Sports Illustrated Blog #20 – August National Sports Collector’s Convention Signers – Cleveland

 

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 are planning to attend the NSC Convention this year, August 1-5 in Cleveland, it’s not too early to start thinking about getting those coveted autographs.  There are over 80 signers already committed and that total is sure to grow as we near the show date.  With so many of our favorite athletes attending, this is a great opportunity (in a number of cases likely your last opportunity) to have your treasured piece signed, commemorated, personalized (only in certain circumstances), dedicated with achievements/records and unconditionally authenticated.

Although there are those that prefer pure, raw, original condition magazines, I strongly contend that there is a significant audience for signed magazines, especially hard to find, high grade SI and TIME covers.  I have personally seen signed, authenticated covers outperform their unsigned equivalent in select instances.  Remember, on high grade or graded copies, there is always the risk of handling degradation before, during and after the signing process so be careful.  For what it’s worth, I will be taking that risk this year in Cleveland.

Don’t you be disappointed after spending the significant signing fee for a signature on a printed photo that is exactly the same as everyone else.  Be original – bring a high grade SI or TIME rookie cover to have autographed.  You’ll be very glad you did.

Below I have posted a coded list of committed signers for this year in Cleveland.  Bold print means I have a very high grade or the highest CGC grade of this rookie SI or TIME cover.  Italics print means I have a high grade (ungraded) newsstand rookie copy for sale. I have multiples of quite a few covers, all newsstand, all rookie appearances, all copies worth a signature.  Not all my magazines are listed on eBay, so if you see a player of interest and can’t find an auction, just email me and I’ll send you pictures and prices.

Also below, I’ve included some samples of the many 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s SI mag covers available from my eBay store so you can visually inspect the ones of interest.  Again, just let me know if you need more info.

2018 National Signers
Alomar	Rice, Jim	Lambert
Bench	Ripkin	Lilly
Boggs	Rodriguez, Ivan	Reed, Andre
Carew	Rose, Pete	Russell, Andy
Carlton	Santiago	Sanders, Barry
Clemens	Smith, Ozzie	Shell, Donnie
Cordova	Sutter	Smith, Bruce
Dawson, Andre	Trammell	Smith, Troy
Eckersley	Winfield	Taylor, Jason
Evans, Dwight	Yount	Taylor, L.T.
Gibson, Bob	Anderson, Ken	Theismann
Gossage	Bettis	Thomas, T
Grace	Bleier	Wagner, Mike,
Henderson, Ricky	Brazile	White, Charles
Jackson, Reggie	Butkus	White, Randy
Jefferies	Campbell	Youngblood, Jack
Johnson, Randy	George, Eddie	Berenger, T
Kaline, Al	Greene, Joe	Benson, Corbin
Kluber, Cory	Greise, Bob	Eden, Barbara
La Russa	Griffin	Tyson
Lynn, Fred	Ham	Gilmore
Morris, Jack	Harris Franco	Laettner
Murry	Kelly	Bourque
Perry, Gaylord	Kosar	Craig, Jim
Raines	Kramer	Esposito

 

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.

Sports Illustrated Blog #19 – Sports Illustrated’s First Graded Price Guide.

Today is a big day in SI collecting.   With this blog, I am introducing the first CGC SI graded price guide.   Every collectable had to start somewhere, from cards, to comics, to raw magazines and now to graded magazines.  The first caveat I will make is yes, I know, I’m a seller of graded magazines which is a conflict.  My answer to that is who better than me.  I have firsthand knowledge of the selling points of most of the higher valued items in the list.  I know where most of the 9.8’s, 9.6’s, and 9.4’s are because, for the most part, I bought the raw magazine, had them graded and sold them personally.  And finally, in an effort to back up what I print, I am definitely interested in listening to any (wholesale) offer of the retail selling price listed in my guide.

Let’s also treat this list as a guide, a beginning – something to build on.  In my pursuit of High Grade Newsstand SI’s, I often sense the indecision and sometimes fear that a seller experiences when they have no guide by which to base their selling price.  With this guide, the seller will at least be informed as to what I have experienced.  He/She will have a starting point on which to base negotiations.  Valuing graded collectables is much easier than non-graded simply because the grade itself (assigned by a recognized grader – CGC) is a form of value.  In the same way that we recognize a dollar bill to have a value, so do we recognize 9.8, 9.6, or 9.4.

First glance at some of the guide values will surprise some readers so I sent a preliminary version of this guide to several of my SI buyer contacts to gain a perspective from their angle.  Without exception, each contact expressed a form of excitement regarding where the hobby was headed, recent auction results and universal support for the guide itself and the content.

