Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.

SportsIllustrated9.8 has just received the “2019 Registry Award for Outstanding Achievement on Building the Top Ranked Set in the CGC Registry”.

Registries are an integral component of the card collecting hobby but virtually an unknown within the graded magazine hobby.  It’s time we changed that.

First, let’s define what a registry is and its relative importance to the hobby.  A registry is a set of graded items of any criteria – any items, any quantity, or any value that typically have some relationship to each other.  For ex. – all SI baseball covers pre 1980 or, all SI Sportsman of the Year issues or, the top ten home run hitter SI covers – anything of interest to you and/or other collectors.

Most hobbyists like to showcase their collections.  In many cases, considerable sums of time and money are devoted to chasing, locating, negotiating, organizing, comparing, displaying, marketing etc etc etc. one’s collection in an effort become recognized as the leader or the best or the most valuable.

One way to achieve recognition is to submit your proposed registry (all or part of your graded collection) to CGC for certification and listing.  Once your submission is confirmed and certified, CGC will add it to the appropriate category (with a title and include all submissions individually) within their overall registry list.  Currently, there are 10’s of 1000’s of registries all vying for individual recognition.

Recognition follows as registries also receive a grade and are ranked according to values assigned to the individual grades.  Each individual registry and each of its components can be viewed by any CGC society member.  If you are interested in finding out who owns certain graded items or who collects items that may be of interest to you either to buy, sell, or compare, periodically checking the registry list is a good way to develop contact information.  In this way, registries help organize the hobby and any contribution in this area is a good thing.

SportsIllustrated9.8, that’s me, won this year’s Magazine Category, for its submission of the first 25 years of the highest graded Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues.  You can locate the issues and grades achieved in the current registry list, if interested.   I will be submitting more SI registries throughout the coming year as a way to further organize and promote the hobby. 

I hope you have found this information helpful in your pursuit of all things Sports Illustrated.  If you would like to know more about CGC registries feel free to contact me with any question you might have.

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

Great collecting to you and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/TIME!

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.

For my readers interested in graded SI trends, I have much to report. 

Five days exhibiting in Chicago proved to be much of what I expected – lots of questions and starry eyed intrigue.  The “National”, as it is called by the annual attendees, consists mostly of window shoppers, curious strollers out for a day away from home, and autograph seekers.  But also, there is a dedicated group of serious buyers that come from the four corners of the USA to buy or collect anything and everything.  Don’t let the low key, good ol’ boy conversations fool you, there is some high stakes, serious money at this show and they say if you can’t find it here, it probably doesn’t exist.

Our reason for attending the show was simple – to introduce the hobby of graded magazine collecting to as many and as much of the world as possible.  Yes, if I sold something that would be nice too.   I spoke with about 100 former/current card collectors interested in finding the next new investment potential.  I answered questions mostly regarding an explanation of the hobby, added 50-100 names to my blog, and took in a few new customers too.  Here’s hoping that the 100 interested parties with which I spoke will each tell 10 friends of their encounter and we’re off to the races.

Once the world understands that collecting graded SI’s is much the same concept as collecting graded cards, there will be an urgency to buy in as early as possible.    

Investors are intrigued by is the newness of the opportunity.  I heard over and over, investors have been mired within a very stable card collecting market and there is a pent-up demand for the next big new thing.  Card prices are almost like currency.  You can count on them.    If you have a Grade 6, 52 TOPPS Mantle, it is worth x amount given within a small range.  The only variation is at the very top end of the spectrum.

Graded SI’s are something quite different.  First of all, SI is the TOPPS of magazines.  It’s one of a kind – nothing out there like it.  That’s a big plus to collector’s seeking to find any small advantage. 

Imagine, it’s the year 1979 when you could buy a 52 TOPPS Mantle, in any grade, for $100.  That’s where we are in Graded magazines.  I started grading SI’s three years ago.  I began blogging and educating on the subject two years ago.  In that time, I have bought, graded and sold the top graded, most popular SI’s known to the hobby, many at a tenth of today’s value.  That’s been the price trajectory over these two years. 

But interestingly, even with early values skyrocketing, none – not one, of my highest value sales has ever been re-auctioned.  Why is this you say?  It is because investors make money by understanding the product life cycle – knowing when to buy and when to sell – and we are definitely on the front side of “Buy and Hold”.  If you are interested in an opportunity to invest in the latest, high grade acquisitions before they are made available to the hobby, send a request to be added to my investor list.

