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HISTORY OF THE FRAMED T-SHIRT
My first marathon was the 'Orange Bowl Marathon 1981' Miami FL. I competed in
10 marathons and have been running for 25 years. My first road race was the Heart Run in Fort Lauderdale. Over
the years, went on to compete in triathlons and century rides. The Fort Lauderdale 'Tinman' was my first triathlon.
My inspiration for marathons came from watching the finishers at the 1980 Orange Bowl Marathon. I decided to grab
my camera and find out what this marathon thing was all about. Little did I realize, at the time, what an effect
it would have on the rest of my life.
Several friends took pictures of me at different locations on the course, as I ran my first marathon. That year
the marathon finished inside the Orange Bowl stadium. I remember the excitement of walking on the same 'hallowed'
ground the Miami Dolphins played on. The feeling was over whelming. Growing up, I never had the opportunity to
participate in sports. Was I finally becoming an athlete? Weeks later I created a 'photo montage' as a lasting memory of my accomplishment.
At the time I dabbled in freelance photography. I had my own darkroom, dry mounting equipment and exhibited my
work in several art shows. As with all runners, race T-shirts became a fascination with me. I began thinking 'how
can I combine all these elements into a marketable product.' Having lost my full time job to corporate down sizing,
I began to concentrate on my hobbies to support myself.
Approximately seventeen years ago the FRAMED T-SHIRT evolved from experiments with dry mounting and framing race
T-shirts. I later expanded that concept to include the race medal and race number in the composition. "If
it's worth remembering, It's worth framing" became my slogan. I designed and produced a brochure that I made
available at races. Little by little word got around. Advertising heavy in running club newsletters and in magazines
helped tremendously.
Finally, two years ago I established a webpage on the internet, and went nationwide! Customer orders arrive regularly
from all over the USA. 'It's kind of like fishing' Jim says, 'you never know what you're going to catch.' Distance
hasn't been a problem. Several clients and repeat customers in the state of Washington, about a far from Florida
as you can get, don't mind waiting five days for ground delivery.
Jim never knows what's going to arrive at his doorstep. Here are a few of some unusual challenges he's framed:
Ohio's 'Mohican Trail Run' 100 miles, included the race T-shirt, number, medal,
and belt buckle;
Big Sur International Marathon, with race T-shirt, number and clay 'fired' medal;
Santa Rosa Island Triathlon, with race T-shirt, number and 6" x 6" ceramic
tile award;
A special design for a former GFLRRC president. Nine marathon medals were mounted on a circular mat with the inaugural
Walt Disney World Marathon in the center and the 100th Boston Marathon above it;
A special design for a young gymnast that included her leotard, 4 event medals, an over all gold competition medal,
and a photo of her posing with her trophy;
Another ultra athletes quest to run marathons on each of our seven continents. They included - Antarctica, London,
Liberador, and Sahara Desert;
A request came from a down hill skier that won first place. It included his 'ski bib,' 1st place ribbon, and a
bumper sticker.
Of course the most frequent orders come from participants in the larger events
- New York City, Marine Corps, Walt Disney World and Boston marathons. Of the shorter distance events, 5K's, 10K's
etc. some of the repeat race T-shirts are from the 7-Mile Bridge Run, Peachtree Road Race, Strawberry Classic.
Non-running events include Swim Miami & Dog Dou, and Golf Florida finals - Venice. Some clients request that
a photo or certificate of completion be included or substituted.
Jim offers two sizes 'Standard' (16" x 20") and 'Marathon' (20" x 24"). Race directors will
often order framed T-shirts for top award winners and as gifts for race sponsors. What better way to promote your
event, having it framed for everyone to see where ever it is displayed. His largest single order has been for 40
standard framed T-shirts. A 'personalization window' (1" x 4") cut into the bottom of the mat is a popular
option for displaying - finish time, overall or age-group winner, or in the case of sponsors - In appreciation
of your support.
Many husbands or wives will surprise their spouses on birthdays or Christmas's by having their 'First Marathon'
race T-shirt, medal and number framed by the FRAMED T-SHIRT.
Some T-shirts that arrive are so old, the owners want them framed and preserved before they fall apart. Others
will purchase a second race T-shirt to have framed, so they still have their race T-shirt to wear - 'badge of courage'
'been there, done that.'
After an order is framed a digital photo is taken and e-mailed to the customer along with an expected arrival date
of the shipment. The photo gives Jim a permanent record of the project and may attract a new customer when the
photo is shown to friends and co-workers.
Jim works out of his home studio and basically relies on 'mail order' traffic for business. However, clients sometimes
wish to drop-off and pick-up their T-shirts and that's not been a problem.
Jim's connection with the running community runs much deeper than framing T-shirts. He is the publisher/editor
of the South Florida Running Forum newsletter. The newsletter is a joint effort of the participating running clubs
- Boca Raton Road Runners, Greater Fort Lauderdale Road Runners, South Florida Striders, Key West Southernmost
Runners and the Gold Coast Runner, in Naples. His eight-year involvement with the newsletter has also benefited
his T-shirt framing business.
For more information about T-shirt framing call 954-474-1092 or 800-401-6943. Also, e-mail at sales@FramedTShirt.com or visit www.FramedTShirt.com.
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