Evolving guide prices will be always be driven by cover popularity and the difficulty in finding a high grade newsstand SI.  I hope this effort will result in more magazines being graded so the census numbers grow and in turn become more statically valid.  Small and large collectors and investors will experience firsthand the probability of finding vintage (pre-1980) magazines above the grade of CGC 7.0 not to mention CGC 9.0!  And we all will begin to better understand the price points on the highest of CGC graded issues.

I predict that some SI issues will never achieve a 9.8 while others will top the charts in multiple cases.  I am the largest purchaser of CGC graded SI’s and have never received a 9.9 or 10.0 which gives you some idea of your chances for one of these grades.  It seems these grades have been reserved only for comics.

Note that I have included a value designation of “Open” in a number of places.  I have chosen to use this designation because no magazine of this grade has ever been transacted and the price will be determined at the first auction.  Also, top grade values are tougher to predict because when multiple bidders are vying for the highest grade item with a POP 1, no one knows the summit.

So here you have it.  Feel free to write me with any questions or opinions.  Any experiences you have had are openly welcomed as well.

Ranking – Top 100 Hardest to Find Sports Illustrated Issues
Rank	Year	Newsstand Cover	CGC Grade 9.8	CGC Grade 9.6	CGC Grade 9.4	CGC Grade 9.2	CGC Grade 9.0	CGC Grade 8.0	CGC Grade 7.0
1	1961	Roger Maris	Open	Open	Open	Open	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000
2	1956	Mickey Mantle (all pages)	Open	$25,000	$10,000	$7,500	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000
3	1959	Johnny Unitas	Open	Open	Open	Open	$5,000	$3,000	$1,500
4	1967	Roberto Clemente	Open	Open	Open	Open	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000
5	1969	Reggie Jackson	Open	Open	Open	Open	$5,000	$2,000	$1,000
6	1961	Fran Tarkenton	Open	Open	$5,000	$2,500	$1,500	$1,000	$500
7	1968	Pete Rose	Open	Open	$5,000	$3,000	$2,000	$1,000	$500
8	1969	Hank Aaron	Open	Open	Open	Open	$10,000	$2,000	$1,000
9	1963	Cassuis Clay	Open	$25,000	$10,000	$5,000	$2,500	$1,500	$1,000
10	1960	Jim Brown	Open	Open	Open	Open	$5,000	$3,000	$1,500
11	1962	Mickey Mantle	Open	Open	Open	Open	$2,500	$1,000	$500
12	1961	Bart Starr	Open	Open	Open	Open	$5,000	$2,000	$1,000
13	1955	Ted Williams	$15,000	$7,500	$5,000	$2,500	$1,500	$1,000	$500
14	1964	Swimsuit	Open	Open	$5,000	$2,500	$2,000	$1,000	$500
15	1965	Joe Namath	Open	Open	Open	Open	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000
16	1965	Swimsuits (1965-1969)	Open	Open	$10,000	$5,000	$3,000	$2,000	$1,000
17	1974	Hank Aaron 715	$10,000	$4,000	$3,000	$2,000	$1,000	$500	$250
18	1970	Swimsuit	Open	$10,000	$5,000	$4,000	$3,000	$2,000	$1,000
19	1960	Jack Nicklaus	Open	Open	Open	Open	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000
20	1971	Swimsuits (1970-1979)	Open	$5,000	$4,000	$3,000	$2,000	$1,000	$500
21	2002	Tom Brady The Natural	$3,000	$1,000	$400	$250	$100	Common	Common
22	1954	Issue #2	Open	$10,000	$5,000	$2,500	$1,500	$1,000	$500
23	1956	Warren Spahn	Open	Open	Open	Open	$1,000	$500	$250
24	1981	Wayne Gretzky	$25,000	$10,000	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000	$500	$250
25	1977	Larry Bird	Open	$10,000	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000	$500	$250
26	1970	Steve Prefontaine	Open	Open	Open	$2,000	$1,000	$750	$500
27	1955	Yogi Berra	Open	$2,500	$1,500	$1,000	$750	$500	$250
28	1980	Olympic Hockey	Open	$5,000	$2,500	$1,500	$1,000	$500	$250
29	2002	Tom Brady Amazing	$2,500	$1,000	$500	$250	$100	Common	Common
30	1955	Al Rosen	Open	Open	$3,000	$1,500	$1,000	$500	$250
31	1956	AllStar Game	Open	Open	Open	$3,000	$1,000	$500	$250
32	1955	Willie Mays	$25,000	$10,000	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000	$500	$250
33	1983	Michael Jordan	Open	$25,000	$10,000	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000	$500
34	1975	Ali Frazier	Open	$5,000	$3,000	$2,000	$1,000	$500	$250
35	1974	Ali Foreman	Open	$5,000	$3,000	$2,000	$1,000	$500	$250
36	1971	Ali Frazier	Open	$5,000	$3,000	$2,000	$1,000	$500	$250
37	1955	Hogan	Open	$5,000	$2,500	$1,500	$1,000	$500	$250
38	1956	Mantle WS	Open	Open	Open	Open	$2,500	$1,000	$500
39	1996	Derek Jeter	$2,500	$1,000	$500	$250	Common	Common	Common
40	1962	Tarkenton	Open	Open	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000	$500	$250
41	1967	Yaz	Open	Open	Open	Open	$2,500	$1,000	$500
42	1957	Mantle	Open	Open	Open	Open	$1,000	$500	$250
43	1965	swimsuit	Open	Open	$10,000	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000	$500
44	1967	Orr	Open	Open	Open	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000	$500
45	1965	Oliva	Open	Open	Open	Open	$1,500	$1,000	$500
46	1962	Gifford	Open	Open	Open	$1,500	$1,000	$500	$250
47	1973	Secretariat	$25,000	$10,000	$5,000	$2,500	$1,000	$500	$250
48	1970	Butkus	Open	Open	Open	Open	$1,000	$500	$250
49	1959	Mays	Open	Open	Open	Open	$1,000	$500	$250
50	1962	Mays	Open	Open	Open	Open	$1,000	$500	$250
51	1976	Brett	Open	Open	Open	$2,000	$1,000	$500	$250
52	1976	Schmidt	Open	Open	Open	$2,000	$1,000	$500	$250

