problems, find the information they need and predict the competitors they might have. He said in Rueckert’s case, there were no businesses that he knew of that had a similar product. “I saw that, and I said there has got to be a market for it,†Giboney said. The Center was able to help him with the technical parts of starting a business, like getting a sales license. Rueckert then got his artwork copyrighted and created a Web site, www.baseballseamsco.com , to sell his work. “It is a good experience because I’m actually applying stuff I learn from the classroom in a real life setting, and I’m still in school doing it,†Rueckert said. Rueckert set goals for himself when he started his company and already has met the first. He wanted to get his artwork into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame’s gift shop, which happened within the first year. His next goal is to get his artwork into sporting goods stores and all the Major League Baseball stadiums. Rueckert said he has found a lot of meaning in a Michael Jordan quote, “I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something, but I can’t accept not trying.†For Rueckert, failure has been evaded by following his plans through to the fullest. “I had a dream of doing this, and I pursued it,†Rueckert said. “If I didn’t pursue this, I would never have known how far it could go.†When Rueckert first started selling his artwork, he sold each piece for $25. The high demand has led to the transformation of more than 1,000 baseballs to make about 350 flags, which are now selling for $100 each. Rueckert said it takes him about an hour to produce one of his flags. Rueckert uses only old baseballs and obtains them from high school coaches and athletic associations. By paying them for their used baseballs, it allows them to buy new ones. “It is kind of like recycling,†Rueckert said. “Making a worthwhile product out of nothing.†With the success of his artwork, Rueckert now sells T-shirts and prints of his artwork. The T-shirts debuted Flag Day, June 14, 2002, at Busch Stadium. Rueckert said he attended the game that day to see how they were selling. When he walked into the gift shop, the first thing he saw was the manager trying to find the extra supplies because they were selling fast. “It was really cool walking in and seeing it was the focal point of everyone’s attention,†Rueckert said. Currently, Rueckert’s company is still a one-man operation. He does everything from cutting up baseballs to financial statements and taxes. Rueckert said the only real obstacle he has encountered is balancing school and business. He said doing taxes and studying for finals made for many late nights last spring. Rueckert said he has more dreams he would like to pursue with his company. Opening a store in St. Louis Union Station to sell his artwork, along with other baseball artwork, is among those ideas. He also would like to go to the College World Series and Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game to sell his work. Senior Aaron Mueller, a friend of Rueckert’s, said the company has a lot of potential. “It has already grown from artwork to prints to T-shirts,†Mueller said. “It is creative, and it will probably keep growing.†For now, Rueckert said he is focusing on finishing school. Before the end of the year, he will have to decide whether to continue with his company or accept a job offered to him by Ernst & Young’s St. Louis accounting office. Rueckert said he is leaning toward working with his business. “Most of the country hasn’t even seen this yet,†Rueckert said. “I would like to see where it goes and ride it as far as it will take me.†Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
59FIFTY Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 I don't know why people give 100+ $ for some seams and a torn jersey??? You can do it yourself for waaay less;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaptorQuiz Posted March 30, 2007 Author Share Posted March 30, 2007 I have this condition... a condition called lazy. lol. Not to mention, not sure if I could make it look as good. Or where I'd actually get the used blue jersey. I have the used baseballs... but not the jersey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medric822 Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Yeah, RQ is so lazy, he spells lazyness- lazy, lol, jk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroEric Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 That's better than spelling laziness "lazyness". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaptorQuiz Posted March 30, 2007 Author Share Posted March 30, 2007 lol, Eric. Also, I forgot to mention - YES, the originals are $100+, BUT, the lithographs are like $20. That's what I have, myself. I bought a matted lithograph, and got my own frame at Walmart. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaptorQuiz Posted March 31, 2007 Author Share Posted March 31, 2007 I wonder if he'd do any custom work of any kind. I wonder what other kind of stuff might even be possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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