In fact, the whole graded SI concept has become so intriguing to early investors they can’t get enough – within 24 hours of my acquiring new high grade SI inventory – it is sold.  If there is a problem, it’s that the supply continues to fall short of demand.

That is the reason I have devoted such an effort to educate the world to the hobby.  I want you, my readers, to be the first exposed to the opportunity on the front side of the curve.  If you are someone who’s been weighing that investment decision, I think the simple fact that investors are buying but NOT selling, should be received as a very positive indicator.  

So the recap of the show is:

1. SportsIllustrated98 was the first and only exhibitor devoted to graded magazines ever to attend the National.
2. 100 more interested collectors have been brought into the family, and in time, we hope each will tell 10 friends.
3. There’s still time to get in on the front end of the investment cycle.
4. I saw nothing at the show in conflict with anything I have been saying.  My opinion – the hobby interest level will be advanced in the next year at least 3-5 times the interest level today.

I hope you have found this blog consistent with my stated intentions – to educate my readers as to the evolving status of the hobby.

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

Great collecting to you and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/TIME!

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.

One the most FAQ posed by my readers is “How do I match the most collectable covers to the years of their print?”

In previous blogs, I have published such lists as “a ranking of the most popular covers”, “the rarest covers overall”, and a general pricing guide reflecting up to date pricing trends.  Matching the most collectable covers to their years of print will help a collector when he or she is confronted with an inventory sale from a certain defined era.

For example, the conversation may go something like this – Seller – “What specifically are you looking for?”  Buyer – “What years do you have?”   Seller – I have from 1954 thru 1962.”  Boom! You know exactly which collectable covers could be included.

This list is by no means final, but it’s complete enough to get you started.  You can add to it with your own preferences.  Here they are. 

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

Great collecting to you and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/TIME!

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.

Thanks for your SI interest.  It’s on to the NCSS. 

Booth # 482

It’s about time the graded magazine hobby made a splash into the National Sports Collector’s Convention Show in Chicago July 31^st week.  No exhibitor has ever fully outfitted their exhibit with graded magazines.  That tradition is coming to an end this year. 

SportsIllustrated98 will be making its first appearance at the premier sports card show of 2019 with an exciting display of hundreds of your favorite Sports Illustrated covers, many graded POP 1 none higher.

Since 1979, the NCSS has provided a platform upon which collectors from all over the world could come to buy/trade baseball, football, and every other card known to man.  If you’re a sports hobbyist and want to learn more about what’s out there – you’ll find it here.

SportsIllustrated98 – that’s me – will be booth #482.  Our space will be furnished with the coolest, most colorful, most in demand graded SI’s known to the hobby.  The one’s you’ve been asking about, your favorite player in the highest grade – all priced like the Model T – every home should have one.   One caveat – most pieces are one of a kind and their grades will never be beaten – in my opinion.   Once they’re sold – they could be gone for a very long time.  Collector’s rarely turn over the best pieces.

My goal is to expand and draw recognition to the hobby – to put a graded magazine into the hands of every collector that wants one – big and small.  There will be plenty of opportunities to make that happen.

Here is a sampling of the pieces on exhibit. 

Note:  Every cover is a complete, newsstand magazine.  That’s all you’ll find here.

1.  Hundreds of graded SI’s with a guarantee to have at least 100 “POP 1, None Higher” included.  All grades guaranteed.
2. Tons of first covers – The 2^nd highest graded 56 Mantle SI and 53 TIME, the highest 36 DiMaggio and 49 Musial (TIME), the highest Brett, Schmidt, Brady, James, Tiger, Erving, 2^nd highest Rose, 3^rd highest Jordan.
3. Hundreds of the top 100, most in demand, raw SI first cover superstars – Mantle, Mays, Clay, Rose, Aaron, Clemente, Jackson, early Swimsuits, Brown, Unitas and all the rest – every superstar SI cover you can imagine – all encapsulated to protect condition forever!  SportsIllustrated98 is the only seller that goes to this expense.
4. For the Mantle enthusiast – a really cool, triple mag set (Mantle’s 56, 57, 65 mags), all in one frame, all high grade.  Frame, High Tech Plexiglas (protects against sunlight), and mags professionally laid out and assembled specifically for this exhibit.  You’re gonna like this one.  Special orders taken on other items for framing.
5. Special orders will be taken for graded and raw magazines back at the ranch.
6. No Ebay fees, taxes, or auction premiums.  My pricing is competitive anywhere within the hobby.  Discounts will be available on multiple purchases.

Send me a note ([email protected]) to reserve an appointment to discuss your interests, put together a deal, ask a question or perhaps you’d like my advice/opinion regarding the hobby.  Sign up to receive my SI blog – the first and only on the web.

