We met Julia Sherman, of Bashor’s Team Athletics store based in Portland, Oregon at a National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) meeting. We know that many sporting goods stores offer the service of heat printing and after chatting, we found out that Bashor’s has been offering the service of heat printing to its customers since the 1970’s. Here’s their story:
Portland might have a reputation as a hipster, creative town with a quirky appeal, but there’s at least one good old-fashioned sporting goods store that Portlandians like just the way it is. In fact, you won’t find many stores anywhere that have as long a history as Bashor’s. The store has been serving the Portland public since 1944 and it’s been owned by the same family since 1960. “My grandfather purchased the store in 1960, he ran it, then my dad ran it, and now I run it, says Julia Sherman, Bashor’s President.
Naturally the store has evolved over the years in its scope of products and services to remain relevant and fresh. In April 2016, the store moved to an expanded new location just off the interstate, with easy access, more retail space and off street parking. “We really wanted to serve our customers better and we were able to do that with 3000 square feet of retail space, almost 3500 square feet of production space, and 5500 square feet of warehouse space,” explains Julia. But one thing that hasn’t changed at Bashor’s is the fact that they offer custom number, lettering and logo services. And most often, those custom jerseys are created with a heat press that has also been around for quite a few decades.
Julia remembers that they inherited the heat press from Oregon Athletics, and the press dates back to the 1970’s. Julia grew up running the press, printing custom uniforms for generations of local athletes and their fans. They also offer the service of screen printing. “But when we have smaller runs or more complex artwork,” continues Julia, who runs the team sales and design departments, “or we have to turn the order around quickly, heat printing is the best solution.” She explains that screen printed orders can have up to a two-week turn time and heat printed orders can be done much faster.
Julia spent her teenage years working with their heat press and says she has seen it all when it comes to heat printing. “If there was a way to mess up a shirt, I’ve done it,” she says with a laugh. But I’ve also learned from many years of experience. I know that heat printing is the way to go in so many instances.
This includes the demand for full color logos, which she sees growing in popularity with every season. “If someone comes in with a multi-color logo, we usually explain that digital printing is the best option.” Bashor’s uses CAD-Printz full color transfers and also relies on Stahls’ for custom-cutting of player names and numbers when it’s too busy to cut them all in-house.
Bashor’s specializes in baseball and softball but you will find the equipment and supplies you need for just about any sport. “We don’t do any type of advertising, everything is word-of-mouth,” confides Julia. “We’re part of the community and we are proud that we are known for our customer service and our product knowledge.” Bashor’s ability to provide fast-turnaround custom jerseys has most-likely played a role in building their reputation, thanks to the reliable old heat press in the back room that has been a part of the landscape ever since Julia can remember.
“Our heat press is old, but it gets the job done,” insists Julia. And like a family-owned sporting goods store that has served Portland since 1944, it’s just nice to know that some things never change.
We wish Bashor’s continued success in serving the community of Portland. Thanks for sharing your story Julia.