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.