Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.   Welcome to our latest edition of the most informative SI blog out there.   Continuing with our GOAT theme – Michael Jordan and his CGC 9.8’s.    Michael has two SI covers appearing on the list of SI Top Ten all time covers.  I know the SI top ten is subjective and still open for debate however, there is no debate that two Jordan’s make the list.  Everyone knows about the first three Jordan covers, so let’s focus this blog on the other 47.   My grouping of the next Jordan’s are his covers 1986 thru 1991 – 16 in all.  As of this writing, there are 6 – 9.8’s (not including the SOY) in this group – no cover with more than one.  If you have a 9.6, that’s really good but plan on more 9.8’s in the future.  There is nothing specifically difficult about these covers so I anticipate more 9.8’s as more mags are submitted for grading.   Something to consider here is the CGC grading process.  Over the past 10 years, the grading process has evolved in its technology, equipment, knowledge, and parameters all adding to tougher grades.  I can tell you first hand that a 9.8 today is an unblemished magazine – no exceptions.   I disagree with CGC that the grading process starts at 9.8, not 10.  A perfect magazine is a 9.8 and there has never been a higher graded magazine (out of 5-10,000).  Any defect, not matter how minute, drops the grade from 9.8.  To prove my point, there is never a grader note on a 9.8.  Why even have the higher grades 9.9 and 10?  Doesn’t make sense to me.    Thru the years, I think CGC has been tightening their parameters as they standardize each grade level.    Although every grade has a bit of subjectivity, their definition of any specific grade has become more repeatable.   In this area, CGC has dramatically improved since its early days of “magazine” grading.  As a result, many of the vintage highest grades were submitted pre-2018.   The next group of Jordan covers would include everything post 1991 – 31 mags altogether.  Jordan has been very collectible since the early 90’s and many SI collectors have saved and protected their Jordan purchases religiously so again, I anticipate a growing total of 9.8’s as more later Jordan’s are submitted.    Even given the potential increasing Jordan 9.8 population, do not underestimate the future popularity of ANY Jordan CGC 9.8.    Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.   Many thanks for your patronage.   Come grow with us.   I hope you are enjoying the reads on the history of SI, SPORT, and BASEBALL magazines as well as an insight into relevant magazine collecting. Great collecting to you in our second century of blogs and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/SPORT/BASEBALL magazines. For a complete review of previous blogs, please visit   www.sportsillustrated98.com

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.   Welcome to our latest edition of the most informative SI blog out there.   Tom Brady – TB12 – The Goat.  Most of us have at least a minimum stake in the considerable Brady following. So how will the memorabilia market adjust to the new TB12?  Will the goat continue his popularity with NFL/sports card/magazine fans or will a new career in broadcasting be less “Goatish” and dampen the enthusiasm generated/accumulated over a 20-year playing career?      In my opinion, any collector/investor not investing in the Brady paper collectibles market is missing a rare opportunity to capitalize on an undervalued, underappreciated, opportunity.   This guy is at the top of the record books in every category anyone cares about.  Sometimes all-time greats don’t have the charisma to attract and keep attracting attention but I think Brady will continue to succeed at anything in his focus and collectors are going to want this guy.  SI makes it possible to collect a chronology of his career – at least 20 issues.    The downside is the era in which his memorabilia was printed.  His stuff is relatively new (post 2000) which is somewhat of a negative but also offers plenty of opportunity for even the newest of collectors to have a bit of fun with it.        I don’t think the Brady magazine market is anywhere near it’s peak and my recommendation is a buy (the highest grades).  Let’s check back in a year to see how things have played out.    Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.   Many thanks for your patronage.   Come grow with us.   I hope you are enjoying the reads on the history of SI, SPORT, and BASEBALL magazines as well as an insight into relevant magazine collecting. Great collecting to you in our second century of blogs and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/SPORT/BASEBALL magazines.