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.

 

In previous blogs, I have eluded to a really cool way of organizing and presenting your magazine collection especially if you are interested in both TIME and SI (Newsweek works too).   Let’s call this idea “a collection within a collection” (CWC).   As a high grade seller of SI, TIME and Newsweek, I am getting more and more requests for athletes that have graced the cover of each magazine at least one time.   For example, Secretariat appeared on the cover of all three major magazines in 1973.  A collection consisting of these three issues in graded or ungraded high grade condition really attracts the attention of those looking for a unique collecting edge.  Obtaining the highest grade of all three issues is a very solid collection or “registry” all by itself.    Now multiply this opportunity by at least 50 – 100 multi-cover appearances and you have a very interesting, diverse playing field from which to choose your passion.  Collecting in this way gives you the opportunity to highlight your collection with your favorite player without having to buy tens or hundreds of covers at a much greater expense.

Next time you’re thinking about new ways to collect or display, consider a CWC and watch the value and display appeal of your collection upgrade.

Below I have illustrated a few examples of some really neat CWCs as well as the Collector’s Guide to the 26-50 ranking of TIME Magazine covers.  If you are interested in learning more about any one of the mags below, just shoot me a note with your questions.  Thanks and enjoy the show.

       

	Ranking – Top 100 Hardest to Find Sports Illustrated Issues
				0.5	1	0.6	0.9	1
	Rank	Year	Newsstand Cover	Newsstand Population Scarcity	Condition Scarcity	Cosmetics	Collectability	Investment Potential	Total	Weighted
	26	1947	DiMaggio	9	10	8	9	8	44	13997
	27	1954	Snead	8	10	10	8	8	44	13824
	28	1934	Gomez	9	10	8	8	8	43	12442
	29	1977	Carew	7	9	9	10	8	43	12247
	30	1962	Robertson	8	10	8	10	7	43	12096
	31	1964	Parseghian	7	10	10	8	8	43	12096
	32	1955	Campanella	8	10	8	8	8	42	11059
	33	1960	Rafer Johnson	8	10	8	8	8	42	11059
	34	1982	Montana	7	9	8	10	8	42	10886
	35	1972	Bench	7	10	7	10	8	42	10584
	36	1955	Stengl	8	10	8	8	7	41	9677
	37	1966	Marishal	7	10	8	8	8	41	9677
	38	1952	Stanky	8	10	8	7	8	41	9677
	39	1998	Jordan	5	7	10	10	10	42	9450
	40	1968	Hull	7	10	8	8	7	40	8467
	41	1972	Shula	7	9	7	10	7	40	8335
	42	1985	Bird/Gretzky	6	7	8	10	8	39	7258
	43	1968	McClain	7	10	7	7	7	38	6483
	44	1964	Bauer	7	10	8	6	6	37	5443
	45	2008	James	5	6	8	10	8	37	5184
	46	1985	Rose	6	7	8	8	7	36	5080
	47	2001	Earnhardt	5	6	9	8	8	36	4666
	48	1985	Tiegs	5	7	8	8	7	35	4234
	49	1972	Spitz	5	7	8	8	7	35	4234
	50	1945	Ott – Pony Edition	8	10	3	8	8	37	4147

 

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.

