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The Shibe Vintage Sports History Blog

Interview with Miniature Stadium Creator Steve Wolf

June 20, 2011

Last week I showed you incredible pictures of the unbelievable Shibe Park miniature created by artist Steve Wolf. Today we hear from the artist himself, as he talks about what got him interested in creating miniatures, what he used to build Shibe, and why his miniature Yankee Stadium (above) was so tough to create.

JGT: When did you first become interested in creating miniature stadiums?
STEVE: I first became interested in creating miniature stadiums in the late 1980s. After witnessing the demise of some of the great ballparks, such as Connie Mack Stadium, Forbes Field, Ebbets Field and many others it sparked my interest and along the way I have become a self proclaimed historian on the subject!

JGT: How much time does it take to create one of these stadiums?
STEVE: That is a very complex question. But the basic factors are 1. The subject matter. Which ballpark? Some are more complex than others. 2nd factor is the amount of detail desired such as lighting, type of enclosure, scale size. Typically it can take up to 2000 hours depending upon these factors.

JGT: You state on your website that Connie Mack Stadium was one of your favorite to create. Why is that?
STEVE: Well, originally Connie Mack Stadium was known as Shibe Park built by Ben Shibe the great industrialist for his Philadelphia Athletics baseball team. It was the first concrete and steel ball park built in the major leagues and under went many changes over the years. It personifies the beauty of the American Ballpark that was built in the early 20th century.

JGT: To create Connie Mack Stadium, what did you rely most heavily on? Blue prints, photos, computer printouts?
STEVE: I did not have any blueprints for this project however I did have a floor plan and many photos that were supplied to me by my client and what eve I could gather on the internet, such as photos, etc. I had to do many preliminary drawings and mock ups. This was a challenging replica to produce.

JGT: Take us through the process. What do you start by creating, what’s the hardest part to get right, what do you normally finish by doing? Do you start with the field and build around that, or do you start with the exterior?
STEVE: It is much like building a real building. You do need a floor plan. Than I have to custom scale what size the model will be. I next figure the elevation along with a seating plan. I start by creating risers and placing them into their set position. Decks, seats, railings, lights, graphics, scoreboards. Then the Field surface is created. The final touch of a model is to make sure everything is structurally sound, color correct and it has to hve the right feel when you look at it. That is where the detail work comes in. Now the very last part is the exterior which can be challenging in itself ie: arches, windows pillars, entrance gates, rotunda, etc….

JGT: What do you enjoy the most about creating these stadiums?
STEVE: Finishing them…LOL!!!

JGT: Which stadium has been the most challenging to replicate?
STEVE: The one I am currently working on now, the New Yankee Stadium. It is extremely complex with 5 decks. It is truly a beautiful structure regardless if you are a Yankee fan or not.



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Size Charts

Select your brand and style to read more about how your purchase will fit:

American Needle fitted hats | '47 Brand hats | '47 Brand apparel | Majestic apparel | Majestic jerseys | Red Jacket apparel | Junk Food apparel | Next Level apparel (Shibe Originals)

Use these tips as a general guide when finding your measurements:

 

American Needle Fitted Hats

If you do not know your size, first determine where on your head you want to wear your hat. Usually it is worn about a half-inch to an inch above the eyebrows and/or just above the ears. Have a friend hold the tape measure (cloth, plastic, or download a printable version here) at the point where you want the hat to rest on your head.  Insert the tip of your little finger between the tape and your head.  Record the measurement and find your Fitted Hat size using the chart below.  This should provide you with a comfortable fit.

 

'47 Brand Hats

 

47 Brand Adjustable Hats Size Chart Size Hat Size Circumference (cm)
Adjustable Hats Men's 6 7/8 - 7 5/8 55 - 61
Women's 6 5/8 - 7 1/4 53 - 58
Youth 6 5/8 - 7 1/8 53 - 57

 

47 Brand Fitted Hats Size Chart Size Hat Size Circumference (cm)
Fitted Hats XX Small 6 1/2 - 6 5/8 52 - 53
X Small 6 3/4 54
Small 6 7/8 - 7 55 - 56
Medium 7 - 7 1/8 56 - 57
Large 7 1/4 58
X Large 7 3/8 - 7 5/8 59 - 61
XX Large 7 5/8 - 7 3/4 61 - 62
XXX Large 7 7/8 63
XXXX Large 8 64
XXXXX Large 8 1/8 65

 