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.   Sports Illustrated sub-sets are really cool and represent an opportunity to have something your friends don’t have.  For example – all the Jordan’s, or all the SOY’s, or all the 500-home run hitter covers, but one of the most interesting and often overlooked is the SI 1954 first year subset.  The content is a mix of nostalgia, some of the most popular issues still today, and a high series which makes collecting a full set just a little more challenging.    Issue # 1 – as it is the premier issue, most collectors want a high-grade copy.  The unique situation here is that SI saved a bunch (nobody knows how many – my guess is between 1-1000) for aftermarket sale which suppresses value a bit but leaves plenty of opportunity for hard core SI collectors to own the coup-de-gras – first issue CGC 9.8.    Issue #2 features two collector must haves – 27 printed Yankee baseball cards AND an exclusive Mantle card which does not appear in any other major card series. The top grade is 9.4 which leaves room for an eagle-eye collector.       Issue #3 features the actual first swimsuit which is later popularized in 1964 with the start of the sequential series featuring Babette March.   Get your Jones beach baby.  Another SI well-kept secret.   Commons include issues 4-14.  Interesting content for the all-round sports guy.   Issue #15 is the first high series issue – a great head shot, FC, of HOF Y A Tittle.  Top pop is 8.5 which will tell you the difficulty in finding a 9.0 or higher.  The high series issues 15 – 20 are tough in newsstand high grade.  I’d say the population is about 5-1 against the first 14 issues.   The 1954 set is a diamond in the rough.  Get the highest grade issues you can.  You wont be sorry. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.   Many thanks for your patronage.   Come grow with us.   I hope you are enjoying the reads on the history of SI, SPORT, and BASEBALL magazines as well as an insight into relevant magazine collecting. Great collecting to you in our second century of blogs and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/SPORT/BASEBALL magazines. For a complete review of previous blogs, please visit   www.sportsillustrated98.com

Sports Illustrated Blog #119 on our way to #200 – Ungraded SI’S Can Be Risky But Also Big Value

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.   Minor shift in the value of top ungraded SI’s.  A few Ebay sellers, rather than grading their high grade, vintage SI’s, are eliminating the grading risk by auctioning raw.  Why is this important? – it’s another opportunity for collectors to add real value to their collections without having to pay the value add of graded magazines.   Be careful however as it is extremely difficult to accurately evaluate a raw mag from a picture.  It doesn’t take much to drop your grade below 8.0 at which point the anticipated value may be below your standard. Also, CGC continues to evolve toward tougher grading standards which further reduces the 9.8 opportunity.   The best practice is to view the raw mag in person, if possible.   Vintage, ungraded, near mint condition mags can be turned into high value graded mags and the risk can be reduced with the proper precautions.    Whoever takes on the risk, pays less but until your mag has a grade, it is just another mag with potential.   Also note, newer ungraded mags (1990 and newer – which include the many later Jordan’s), are just commons if they grade less than CGC 9.8.    Welcome to the cost of age/volume.   Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.   Many thanks for your patronage.   Come grow with us.   I hope you are enjoying the reads on the history of SI, SPORT, and BASEBALL magazines as well as an insight into relevant magazine collecting. Great collecting to you in our second century of blogs and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/SPORT/BASEBALL magazines. For a complete review of previous blogs, please visit   www.sportsillustrated98.com