Everyone is invited – it’s going to be a blast.  Looking forward to seeing you at booth #482.

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

Great collecting to you and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/TIME!

Sports Illustrated Blog #43 – Latest Update on CGC Grading Trends – Part 2.

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.

Thanks for your SI interest.  The scoop we all want to know.  What is CGC up to these days regarding magazines?

Quick recap from blog #42.

1. Pre-1980 SI grades of 9.0, 9.2, or 9.4 are very secure in their grading rank. 
2. Magazines seem to have a condition factor after 40 years.
3. The next pre-1980 9.8 with star magnitude (Mays, Williams, Gretzky, Aaron, Secretariat) sold publically will top $50,000 in sell price.
4. CGC grades are the driving force behind the hobby growth momentum.

I’m going to offer some downright opinion here regarding CGC as a grader and what you should expect as a gradee.  As a customer of over 1000 graded SI’s, I have had the opportunity to become as familiar as possible with CGC’s customer group, their grading focus, and most importantly their grading philosophy. 

CGC is a very secretive group.   They only address selective questions with generic answers.  My favorite is “our lead times are only estimates” – as if after the 1000^th phone call I didn’t know that. 

Here is my opinion on CGC’s grading philosophy as it relates to pre-1980 high grade issues.

1. All magazines are graded equally without consideration for age.  That is why high grade older mags are so scarce.  No consideration is given to age.
2. No downgrade is given for the existence of a mailing label.  It’s just a different category.
3. If a mag has been gently read or even opened, it rarely will exceed a 9.0 grade.  The reason for this is spine stress.  With just the minimum of handling, little white stress lines begin to form on the binding.  It’s the kiss death for a wanna be high grade issue.  So if you’re looking for a 9.2 or 9.4 – there can be NO binding stress which translates to “never have been opened”. 
4. Don’t restore your mag – they’ll find it.
5. Finger bends – a common downgrade if the mag has been opened.  This one is hard to spot unless you are looking for it and most collectors just ignore the possibility because they don’t really understand it.  When you kink the magazine with one hand during handling, it leaves a mark on the cover.   Again, nothing over 9.0 with finger bends.
6. Most common major downgrade – bumped corners.  The most difficult quality downgrade to avoid is bumped corners.  It happens when quantities of magazines are stored in a box.  Over time, the box is moved, shuffled, kicked etc etc, and the corners get bumped.  Happens in the best of situations – including shipping.  Nothing over an 8.0 with a bumped corner.
7. Other major downgrades – stains, water marks, writing, restoration, cut pages, rusty staples, loose staples, loose pages, bends, and creases.  Any of these downgrades will result in a grade of 8.0 or lower even if everything else is high grade.
8. There are also levels within each downgrade – major, medium and light.  Any major or medium, drops you below 7.0.

These opinions are mostly meant for collectors, not sellers.  Competing in the graded magazine market is not for the faint of heart.  You’ll likely acquire 49 graded mags for every one you sell.  And it is not about the price.  You can’t drop the price to garner interest.  Collectors buy when they’re interested and don’t when they’re not.  Not much you can say or do to change that.

The more informed you are, the better purchases you will make.  If you’re like me, it just feels great to have made an informed purchase.  It’s really what we’re all competing to do.  He who possesses the most information, wins.

Here’s a current price guide you can use for reference.

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

Great collecting to you and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/TIME!

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.

Thanks for your SI interest.  The scoop we all want to know.  What is CGC up to these days regarding magazines?

Is CGC, the most recognized comic and magazine grading company, its evolution, and its every trend/advancement important to our hobby? Perhaps I can best answer that question with a question – would you rather have a 1952 Mantle Topps Card Mint 10 or a near mint 9.5? 

Whether you’re interested in dollars or just bragging rights, we collectors “live and die” with our grades.

Just five short years ago, SI issues were collected by the cover, not by whether there was a mailing label, label removed, creased, stained, torn etc etc.  But one thing is absolutely certain in collectables, the best always rises to the top, in demand and value. 

Condition is the absolute driving force and momentum behind every collecting medium and magazines are no exception.

Hence, is the training and thought process behind every CGC grading criteria important?   Is every current event/trend at CGC important?   You bet your collection they are.

