Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.   Early collector decisions have a huge impact on your long-term collection value.  I have chosen this subject as it seems there is a growing interest in labeled, label removed, and otherwise restored magazines.  By “interest”, I mean, more buy and sell auctions are creeping/leaping into our everyday purview and I want my readers to make the best long-term decisions possible.    The longer you go into the future, the more your early buying decisions have time to magnify – either great, good, or not so good.   If you’re like me, early on in your collection endeavors you paid less attention to mag condition than you did cover athlete.    Mistake.   As time passed, you noticed that those that paid more up front (newsstand, high condition for ex.), were realizing more, sometimes exponentially more, on the back.      One lesson I had to learn from not buying the best – the slow pace of my increasing equity.    I also noticed that there was not a shortage of “buyers of the best” – you only need one! And Negotiations are short when you own the best.   I subscribe to my own philosophy so, when you buy from sportsillustrated98.com, and I am only stating fact here, you are assured of receiving quality/value for the price and I stand behind everything I sell.  Approaching 4000 positive feedbacks on Ebay, no negatives.  Proud of that!  I don’t deal or sell in label removed/labeled magazines – PERIOD. As this is an opinion blog, I want to be clear that I am in total agreement with all kinds of collecting avenues – including those that I have mentioned above.  My choice of business endeavor however, is to deal in the best conditions/grades I can, not for me but for you.  When you are happy, I succeed.    So, at some point in your collecting evolution, you will have to make a decision – can I afford a bit more for the best, or should I settle for something – almost.  My advice is to always do your homework and go for the most you can afford.   My Ebay handle is “sportsillustrated9.8”, not to be confused with other similar tags.  If you’re interested in one or more of my ebay auctions and you would like to purchase, email me at wylliejohn@yahoo.com to save on taxes, fees, and shipping.   Thanks for your loyal following.  My readers always receive “first among equals” pricing/service.   Many thanks for your continued support and patronage. On the web – Sportsillustrated98.com   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.   Full Disclosure – Ken Goldin’s video showcasing two CGC 8.5’s – Mantle and Jordan SI first covers – are my pieces.  These auctions are not important because they represent some of the higher grades ever auctioned in these issues, but because they represent a turning of the page.   For eight years, I have been in the business of acquiring and selling the highest graded SI’s out there.  At the same time, I have encouraged owners of high grade SI’s to sell one or more of their top-grade SI’s in an effort to establish a market and an interest in sharing an opportunity to own the best.  Not one, repeat, not one, was willing to sell even one of their best stuff.   So it has come to this – although I don’t own the very best of the best, I have chosen to move the hobby forward by offering two highly sought after graded mags in a grade you rarely see come to auction.  See Ken Goldin’s video.   As higher grades come to auction, more potential stakeholders will take notice and, in my opinion, that’s how this hobby will grow and in turn your investment.   These are the mags that in one or two or five or twenty years from now, you will be saying, “I could have made a shit-ton of money if I’d have had the balls”.  I highly endorse investing in Jordan and Mantle first covers.  There’s plenty of history out there to substantiate this opinion.   My Ebay handle is “sportsillustrated9.8”, not to be confused with other similar tags.  If you’re interested in one or more of my ebay auctions and you would like to purchase, email me at wylliejohn@yahoo.com to save on taxes, fees, and shipping.   Thanks for your loyal following.  My readers always receive “first among equals” pricing/service.   Many thanks for your continued support and patronage. On the web – Sportsillustrated98.com   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 # 145 on Our Way to 200 – Ken Goldin Likes My Mantle-Jordan Combo

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.   Full Disclosure – Ken Goldin’s video showcasing two CGC 8.5’s – Mantle and Jordan SI first covers – are my pieces.  These auctions are not important because they represent some of the higher grades ever auctioned in these issues, but because they represent a turning of the page.   For eight years, I have been in the business of acquiring and selling the highest graded SI’s out there.  At the same time, I have encouraged owners of high grade SI’s to sell one or more of their top-grade SI’s in an effort to establish a market and an interest in sharing an opportunity to own the best.  Not one, repeat, not one, was willing to sell even one of their best stuff.   So it has come to this – although I don’t own the very best of the best, I have chosen to move the hobby forward by offering two highly sought after graded mags in a grade you rarely see come to auction.  See Ken Goldin’s video.   As higher grades come to auction, more potential stakeholders will take notice and, in my opinion, that’s how this hobby will grow and in turn your investment.   These are the mags that in one or two or five or twenty years from now, you will be saying, “I could have made a shit-ton of money if I’d have had the balls”.  I highly endorse investing in Jordan and Mantle first covers.  There’s plenty of history out there to substantiate this opinion.   My Ebay handle is “sportsillustrated9.8”, not to be confused with other similar tags.  If you’re interested in one or more of my ebay auctions and you would like to purchase, email me at wylliejohn@yahoo.com to save on taxes, fees, and shipping.   Thanks for your loyal following.  My readers always receive “first among equals” pricing/service.   Many thanks for your continued support and patronage. On the web – Sportsillustrated98.com   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 # 143 on Our Way to 200 – New on Ebay – Two Mag Auctions!  All Newsstand/Graded.