Sports Illustrated Blog #117 on our way to #200 – SportsIllustrated9.8

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.   I am SportsIllustrated9.8 (not to be confused with other eBay sites with similar names that came after me).  Eight years into guiding, updating, and advising my readers as to the fun and rewards derived from collecting newsstand SI’s, it’s time to publish the why behind company and what makes the discussions, opinions, decisions, etc., worth serious consideration.   Within every hobby, there are collectors and there are sellers.  I’m am not a collector – I am a buyer and a seller.  Every magazine I own is for sale which separates me from the vast majority of SI hobbyists.  My 116 blogs on the subject document a chronology of our developing hobby.   Many of the most highly appraised graded SI mags (and other vintage sports magazines) appearing on the CGC census have passed thru our business.  The largest hobby collectors have been seriously enriched by following my advice and buying my inventory.   Until recently, I have not individually advertised the majority of my mag inventory choosing instead to limit my postings to just the most current or popular items.  If you follow me on eBay, you will see a large number of new listings, many hitting sales publication for the first time.    For those interested, below is a quick peek as to what defines SportsIllustrated9.8 and why we make a great partner.   1. SportsIllustrated9.8 owns the largest graded sport mag inventory in the world. 2. I have purchased over 2500 graded sports mags from CGC having sold over 1000 to collectors and investors, leaving 1500 mags available for immediate sale. I am consistently adding to that inventory because I believe in what I write. 3. The largest, most successful, most highly valued graded sports mag collections in the world were initiated by or built up as a result of their business with our company.  I’d like to thank these folks for their continued support and trust. 4. For those of you interested in further enriching your collections, there are many top graded issues still available.  My graded inventory currently includes 100 CGC9.8’s (even after having sold 50-100 previously) and over 700 issues graded 9.0 or above.  5. SportsIllustrated9.8 now owns 12 different Jordan and 11 different James CGC 9.8’s which I’m assuming is tops or among the top compared to all other single collectors.  I am currently buying SI Jordan/James CGC 9.8’s at fair market for those interested in selling.  Write me at [email protected] and we can discuss. 6. SportsIllustrated9.8 has long been a trusted leader across the graded magazine community, registering over 3500 positive feedbacks without a single negative as well as attaining/maintaining the status of “Top Rated Seller” on eBay. 7. SportsIllustrated9.8 has the highest graded registry for vintage newsstand collections of Pete Rose, Jack Nicklaus, Stan Musial, Swimsuits, and 1954 complete. In addition, Mantle, Clay/Ali, Gretzky, Mays, Marciano, Jordan, James, Jabbar, DiMaggio, Chamberlain and Brady are each a major emphasis and all available for sale. 8. In addition to graded sports mags, we believe we have one of, if not, the largest raw collection of vintage, newsstand SI’s, SPORT, Ring, BASEBALL and misc. sports magazines.  If you need to fill in or add to your collection, SportsIllustrated9.8 is a great place to start.   If you want to develop a relationship with a seller of graded or raw, newsstand, sports magazines or just want to build on what you have, we believe a company like SportsIllustrated9.8 is the kind of partner you can best trust to deliver to your highest expectations.   Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.   Many thanks for your patronage.   Come grow with us.   I hope you are enjoying the reads on the history of SI, SPORT, and BASEBALL magazines as well as an insight into relevant magazine collecting. Great collecting to you in our second century of blogs and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/SPORT/BASEBALL magazines.

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.
 
We’ve all heard about our hobby’s recent record sales, but let’s take a look at just who’s doing the buying.

1.  Category 1 – Graded magazines sold above $10,000 are purchased by the whales.  These are the folks that can buy and don’t need to sell.  They are speculators.  In my experience, whales are predictably consistent in their purchases – something new, generally the highest grade, and low POP.  When a mag checks each of these boxes, the whales take over the bidding.  This is a good thing because whales are the leading indicator of the hobby’s “perception” which drives prices either up or down.  Whales are generally not interested in raw mags, second highest grades, or second tier athletes.  Whales buy and hold.  If the market goes up, they want to own the best available and sellers find themselves at a distinct advantage – negotiations are rare.

• Category 2 – Graded magazines sold between $1,000 – $9,999 are purchased by astute collectors that know today’s value and perceive tomorrow’s value will be higher.  They would like to buy at a discount so be prepared to negotiate.  In an upward, captivated market, this is the arena that attracts the most new, speculative buyers.  These are mags that have one or two minor flaws that keep them out of the “most” desirable class.  Interested stakeholders buy and sell instead of buy and hold.  This group eats tomorrow on what they sell today.  Given this tendency, negotiations are a necessary part of the deal.