Mays, Aaron, Lucas, Groat, Hornung, Jackson, Bench, Rose, Carew, Taylor, Fisk, Bird, Jordan, Brown, Gretzky, Montana, Marino, Elway, Kaline, Oliva, Yaz, Namath, Gwynn, Morgan, Havlicek, Tarkenton, Player, Nicklaus, Jabbar, McDowell, Koufax, Dawson, Cousy, Ryun, Brett, Schmidt, and Yount.

What do they all have in common?

They are all living.

Why is this important?  More important to them but also important to entrepreneurs interested in capitalizing on a burgeoning opportunity – Getting your mags signed NOW!  Autographs are fun, signed mags are better, signed high grade (or graded) mags are best.

I could have named hundreds more stars and recognizable names above but think of the names missing from that list – Ali, Mantle, DiMaggio, Williams, Maravich, Hogan, Starr, Lombardi, Chamberlain, Drysdale, and Musial to name a few.  No more autographs of these guys.  That finality always inspires an urgency among collectors to add any of these to their collection when the opportunity arises.

With a little planning and a stick-to-it determination, anyone can build a formidable collection in a relatively short period of time.  Here is my recommended steps for building a high/highest grade, one of a kind autograph collection.

1. Signatures are very popular but getting them on the right medium is key to maximizing value and presentation. In my opinion, cards, envelops, tee shirts are all fine but high grade magazines are best and TIME and Sports Illustrated covers (esp graded) are meant for signatures.  If placed cosmetically with the appropriate marker (think about this in advance so when asked you are ready) it’s like apple pie and ice cream – meant for each other.
2. Obtain, buy, trade, for high grade SI and TIME covers of stars, athletes well in advance. I like to buy my high grade covers on a ten year plan – sometime in the next ten years I plan to cross paths with every signer in my collection.  This allows time for keeping everything to a plan.  For example, if I had a very high quality, raw, 1974 SI Henry Aaron 715, I might either send to his signing desk, attend a signing show, or better yet, travel to his office, mag in hand, to obtain a great signature while safeguarding the condition of my mag.  Then I would get it graded and have a real trophy.
3. Contact a reputable seller and buy a few raw mags at first to test the quality of the mags. Some sellers have consistent, really nice stuff with honest evaluations while others not so much.   If your purchases are up to your standards, check into the price and availability of more of the same.
4. I like to have multiples of my favorites, if possible (newer raw mags can be purchased for $10-$20, pre 1980 will average between $50-$100 depending cover and condition), and 40-50 different covers ready for signing at all times.
5. It’s your option to have your mag graded before AND after signing, or just after. It costs a bit more to do both but grading your mags in advance lessens the risk of a surprise grade later on.  You can also just buy a graded mag that is ready for a signature.  Again, you’ll pay a bit more for a CGC high grade magazine, but you’ve removed the risk of future surprises.

So don’t put off until tomorrow what you can get signed today.  Tomorrow may be too late.

 

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.

 

In previous blog 15, I opened up the issue of TIME magazine and its importance within the magazine collecting trade.  I don’t want to get too far away from my passion – SI – however I think we have a picture here that is incomplete without both pieces (TIME and SI) in place.

 

The best way to illustrate TIME’s place in sports magazine history, is to compare the timing relationship between TOPPS/Bowman/Leaf/Goudey in cards and SI/TIME in magazines.  Although both SI and Topps have been extremely popular in their own right since 1954 and 1952 respectively, Bowman/Leaf/Goudey and TIME brought us quality card and cover appearances extending back nearly another 50 years.  While SI began its complete, in-depth sports coverage of our favorite athletes in 1954, TIME bridges the gap between 1923 and 1954 with regard to featuring our favorite, most dominant sports heroes of the era.  The first card and cover appearances of Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, and many other famous HOFers predate SI and Topps publications.   The best way to think about early Time covers is to draw the analogy – Bowman/Leaf/Goudey are to Topps as TIME magazine is to Sports Illustrated.