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.   In an effort to bring more vintage and current graded magazines to the public, I am now offering “two mag auctions” – all newsstand, all graded – specifically discounted just for this promotion.  And it’s not one time, it’s forever til they are sold.   One thing I thought would be original and unique would be to pair stars, especially vintage stars, with other peers having something in common.  It’s kind of a twofer.    If you want a Mantle, get a Maris too.  1954’s.  Swimsuits.  Clay and Ali.  Brady first cover with subsequent, Snider/Rosen, Unitas/Unitas, Orr/Orr, Rose/Rose and over 200 more options.   No one on the internet has the graded inventory or the inclination to bring such an opportunity public.  Remember, the one thing that sets me apart from other online sellers, is that I’m only a seller, not a collector.  None of my mags have any emotional attachment which translates to better pricing for you.   My Ebay handle is “sportsillustrated9.8”, not to be confused with other similar tags.  If you’re interested in one or more auctions and you would like to purchase, email me at wylliejohn@yahoo.com to save on taxes, fees, and shipping.   Thanks for your loyal following.  My readers always receive “first among equals” pricing/service. Many thanks for your continued support and patronage. On the web – Sportsillustrated98.com   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 # 141 on Our Way to 200 – Beware of early CGC grades

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.   Last time, I wrote about the potential evolution of CGC’s grading standards for magazines going forward.  Today, we’re going to turn the tables a bit.  This week’s topic takes a look back to the grading parameters CGC established 8 years ago and compare them to today’s standards. Approximately 8 years ago, very early in the magazine grading evolution, I submitted a Clay 1963 SI to CGC for grading and the grade came back 9.6.  At the time, I was happy with the grade but had no idea of its significance.  Over the next few years, this 9.6 Clay would become one of the most coveted of all graded sports magazines in existence.    But is it really?  Let’s take a closer look.   Below, I have attached a picture of the front cover of that very magazine.  Let’s compare the grade and condition of this mag with condition and grades of today. Things I notice about the front cover condition: Front Cover – binding – multiple stress lines which break color Front cover – right elbow – shelf abrasion Front cover – right elbow – Errant red splotch Front cover – bottom left – significant crease runs 6” across left side, bottom Front cover – right bottom edge/bottom right edge – chatter marks Front cover – miscellaneous finger bends through out. I have submitted over 3000 magazines for grading and although grading is somewhat subjective, I feel I’m a pretty fair judge of raw magazine potential grades. In my opinion, this magazine is a 6.0-6.5 at best, within today’s grading standards.  Yet we drool all over what I consider to be a modern imposter.  The real proof would be to crack open the encapsulation and have it regraded, but of course, that is not going to happen. The moral of this story is – before you invest 6-7 figures in these “Mt. Rushmore” classics, check the grading date, inspect the item personally, and consider the inevitable market the response to your findings.  I don’t want any of my readers to be misled by the older grading process. 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 # 140 on Our Way to 200 – CGC – Please Be Consistent

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.   Consistency in grading is absolutely essential – essential to the future of the hobby as well as to every stakeholder/hobby enthusiast.  Sellers, buyers, and graded hobby magazine collectors base their buying/investment decisions on the guarantee provided by the standard of the industry, CGC grading company.  The assumption of every graded magazine stakeholder is that there is, and always will be, a consistency in grading parameters, throughout all options regardless of era.  I am devoting this blog to one of the most, if not the most, important element of any collectable market – consistent, trusted product grading.    As we are awaiting the entry of a new magazine grading company, I’m concerned the result will be an additional grading standard and new grading interpretations, sowing confusion between the two entities.   After 30,000 graded SI magazines without a 9.9 or 10.0 grade, CGC has recently opened its standards so that these grades are now fairly common.  I will bet they would not admit to any change in grading standards but a 30,000-magazine sample is enough to establish, with relative certainty, that barring the extreme exception, a 9.9 or a 10.0 was previously impossible.  But now, not so much.   No one knows what changes the new competition will bring but, at a minimum, there will be a new grading number system.   How will a CGC 9.8 compare to PSA 10.0?  How will the value of 10’s of thousands of CGC graded slabs be affected by the possible perceived grading differences between grading companies?   I don’t have the answers to these questions but, I hope the grading companies are reading this blog (they’re on the distribution).  We depend on their dedication to the collectibles markets to maintain a consistent standard no matter who, no matter what, and no matter when.  This responsibility is the backbone and conscience of the entire industry.  We are thrilled with the competition and hope two grading companies prove way better than one.   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 # 139 on Our Way to 200 – SI Jordan’s are a Definite BUY.