• Category 3 – Raw mags and lower graded – this is where the fun begins.  This category is open to everyone but be careful, it’s also the most risky.  Raw magazines have hidden flaws that can’t be detected ahead of grading which leaves you in no-man’s land with regard to returning your purchase, if necessary.  Inversely, this is where the diamonds in the rough are found.  It’s like panning for gold – the next shovel may strike gold.

Summary – Whales only buy the perceived best.  If you have it, don’t negotiate.  Astute collectors know the values and are looking for deals.  Negotiate.  Hobby new comers are looking to join the astute collectors group as they attempt to understand the hobby.  When you enter the room, be the most knowledgeable.  Be careful.

Hope this helps in understanding the interests and motivations of the different buying groups.

We’re going and we’re growing.  Come grow with us.

I hope you are enjoying the reads on the history of SI, SPORT, and BASEBALL magazines as well as an insight into relevant magazine collecting.

Great collecting to you in our second century of blogs and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/SPORT/BASEBALL magazines.

For a complete review of previous blogs, please visit

www.sportsillustrated98.com

Sports Illustrated Blog #112 on our way to #200 – First 6-Figure Sale.  Hobby Moves Another Step Forward.

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.   The news is all over the internet, X, Instagram, Facebook,…a graded 84 SI Jordan, CGC 9.8, closed this week at $126,000, the highest public auction sale to date.  Although the entire hobby is ecstatic over these results (there were others of note), there is more to this event than just the auction price.    Yes, the auction price advances graded mag prices to a higher plateau but let’s take a deeper look at what this means.  For years, collectors have been clamoring for someone to public auction one of their monster issues but the problem has been – collectors rarely sell.  The CGC 9.8, SI, 84 Jordan represents the first top tier issue with a top tier athlete and grade to hit public auction for 6+ years or since our hobby’s humble beginnings.  This auction also was the litmus test for just how far graded mags have come since blog #1, 6+ years ago.   The biggest question mark keeping a lid over the graded mag hobby all these years has been the lack of or perceived lack of comparables.   Card guys don’t know what to make of a buy or sell without today’s comparable prices.  Now we have a foundation.  Every single future sale can be traced back to this Jordan auction.   No more speculation.  No more buyer/seller “pie in the sky” valuations.    This Jordan can now be the source for determining the fairness of all future transactions.   My estimate for the auction was $145,000, so I was a bit high but there’s room for more.  In my opinion, we should consider the 84 Jordan CGC 9.8, although a monster, not the monster of all monsters.  There is still more room for higher prices in today’s market.  In my opinion, believe or don’t, the following list of monster issues/grades ranked from 1-13 will determine the ultimate future valuation pecking order – top to bottom.   1. 56 Mantle CGC 9.8 2. 63 Clay CGC 9.8 3. 83 Jordan CGC 9.8 4. 84 Jordan CGC 9.8 (A Star is Born) 5. 81 Gretzky CGC 9.8 6. 77 Bird CGC 9.8 7. These would be ranked in the top thirteen but there is no issue graded high enough yet (must be CGC 9.8 or higher) – 59 Unitas, 60 Brown 65 Namath, 68 Rose, 67 Clemente, 60 Nicklaus, 51 BASEBALL Mantle.   There you have it.  Everything we all wanted in comparables.  BTW, I’m quite certain that this Jordan and many other high grades were acquired by means available to us all so keep the faith.    I sincerely hope you have or will acquire one of these monsters.  Best of luck.   I hope you are enjoying the reads on the history of SI, SPORT, and BASEBALL magazines as well as an insight into relevant magazine collecting. Great collecting to you in our second century of blogs and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/SPORT/BASEBALL magazines. For a complete review of previous blogs, please visit   www.sportsillustrated98.com