47 Brand Stretch Fit Hats Size Chart Size Hat Size Circumference (cm)
Stretch Fit Fitted Hats Youth 6 1/2 - 6 5/8 52 - 53
Small / Medium 6 7/8 - 7 55 - 56
Medium / Large 7 1/8 - 7 3/8 57 - 59
Large / X Large 7 1/2 - 7 5/8 60 - 61
One Size Fits All 7 - 7 1/2 56 - 60

 

47 Brand Knit Hats Size Chart Hat Size Circumference (cm)
Knit Hats Youth 6 1/2 - 6 3/4 52 - 54
One Size Fits All 6 7/8 - 7 1/2 55 - 60

 

'47 Brand Apparel

 

 
47 Brand Men's Size Chart S M L XL XXL
Neck 14"-14.5" 15"-15.5" 16"-16.5" 17"-17.5" 18"-18.5"
Shoulder 21" 22" 23" 24" 25"
Chest 36"-38" 39"-41" 42"-44" 45"-47" 48"-50"
Waist 28"-30" 31"-33" 34"-36" 37"-39" 40"-42"

 

47 Brand Women's Size Chart S M L XL
Size 2-4 6-8 8-10 10-12
Shoulder 14.25" 15.25" 16.25" 17.25"
Bust 32"-34" 35"-36" 37"-38" 39"-42"
Waist 26"-27" 28"-29" 30"-31" 32"-33"

 

 

Majestic apparel

Men's Sizing (measurements in inches)
  S M L XL XXL 3XL 4XL
Chest 34-36 38-40 42-44 46-48 52-52 54-56 58-60
Waist 28-30 32-34 36-38 40-42 44-46 48-50 52-54
Hip 34-36 38-40 42-44 46-48 50-52 54-56 58-60
Sleeve 32-33 33-34 34-35 35-36 36-36 1/2 36 1/2-37 37-37 1/2
Neck 14-14 1/2 15-15 1/2 16-16 1/2 17-17 1/2 18-18 1/2 19-19 1/2 20-20 1/2

 

Women's Sizing (measurements in inches)
  XS S M L XL 1X 2X
Size 0-2 4-6 8-10 12-14 16-18 16W-18W 20W-22W
Chest 32-33 34-35 36-37 38-40 41 1/2-43 1/2 43-45 47-49
Waist 24-25 26-27 28-29 30-32 33 1/2-35 1/2 36-38 39-41
Hip 34 1/2-35 1/2 36 1/2-37 1/2 38 1/2-39 1/2 40 1/2-42 1/2 44-46 46-48 49-51
Sleeve 29 1/4 30 30 3/4 31 1/2 32 32 1/2 33

 

Youth Sizing (measurements in inches)
  S M L XL XXL 3XL
Size 6-8 10-12 14-16 18-20 20 22
Chest 24-26 28-30 32-34 36-38    
Waist 21-23 25-27 29-31 33-35 37-39 40-42

 

 

 

Majestic Jerseys

Adult Men's Replica Jersey Sizing  
Jersey Size Small Medium Large X Large XX Large
Neck (diameter of neck) 6.5 6.75 7 7.25 7.5
Chest (underarm to underarm) 20 1/2 22 1/2 24 1/2 26 1/2 28 1/2
Sleeve (back of inside neck to end of middle sleeve) 8 1/2 8 3/4 9 9 1/4 9 1/2

 

Apparel Sizing Tips:

Use these tips as a general guide when finding your measurements:

Chest/Bust: With your arms at your sides, measure around the fullest part of your chest, across shoulder blades and under arms.

Waist: To measure your natural waistline, wrap the tape so it intersects your navel. Keep tape flat, but comfortably loose.

Hips: Stand with your heels together and measure the fullest part of your hips. Make sure the measuring tape is level all the way around your body.

Inseam: Stand up straight, and start the tape measure high in your crotch. Straighten the tape down the inside of your leg to the bottom of your ankle.

 

 

Red Jacket apparel

 

 

Junk Food apparel

 

Next Level apparel (Shibe Originals)

General Size Neck
(in inches)		 Chest
(in inches)		 Waist
(in inches)		 Arm
(in inches)
Small 14-14.5 34-36 28-30 31.5-32
Medium 15-15.5 38-40 32-34 32.5-33
Large 16-16.5 42-44 36-38 33.5-34
X-Large 17-17.5 46-48 40-42 34.5-35
XX-Large 18 – 18.5 50-52 44-46 35.5-36