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 think it’s important to establish an update on the status of the Jordan SI CGC grading populations.  The reason to keep things in real time is to insure you have the most updated information possible when making buying/selling decisions.  Jordan SI’s are some of the most coveted mags in the hobby, but they are also some of the most volatile with regard to price. Below I have included a spreadsheet (See my Facebook page for spreadsheet) which illustrates the year and SI volume number, the title, the CGC census to date and the grade/POP of the next grade and POP.    Use this spreadsheet for reference but remember that it changes daily and without notice. Given the historical patterns of collectibles buyers, anything Jordan will increase, especially the highest graded items.  But the good news is, Jordan stuff is still reasonably priced even though it is in the highest demand.   I am a big Jordan endorser and recommend a BUY on all reasonably priced issues – SI, SPORT and definitely Street & Smith, because in my opinion, they are still way undervalued.  This is one of those hobby events that makes a whole lot of sense, in my opinion. Thanks for your continued support in making our hobby the next big event.   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.   I have an interesting conundrum.  I don’t like selling on the $10 auctions but I love buying on the $10 auctions. As this is an informational blog regarding graded magazines, and in trying how best to serve interested stakeholders, let’s address the “buying” part of the $10 opportunity.  Goldin has dipped their toe in the graded mag collectable market and one of their options is the $10 weekly auction.  As a seller, I quickly became disenchanted with this option because sale prices were not up to my expectations.  But with every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  These $10 auctions have introduced great pricing even on med-grade mags.  As a result, I’ve been buying mid-grade, newsstand, star cover SI’s, many times for under $100, and always below $200.  In my opinion, although not rain-makers, these are steals.  I’m going to keep buying these auctions until the market wises up and I suggest if this fits your profile, you do the same.  Check out Goldin’s weekly auctions.  It’s fun because it’s always active meaning there’s always something for sale and it seems there’s always a bargain. Thanks for your continued support in making our hobby the next big event.   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

As previously reported, the collector dynamics exhibited by the many vintage SPORT Magazine issues from the 50’s thru the 90’s, seem to be really catching on.  This week, Goldin Auctions hammered a 1954 Duke Snider for $736.  Snider slugged 4 home runs in two consecutive world series, which to that date had never been accomplished.

More of these awesome SPORT first covers are slated to hit for March and April at Heritage/Goldin auctions, as the graded mag hobby continues to expand.  First covers of Ryan, Ripken, Brett, Montana, Gretzky, Ewing are among the first to drop.  These will be followed by Mantle, Mays, Maris, Aaron and too many more to mention.  Don’t sleep on SPORT!!! 

For years, I have been touting the investment potential of graded sports magazines.  It seems like a recurrent theme that keeps delivering.  Just like SI was the investment of choice 5 years ago, the hobby is evolving.  SPORT, BASEBALL, Street and Smith, and more are slowly finding their way into the mag collecting mainstream.  “Slowly” is the key word.  A few astute collector/investors have already begun buying and stashing away these off-broadway, star studded, first cover issues armed with the knowledge that history repeats itself. 

Sports Illustrated is a well-known commodity, no doubt.  But, as I so often do here in my blogs, I’m predicting, as the market expands, other pubs will emerge as “go to” issues.  And more good news, you can buy the future, now, at very bargain pricing if you follow the Goldin weekly $10 starting price auctions.  I’ve found crazy deals at this early stage of the evolutionary process.  Here’s a few examples of what’s coming….

Thanks for your continued support in making our hobby the next big event.

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 # 136 on Our Way to 200 – Cover Esthetics of SPORT Magazine in the 1980’s.

WOOOW!  SPORT Magazine cover esthetics in the 1980’s.  In January 1981, publication duties were passed from MVP Sports, Inc, the SPORT publication company of the 70’s, to Sports Media Publications thru the 80’s.  Why is this important?  For those of us that pay attention to cover esthetics, color, professional photography, and print placement, Sports Media publications ushered in a new era of sports magazine presentation.  It’s almost as if they knew that 40 years later, they would still be competing against the best sports magazine covers in the world.    “The shelf appeal of our covers will take on an upgraded importance with regard to the most critical elements of our magazine sales.”  And boy did it! In this undertaking, it certainly didn’t hurt that between the years of 1981 thru 1989, the sporting world gave them great material.  Marino, Elway, Montana, Rice, Kelly, Gretzky, Jordan, Bird, Magic, etc., etc., etc., – just too many to mention.  The color dynamics, action photos, and sporting world relevance took on a new energy in that the color, clarity and emotion, at times jumps right off the cover and into your imagination – very much in competition to the King – Sports Illustrated.    I felt it was important to make this correlation for my readers as SI gets it’s deserving “top of the heap” credit, it should be recognized that SPORT and perhaps other pubs matched and even exceeded SI in its cover presentation during certain periods of issuance.    Make no mistake – I am a Sports Illustrated junky.  But when you’re researching stuff with an open mind, greatness tends to reveal itself and we need to be paying attention.    Thanks for your continued support in making our hobby the next big event in the paper collecting hobby.   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