Sports Illustrated Blog #109 on our way to #200 – Don’t Sleep on The RING, Inc

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.   If you look closely, you will see a new publication making headway into our hobby.  Although not considered one of the big four, boxing has contributed some of the most exciting, iconic, meaningful moments in sports history and RING Magazine has been front and center for over 115 years.   Between 1960 and 1980, Muhammad Ali patrolled the square with a huge personality to match his mega talent.  “I am the greatest!” he used to brag.  “But it ain’t brag if you can do it.” His first defeat of Sonny Liston in 1964 shocked the boxing world and perhaps was one of the greatest upsets in sports history let alone boxing history.  His conscientious objector status from the military earned him a 3 year ban from the sport but upon his return, he began single handedly transforming the boxing world (see below).   In the four years between 1971 and 1975, his four fights, three with Joe Frazier including the “Thrilla in Manilla” and the “Rumble in the Jungle” with George Foreman, catapulted an entire sport into must see viewing events.  Nowhere else in sports history (with the possible exception of Arnold Palmer) has one man, or even one team, succeeded in completely transforming an entire industry from a dark, little understood syndicate with a criminal underbelly dominated by a few powerful, shady characters to a very interesting, highly competitive, informative, challenging, bright, braggadocios, storytelling, story book tale which captured an entire nation and world.   The Ali, Frazier, Foreman trilogy was captivating like no other and RING was there to tell the whole story.  The surprises, upsets, mega promoting, Cosell interviews, journeys to the top, and story book fantasies were expertly captured and kept alive thru ringside documentaries.   Who can forget the Cosell call – “Down Goes Frazier!, Down Goes Frazier!, Down Goes Frazier!”    RING Magazine offers a ton of stuff collectors really like.  The covers are esthetically captivating.  Skillfully mixing bright yellows and reds, they capture up to the moment action shots as they happened.  The story telling moves uninterrupted from one issue to the next because this publication did not interrupt the sequence of events with other sporting news.   Several years ago, I began writing about RING and its collectable virtues but wasn’t very successful in obtaining high enough grades to spark meaningful interest.  I’ve since found that RING mags from this era have not held their condition against the test of time as well as other publications.  My suspicion is that most issues were very often faithfully read from cover to cover.   However, this is not necessarily a bad thing as it tends to make higher graded issues more valuable.  As interest drives value, very high graded RING’s are popping up on the CGC census.  I’m already predicting some of these new grades will never be beat and RING’s first entry pricing is extremely investment worthy.  So don’t sleep on RING.       I hope you are enjoying the reads on the history of SI, SPORT, and RING magazines as well as an insight into relevant magazine collecting. Great collecting to you in our second century of blogs and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/SPORT magazines. For a complete review of previous blogs, please visit   www.sportsillustrated98.com

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.
 
Today we have a fun topic.  Jordan, James, Brady.  Who doesn’t love collecting these guys?  The fun in collecting these G.O.A. T’s is that they are easily attainable unlike earlier vintage stuff.  Their covers number 50, 25, and 20, respectively.  What a fun trek.

Many hobbyists have taken to complete the highest registry subset possible and they haven’t needed to break the bank to do it.  Although difficult to find, CGC 9.8’s are available and sometimes even come up for public auction.  I get charged up just thinking about owning a 9.8 in one of these icons.

This is a great time to start/continue a collection of one or all of these generational talents as they are all still relatively affordable.  I suspect, in a year or two, that won’t be the case.  And don’t be limited to Sports Illustrated.  SPORT and SLAM, with others, have solid entries in this arena and will rival SI in time, if they don’t already.

Magazines are so much more esthetic and presentational.  The stories they tell bring you back to when the events were live and you can almost taste the hotdogs and feel the same emotions you felt when you read about or experienced them firsthand, for the first time.

The question is “what are these covers worth in the highest grade?”  In my opinion, in today’s market, a Jordan, James, or Brady CGCG 9.8 common should start at roughly $1000 and go up from there depending age and/or event.  James and Brady first covers are readily available which keeps their buy price down but don’t count on that for long.  Iconic collectables tend to make huge jumps in price when they start to move.

Pricing on CGC 9.8 mag covers are constantly accelerating.  Every month you don’t sell your 9.8, its value has not just increased, it has accelerated.

I hope you are enjoying the reads on the history of SI, SPORT, and TIME magazines as well as an insight into relevant magazine collecting.