Magazine grading think ology is moving thru an evolution as unmistakable as the growth of the hobby.  Referring only to SI’s, there are probably about 10 pre-1980 CGC 9.8’s in existence today (excluding the #1 issue).  There are currently none listed on ebay or for sale at any of the auction houses which means the rest are in private collections and not being sold publically.  To my knowledge, the last pre-1980 CGC 9.8 sold in auction (again excluding the #1 issue) was two years ago at Heritage.  It was a 1955 Williams which sold for approximately $6000, an absolute steal in today’s market.  

I predict that the next publically sold pre-1980 CGC 9.8 SI with similar star magnitude, will sell in excess of $50,000.  In 1980, if I would have said that in our lifetime certain Topps cards would be selling for $millions, would you have believed me?

Here are a couple of current trends of interest coming out of CGC regarding high grades (9.8, 9.6), pre-1980, since 2017. 

1. With the exception of the number #1 issue, there has not been a single grade above 9.4.  Not some, but all high grades on the census have come during or before 2017.  That is a trend.
2. There has never been a 9.9 or 10.0 grade issued by CGC, across ALL magazines, EVER.  So I believe it’s a safe conclusion to assume any 9.8 will be the highest grade for that issue forever – until trends change.  That is a trend.
3. If you are lucky enough to find, receive or own a 9.0, 9.2, or 9.4 CGC grade, it will be the very unlikely exception that your grade will ever be beaten.  That is a trend.

As we search the internet, trade with collectors, or even walk the isles of the NSCC (National Sports Card Convention) in July, in pursuit of the very best magazine grades, don’t shadow the crowd that believes a CGC 9.0, 9.2 or a 9.4 is not and will not be the best ever.  This is not baseball cards we’re talking about here, it’s magazines.  Fact, pre-1980 magazines have had a much more difficult time surviving than their counterpart in cards.

Think about it.  A newsstand SI is purchased in 1965.  In order to maintain a 9.0 status or above, it must be brought home without protection, stored in a box without being read, survive numerous moves, restoring, shuffling, bumping, box deterioration, humidity and handling all over a 50 year period.  If it survives all that, it must then be located in the box, pulled for perusal, handled for photographs, autographs, and reselling before eventually finding its way into a protective package.

That all this could happen without damage is more than a long shot – in fact, it happens so infrequently that the scarcity of high grade SI’s is the hobby’s biggest asset and worst liability.

In my next blog, I’ll have more to say about CGC’s actual grading process and what I believe to be their grading intentions as they absolutely drive the hobby momentum.

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

Great collecting to you and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/TIME!

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.

Thanks for your SI interest.  We’re Growing!

In the past three years since our hobby began organizing, the hobby has grown from tens of Sports Illustrated graded to 1000’s.  What does this mean to the hobby?  How do I stay ahead of the hobby curve?

I remember collecting baseball cards in the 70’s and 80’s and it was always the challenge to secure a high grade rookie card of almost any player – just as long as it was a first card.  As a result, super star rookie card pricing became prohibitive for most of us, so we turned to the next best thing – second, third, fourth, and subsequent player cards.  As this movement evolved, these cards were more available, fun to collect and beat the market for value gains.  I remember collecting all years and prints of George Brett and Mike Schmidt cards until I had a full notebook.  Still have them.

Initially, these second issue star cards were very affordable – pennies each – until they became limited and you guessed it, prices rose again.  That’s kind of where we are now in SI magazines.  Subsequent SI covers are following their first cover lead.  For example, a third SI cover CGC 9.6 1984 Jordan just auctioned for $8000, a CGC 8.5 (same cover) also gaveled at $1300.  These are prices scoffed at two years ago but suddenly they’re becoming the norm. 

Like anything else, we have a choice.  We can take a wait and see approach and watch the hobby evolve like we have seen in first covers over the past two years, or we can seek out and buy second covers with the knowledge that their day is on the horizon.

In my opinion, there are a number of second, third and fourth covers, which will become very popular and very hard to find once the hobby comes to the realization first covers are a bit expensive.  

Here is a short list of subsequent covers I would suggest checking out.

Jordan, Mantle, Mays, Palmer, Nicklaus, Starr, Bird, Johnson, Rose, Ali, Brett, Schmidt, Williams, Gretzky, Jackson, Aaron, Namath, Montana, Elway, Marino, and probably 20-30 more.

Buy those second covers now at pennies on the dollar, then watch the market move just like it did with base

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 my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.

Hello again.  I feel I should apologize.  I try to update the hobby twice per month and it’s been almost two months since my last SI update.  It is important to me to make clear to my readers that I practice what I preach.  I have recently purchased several SI collections in addition to working with individual collectors that are now concentrating on filling in their collections.  They all want the highest grade possible.  But never doubt, I am still “all in” buying high grade SI’s and TIME magazines.