 

TIME covers have a particular color and flair that are distinct and recognizable from a distance which is perhaps one reason for their collector popularity.  To me, the esthetics of the 47 Robinson, the 36 DiMaggio, or the 50 Williams covers, as well as 50-100 others, create an iconic, long lasting impression about the times and the athletes.   Bowman/Leaf/Goudey card values have soared over the years and are among the most sought after in the hobby.  Likewise, TIME magazine is headed in the same direction as more issues are graded and auctioned.  2018 will be a great year for magazine collecting.

 

I have put together a list (with individual rating) of the 50 most popular, hardest to find TIME magazine sports covers of all time.  Below I have listed the top 25 with the subsequent 25 to appear in my next blog.

Rank	Year	Newsstand Cover	Newsstand Population Scarcity	Condition Scarcity	Cosmetics	Collectability	Investment Potential	Total	Weighted
1	1930	Bobby Jones	10	10	10	10	10	50	27000
2	1953	Mantle	10	10	10	10	10	50	27000
3	1954	Mays	10	10	10	10	10	50	27000
4	1936	DiMaggio	9	10	10	10	10	49	24300
5	1947	Robinson	9	10	10	10	10	49	24300
6	1950	Ted Williams	9	10	10	10	10	49	24300
7	1949	Musial	9	10	10	10	9	48	21870
8	1949	Hogan	9	10	9	10	10	48	21870
9	1925	Bobby Jones	10	10	8	10	10	48	21600
10	1925	Sisler	10	10	8	10	10	48	21600
11	1928	Hornsby	10	10	8	10	10	48	21600
12	1929	Foxx	10	10	8	10	10	48	21600
13	1962	Palmer	8	10	10	10	10	48	21600
14	1962	Lombardi	8	10	10	10	10	48	21600
15	1963	Clay	8	10	10	10	10	48	21600
16	1962	Nicklaus	8	10	9	10	10	47	19440
17	1937	Feller	9	10	8	10	9	46	17496
18	1936	Gehrig	9	10	7	10	10	46	17010
19	1972	Namath	7	10	10	10	9	46	17010
20	1973	Secretariat	7	9	10	10	10	46	17010
22	1974	Reggie Jackson	7	9	10	10	10	46	17010
23	1965	Brown	7	10	9	10	10	46	17010
24	1945	Ott	9	10	7	9	9	44	13778
25	1935	Dean	9	10	8	8	9	44	13997

 

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 15th in a series of Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blogs – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now.

First a couple of housekeeping matters from previous blog #14:

Thanks to reader response, I’d like to qualify a statement from Blog #14 – “With any signature you buy or otherwise obtain, make sure you receive an accompanying certification (preferably from PSA , JSA, or CGC) of its authenticity.  In general, the higher the profile of the athlete, the more important the certification.

And have a quality piece for your autograph.

Below is a $1000 signature on a 10 cent magazine (due to condition)

I wonder if the owner of the one above wishes he had that signature on the one below.

Enough said on the subject.

Thanks to my reader input on this one and feel free to send questions anytime.

Today’s blog, the first of two on the subject, is perhaps the most important and relevant blog I have written to date involving magazine collector opportunity.

In previous blogs, I have very briefly touched upon the existence of another high quality, popular and very collectable magazine which happens to be closely linked to Sports Illustrated.  Perhaps some of you SI guys are like I used to be – steadfastly loyal to collecting only SI.  Then I discovered another really cool and pertinent segment of the collectable magazine presence – TIME Magazine.

One of the first things you’ll notice upon a bit of research is that the two magazines, TIME and SI, have been forever joined together by publisher and chronology, a fact appealing to sports collectors in general.  Time magazine’s first publish date, March 3^rd 1923, marked the beginning of significant, responsible world news reporting by a single publication.  Although primarily a world news magazine, TIME’s versatility stretched across the sports spectrum to all newsworthy sports, people, and events.  As a testament to its trustworthy, respected global news coverage, TIME has remained in continuous publication since 1923.  In 1954, Time Inc, recognizing the growing demand for a weekly sports magazine, expanded its publications to launch a new magazine – Sports Illustrated, Inc, and a star was born.  As a result, TIME is forever recognized as the precursor of SI.