Great collecting to you in our second century of blogs and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/SPORT magazines.

For a complete review of previous blogs, please visit

www.sportsillustrated98.com

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.   By now I’m confident the entire hobby is keenly aware that an SI sold in public auction for $32,400 several weeks ago making the two highest public auctions for graded SI’s to be the 81 Gretzky CGC 9.4 ($30,000) and the 64 Koufax CGC 9.8.   This blog will focus on what we can learn as a result of the Koufax event.   In collecting vintage (pre 1980) graded magazines for fun and/or profit, your first consideration should be condition.  The hobby is excited over the Koufax event but be careful in what we learn.  It’s not about the price.  It’s about the condition.    Case in point, although the Koufax was well received, I can think of 50 vintage mag covers I would prefer having a CGC 9.8 over the Koufax.  And please don’t misinterpret what I am saying.  I am not disparaging the Koufax but its superlative condition is the major contributing factor in its sell price.  It’s a second tier cover.  If a second tier cover goes for $32,400, what would a 9.8 first tier cover be worth?  We have not seen that type of buying/selling event yet in our hobby.  For example, I predict a 9.8 68 Rose would go for more than $100,000.  Likewise, Bird, Ryan, Namath, Clemente, Maris, Brown, Nicklaus, Unitas, and many others all have that potential.  The reason for the confidence behind my prediction is that there will only be ONE!  That’s what “whale” collectors like.  In my grading experience over the past 10 years, I have seen only one vintage CGC 9.8 between the years July 1956 and December 1980.  Given there may be 2 or 3 not publically advertised, that’s not very many – few enough to extinguish any expectation of ever owning one without significant resources.   I spend a concentration of time within the vintage years of our collecting hobby.  I’d like to think I have a pretty good handle regarding ongoing vintage developments as well as overall graded status.    Here are some of my broad characterizations on the vintage era of our hobby.   1. Early SI’s (8/54 thru 6/56) are more durable and capable of withstanding time related wear issues than subsequent issues.  This includes some of the most iconic SI releases ever – Mantle, Mays, #1, #2, 1st Swimsuit, and many HOF baseball players.  I predict, in time, all of these issues will count a 9.8 among their ranks.   2. Dark Era Issues (7/56 thru 12/69) are more sensitive to time related wear issues than earlier vintage SI’s.  The CGC census of graded mags from this era supports this supposition.    The real question is “by how much is the condition adversely effected?”  In my opinion, a 9.4 or a 9.6 from this era will most likely never be beat.  I don’t expect any more 9.8’s from this group, EVER, with the exception of the occasional outlier (one per year).  Not sure what happened in the Koufax 9.8 event but a cursory inspection of the mag in the encapsulation shows imperfections that normally would have taken the grade to 9.2 or maybe 9.4.  That’s my opinion.  I’d love to hear other opinions on this.   3. Later vintage (1970 thru 1979) issues have the same sensitivity issues to wear as the dark era except to a bit lesser extent – maybe due to their younger age.  Condition expectations from this era should mirror dark era expectations except a 9.4 in this group has a slightly greater chance of being beaten than a 9.4 in the dark era group.   High grade, vintage, ungraded, newsstand SI’s are so scarce that when they come to public auction, a $10 value 5 years ago, will often eclipse $1000.   In summary, vintage, high grade, newsstand, Sports Illustrateds make hens teeth look like a commodity.  Don’t be surprised by whale-like buying when the real first tier, none higher, POP One issues hit the auction block.  I predict, in time, some of these issues will be priced equally or even HIGHER than the TOPPS 52 Mantle – YES – Millions!  More esthetics, more history, better presentation and best of all, there will be ONLY ONE!   Feel free to submit any questions/comments you may have on these subjects to [email protected] .     I hope you are enjoying the reads on the history of SI, SPORT, and TIME magazines as well as an insight into relevant magazine collecting. Great collecting to you in our second century of blogs and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/SPORT magazines. For a complete review of previous blogs, please visit   www.sportsillustrated98.com