If you are a collector of anything, especially SI or TIME magazines, as the hobby becomes more knowledgeable relative to value, it’s easy to get discouraged by the lack of new material that seems to come available.  Sometimes it might feel like “all the good stuff is gone”.  I’m here to tell you that “all the good stuff” is never gone. 

Value is everywhere.  Try expanding your collection.  Buy with your brain – not your heart.  There are “diamonds in the rough” everywhere – even in the most unexpected places.  Try changing your approach from searching for what is not available to finding the value in what is available.  You may be losing opportunity if you expect to double your investment in the short term.  Perhaps there is long term value on the table right in front of you.

Collecting is fun and can be monetarily profitable as well as personally rewarding as long as you remain alert and vigilant to what’s going on around you.  Magazine collecting is still in its infancy.  You are still in control of this hobby!

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

Great collecting to you and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/TIME!

Sports Illustrated Blog #35 – Ungraded Newsstand – the Latest in New Buying Opportunities

Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.

This week’s blog is especially important as I’m going to outline some new buying strategies that will help even the most modest buyer and casual collector in keeping up with the SI movement.  It’s been two years since I started blogging on the merits of buying, collecting and investing in graded Sports Illustrated.  Over that period, I’ve heard from many readers and without exception, their reaction has been positive no matter their level of participation – buying, collecting, or investing in SI’s, especially graded, has proved to be an exciting and rewarding journey.

I’m not saying that all my predictions fit the interests and risk factor for each and every reader, but what I am saying is that if you jumped in two years ago, you’re glad you did. 

The downside for some is that graded mags, especially high grade stars and dark era copies, continue to increase in purchase cost measured by months, not years – and may have become prohibitive for many in the hobby.

What if I started late or if I’d like to begin collecting SI’s, TIME, and Newsweek now, what buying opportunities are still available to me that make sense and also fit my budget?  The pricing on graded mags can be prohibitive for the casual collector so how do I get started?  Is it too late?

No it’s not too late!  First let me share a story, my story, on my Sports Illustrated collection evolution.  I think many of you will identify.  My first subscription began in 1965 and continued uninterrupted thru the mid 80’s.  Years later, by absolute luck, I found my earliest issues stored and protected, neatly in my parents basement.  Almost every issue intact and preserved – unlike my baseball cards, my Mom didn’t throw them away! 

I thought these issues would really be worth something as they got older.  Between the mid 80’s and 2000, I tried to add to my collection by finding and buying older issues, especially with baseball players on the covers.  Pre-internet, it was difficult.   2000 thru 2010, removing labels became popular and I realized my label issues could never compete with these nice, label removed issues.  Unfortunately, my early retirement dreams were dashed as soon as I saw the first label removed covers.  So I participated in removing and selling label removed issues for a while but something wasn’t right – it wasn’t pure.  As a result, I started buying newsstand issues when I could find them and afford them. 

This is when it all started to make sense.  The real collectors would always want newsstand issues over label removed.  Shortly thereafter, I graded my first 1963 Cassius Clay – 9.6 – still the highest graded, POP 1, and perhaps the most valuable of all graded SI’s today.  Soon after I sold my first graded issue, I relieved my entire collection of labelled and label removed issues, and I have never bought anything but newsstand since.

Why relate this story?  Two reasons – 1.  I know there are a lot of avid SI readers that saved their labelled subscriptions only to find out that they are not rare or even hard to find.  And 2.  Collecting newsstand issues is can be fun, affordable and profitable.

If you are interested in jumping into or re-directing your collecting interests, it’s not too late.  I have begun selling a series of encapsulated – not graded, and raw SI issues, all newsstand, all high quality, and all affordable – none over $200.   Each is meant specifically for those collectors who want to fill in their collections with the hardest, most popular covers known to the hobby in newsstand copy.   And because they are newsstand, they are the standard of excellence within the hobby and you will sleep well at night knowing you have positioned your collection for long term success.

Available in this collection are many high grade newsstand issues including the first covers of popular but difficult stars such as Mantle, Clay, Mays, Orr, Aaron, Clemente, Williams, Gretzky, Jordan, and at least 50 more.  I don’t collect commons, so I don’t sell commons.  These are the ones you want.  No fillers. 

Part of my blog routine is giving advice and here it is.  There is an urgency for those interested in taking advantage of this opportunity.  These issues are selling right now and I’m predicting they WILL sell out fast so don’t be a watcher, pull the trigger or be sorry. 

See for yourself.  Below are a few examples. 

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

Great collecting to you and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/TIME!