An interesting component within the timing of the SI launch is its relation to the first appearance of TOPPS baseball cards.  Comparisons can be drawn between magazine publications and baseball card printing – TIME is to SI as Bowman is to TOPPS.  Why do I make this point?  While the actual grading of magazines may be more similar to that of comics than to that of cards (hence CGC being the dominant market share leader in the space), the other aspects of collecting SIs and the sports-oriented Time magazines that predate them are more analogous to cards.  They are extremely condition sensitive, with very few older issues having survived the years in pristine condition.  They are also scarce, cards having been tossed out as seemingly worthless in the 50s, 60s, and earlier, and magazine publication being limited, especially for newsstand copies estimated to comprise a mere 2% of total production annually.  Finally, both are pieces of sports history and have an artistic component as well, thus appealing to avid sports fans and collectors of all things sports related.

However, unlike baseball cards of this era that have little continuity between printing years and manufacturers (significant breaks in printing between Tobacco and Topps), TIME magazine provides a nice, neat, uninterrupted transition right into its first publication of Sports Illustrated lending an easy and fun path to collect both, side by side.  I have found that collectors are drawn to the unique opportunity of owning the best of both magazines.  For example, the possibility of owning a first cover CGC 9.8 1950 TIME Ted Williams AND a first cover CGC 9.8 1955 SI Ted Williams is a collector’s dream.  An additional benefit of this type of collecting is that graded magazines make for a highly attractive display as well as reminiscent conversation.  Other similar vignettes available are Cassius Clay, Mantle, Mays, DiMaggio, Aaron, Musial, Jim Brown, Nicklaus, Palmer, Marichal, Lombardi, Bench, Rose and many more.  For a complete list of TIME covers, just search a chronology of TIME magazine covers.  Sports Illustrated has a published a picture review of every cover since 1954 for those interested in knowing what’s out there in SI.

If the esthetics, continuity, respectability and relationship to SI haven’t convinced you of TIME’s relevance, consider “age”.  Some of these issues are approaching 100 years old and that’s old in magazine years.  Although a very few early submissions have graded in the 9.0’s (one before 1936), any grade above CGC 6.0 is a rare find to date.  More early TIME issues will surface but I’m betting the covers I have detailed above will grow in popularity and value exponentially compared to the rest of the market and as collectors scramble to own the highest grade of both mags.  Once Mom and Pop realize what they have in their attic, more submissions will emerge which will reinforce my assertion that early TIME issues above the CGC grade of 6.0 will be hard to find.

To all avid SI collectors, keep TIME magazine on your radar screen as a great way to best bridge the time and space of sports magazine collecting.

Next blog:  A review of TIME first appearance sports covers and why they are important.  Also, I will rank the top 25 covers to target.

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

Happy New Year to Everyone!  It’s going to be a great year for SI/TIME collectors.

Welcome to my 14th in a series of Sports Illustrated informational reviews.

Did you ever think about having your CGC graded, encapsulated SI’s signed?  It’s not as farfetched as it may seem.  And it could be very profitable too.  Hasn’t it always been about having something the other guy wants but doesn’t have?

If you are planning to attend a signing and you don’t already have a high quality, raw SI (or graded copy) for signing, make sure you take the time to buy/secure one.  So many of us are last minute planners and skip this step only to regret it later.  One way to secure a high quality SI is to buy one already graded.   You will appreciate the quality of your signed pieces for years to come so a little effort on the front end will be worth it over time.

Step 1:  In advance of the signing, secure a raw, high quality, unsigned SI (or buy one graded), and have it graded.

Step 2:  If it grades up to your expectations, break open the encapsulation, remove your SI, and protect it with a plastic sleeve and oversized cardboard on both sides.

Step 3:  Personally deliver your piece to the signing, have it signed, re-package as before and resubmit for grading.

Understand that grading is subjective and a new grade may return marginally higher or lower than the original.  Resubmitting for grading will cost $50 and is a risk/effort few collectors are willing to take which significantly reduces POP numbers.  Little risk, little reward.

If a certified signature potentially increases the value of a raw SI and a CGC grade potentially increases the value of a raw SI, how is the value impacted if the SI is signed AND graded?  Firsthand experience tells me signed/graded SI’s (especially top tier grades and signers) realize higher sell prices – 50-100% higher depending on the cover and signature.  If you believe your signed SI’s would return a high CGC grade, it makes investment sense to have it graded but remember, grading is a double edged sword – a low grade hurts the value as well.

The process of buying raw (or CGC graded) SIs, having them graded, breaking open the encapsulation, having them signed, and resubmitting for grade might seem like a risky proposition but if you are interested in collecting the highest grade, signed SI’s, this is one option to consider.  Lots of collectors have signed SI’s.  More and more collectors have graded SI’s.  Very few collectors have both in one package.  Think about it.

If you have further questions on this topic feel free to write at [email protected].

