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Drawn
to Perfection
Baseballs by Mike Floyd Bringing Together
Art, Collectibles and Licensing
February 6, 2007
Who says reality television is worthless programming? Not Mike Floyd, the name and talent behind Baseballs by Mike Floyd. If it wasn’t for shows like Survivor and The Apprentice, he might never have started the company with his sister-in-law, Lanie Floyd.
“I was tired of watching reality TV,” jokes Floyd. “I had a baseball lying around the house and got the idea to dress it up with Washington Senators artwork. From there, I moved into more teams, and then the faces of guys in the Hall of Fame.”
“I studied commercial art and design in college,” he adds. “I work in ink, using a very small brush for the images and a pen for the lettering. I can do touch-up work in Photoshop.”
Since the summer of 2003, Floyd has created close to 400 baseballs, all one-of-a-kind pieces that sell for between $500 and $550. He’s licensed by MLB, and his plan goes beyond producing works of art. Floyd spent nearly two years looking for a printer who could reproduce his sketches on a mass scale. The result is his Limited Edition series, which he recently began marketing as collectibles. Items in the line are priced between $150 and $200.
“We went to the Sports Licensing and Entertainment Marketplace in November and got a great reception,” says Floyd. “Selling our Limited Edition at retail is goal, but it’s hard to say what the market will bear.”
One thing Floyd does know is there interest in his work from the licensed industry. Wilson has contacted him about producing a line of footballs, and Upper Deck has inquired about doing his sketches on flat objects like a pitching rubber or a home plate. Floyd is also excited about his relationship with the Hall of Fame, which will include his pieces in its catalog this spring.
“Most of my business to date has been individual orders,” says Floyd. “Babe Ruth is the top guy, but I also get requests for players like Richie Ashburn, Nolan Ryan and Gary Carter. A lot of people out there are realizing that just because something doesn’t have an autograph, it can still have great value.”