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

Welcome to my lucky 13th in a series of Sports Illustrated informational reviews.

Remember those comic books you used to buy for a nickel, fold them in half and stick them in your back pocket?  You’d pull them out in study hall, read them, and then scrunch them up in the back of your locker for safe keeping?  The link below might make you wish you would have done that differently.

Click here.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/FLASH-COMICS-1-ASHCAN-EDITION-CGC-9-6-1939/122319959353?hash=item1c7ad67539:m:mP1rDfs2WYY1n1QN2C32soA

Not that long ago, certainly in my lifetime, collectable vintage comic books were easily purchased (if you could find them before the internet) for a tiny fraction of the realized auction prices of today.  If you had done your homework and researched the right comics, the most responsible collection methods, and properly stored your purchases in preparation for the day to come, you would be sipping Mytai’s on a Polynesian Island now instead of regurgitating that depressing lament – “if only…..”

Graded Periodicals – Comics vs Magazines

Once grading became an accepted method of valuing comics, investors immediately realized that collectors would want the best.  The highest graded, hardest to find issues, set new sales records at every auction.  Comic books routinely began to bring 4-5 figures at every auction.  And 20 years later, the trend continues but it was the early adaptors who invested first and benefitted the most.  Looking back, there are too many similarities to ignore between the early comic BOOM of the past 20 years and the state of the current Sports Illustrated/TIME market development.

I predict the graded magazine market will follow the same path as the graded comic book market and shame on us if history repeats itself and we miss a second opportunity.  Values will escalate quickly and early rewarding early investors and leaving those who waited wondering why.  You will not be able to negotiate last year’s prices today.  This is not one of those events where supply catches up with demand and the market implodes like 87 Topps.  Supply has shown to be difficult at best and impossible at worst – and they’re not printing anymore of this vintage stuff.  This is the stuff of dreams and the typical barriers of penetration are non-existent.  You don’t need machinery and gobs of money to get started.  You need timing.  Timing is the investor’s best friend. 

The good news is – you are reading this blog – and I have already done the leg work, the internet has already organized all kinds of availability for you, and properly preserving your purchases is a no brainer today.  But as we all have the same advantages, the timing window is small.  You have in front of you the tip of the iceberg but with every blog I write, the iceberg has melted a bit more.

As promised, the opportunities of six months ago are becoming harder and harder to find.  Be an early adaptor and beat the crowd.  You will be glad you did.

I say again, if you only get one thing out of this blog, recognize the movement.  My goal is to bring light to my readers and reward them with the knowledge of current trends.  The rest is up to the beholder.

Great collecting to you and Skyward with Sports Illustrated/TIME!

Welcome to my 12th in a series of Sports Illustrated informational reviews.

First, please let me thank all of you for your support and enthusiasm with regard to the current Sports Illustrated graded magazine Boom.  Those of you that have read my blogs and have taken some of it to heart, I believe, are already more than satisfied with their collection value growth as well as their upward position in the market.  My blogs are written in an effort to expose early market trends and reward dedicated SI collectors for their persistence and love of the magazine – the greatest sports writing and illustrated magazine ever published.

The reward is value equity.  I have been interested in high grade SIs for several decades.  Any time I could find a high grade, newsstand copy, I bought it.  Approximately three years ago, the option of grading my collection became a reality with the advent of CGC expanding into the SI magazine arena.  It was at that point I realized the only way I could prove my mag collection superior to all others (and establish a creditable value) was to have them graded.  There’s no argument when CGC says it’s a 9.8!  And 9.8 is superior to 9.6 – no debate.  That’s what collectors want.  They want certainty.  They want no debate.  They want no Yeah buts…..  For those of you that are not familiar with a “yeah but” – that is when you show your buddy or prospective buyer your prized magazine and you say – “this thing is just beautiful, look at it” – and the your buddy says – “yeah but it’s a bit off center or yeah but the binding is loose”   There are no “yeah buts….” with certified graded products.

That’s the way we all like it and that’s the standard by which all value is determined.  And that is why buying the most recognized graded magazines in as high a grade as possible is the ticket collectors, like me, want to own.  As more collectors “get it”, it only makes sense that the first into the Boom will increase their value equity the most.  Here are some private and public transactions executed over the past year that are keeping my readers happy.  BTW, much of this information is not public so you are reading it here first.

1.  Year 2015 – Ungraded 1963 Cassius Clay SI’s in near mint condition sold many times over for $100 – $500. Last year, a graded SI Clay CGC graded 9.6 sold for $5,000 in a public listing on Ebay.  I recently asked the owner what would be his price to sell – his reply was “there isn’t one.”
2. Last year the CGC 9.8’s of the – 81 Gretzky, 74 Aaron, 54 #2 (9.4), 55 Mays, 55 Williams, all passed hands at 5 figures or above. And TIME magazine issues, Pre 1954 (and with a few newer exceptions Clay, Mays, Secretariat, Aaron), also joined in the Boom but they deserve a blog all their own (coming soon).  Just be aware that TIME magazine Pre 1954 and all newer exceptions, are trending to meet and in some cases even surpass later SI compliments.  Owning a vignette of two rookie issues of the highest known grade – one Sports Illustrated and one TIME (or Newsweek) has become an early favorite pursuit of the avid investor/collector.  When you consider current pop numbers of 1 at the highest grade level, you can safely use the word “scarce” to describe the difficulty of owning such a duet.
3. 30-40 Graded magazines, sold thru the prestigious auction house of Huggins and Scott in August and November this year (and another scheduled for Feb 2018), routinely surpassed $2000 and in some cases, double that figure. Bill Huggins, a man ahead of the curve, is the pioneer whose auction house is currently the only one to grace their listing lineup with graded SI’s.  I highly suggest taking a look at their next offering as these prices, if trends continue, will pale in comparison to 2019 offerings.  Think back what your Topps baseball cards were worth before you could get them graded and compare their worth today.  That’s value equity!

If you only get one thing out of this blog, recognize the movement here.  As I stated in my opening remarks, my goal is to bring light to my readers and reward them with the knowledge of current trends.  The rest is up to the beholder.

Great collecting to you and Skyward with Sports Illustrated!

  Sports Illustrated Blog #11 – Early Swimsuits – Diamonds in the Rough!

 

Welcome to my 11th in a series of Sports Illustrated informational reviews.

Recently I mentioned early SI swimsuits to an investor and his response was “I only do athletes”.  Now it is perfectly acceptable to define your portfolio by what you know and understand best but I think limiting your options limits your potential.  So today my friends it is Swimsuits.

I have ranked early SI swimsuits at #16 and #20 on my list of most difficult and collectable SI’s and for good reason.  THEY ARE TOUGH TO FIND!!!  The SI swimsuit feature comes in several parts – quite by accident I presume.  First, there are the swimsuits of the 50’s which are really a precursor to the later versions which became an annual event approx. 10 years later.  Included in this series is a 54, 55 and 57 swimsuit appearance – a collection within themselves.  They are not as rare or esthetic as later covers and are not accepted as part of the swimsuit series we know today but they are definitely unique and should not be omitted from any collection.  I think in time, these three issues will increase in demand as swimsuit collectors will want to avoid any possible omissions in completing their sets.

Second, there is a 1963 swimsuit/water cover appearing one year prior to Babette March, the formally accepted first swimsuit cover.  Even though not as well known, no swimsuit collection is complete without the 63 version either.

In 1964, with a modestly clad model and a three page cover story, SI humbly began perhaps the most iconic and collectable series of yearly issues – the Jan/Feb tropical island Swimsuit series.  SI has built upon its first cover every year since and to take in the evolution from beginning to present is quite a visionary trip.  I’m old school – I like the early issues!  Surprisingly however, it is not the cover or its position in the series that creates the value.  Yes they are popular, yes they are cool and yes they are a series but more than all that – they are HARD TO FIND in high grade newsstand condition.  The combination of popular, cool and hard to find adds up to your Diamonds in the Rough.  Swimsuit covers from 1964 thru 1979 began a run of remarkable photography with world class models (esp Tiegs) often imitated but never duplicated.  The colorful solid borders, rainbow stripes, prime colored suits and tropical ocean back drops are rarely well preserved.  In most cases, they are thoroughly read adding to potential wear.  If you can find even one of these issues, let alone two or three or maybe a complete set (although I doubt many exist) you are a lucky collector – it’s a great registry.  I predict that as collectors become aware of the scarcity and potential value here, swimsuit covers will rival and in some cases surpass the values of your favorite athletes.  That is why I advise not to limit your collection and I hope this inside information serves you well.

High grade, newsstand issues from the 80’s are also fairly tough but nowhere near as hard as earlier swimsuits.  After the 25^th year commemorative swimsuit issue in 1989, swimsuit covers became relatively common.

So start collecting high grade, newsstand, early SI swimsuit issues and you’ll have something your other collector friends don’t have – and that’s a nice positon.

Great collecting to you and up with Sports Illustrated!