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

Today’s blog is all about beauty and raising the bar on the entire graded magazine hobby.

Below I have pictured CGC 9.4’s of three of most relevant sports heroes on their first major publication (not Berra’s first) in the highest grade – none higher, POP 1.  I bring these to you to show you how beautiful some of these major pub covers can be while maintaining their high quality as well.

There is significance here in that the 1960 Maris cover is a full year ahead of his first SI and the 1962 Aaron cover, while also cosmetically superior, is seven years ahead of his SI appearance.  I predict these covers will challenge their SI counterparts in hobby relevance and open the door for other major publication first cover entries to blow the “cover” off our hobby.

Just like in cards, there’s no substitute for quality as Upper Deck illustrated back in 1989.  Don’t sleep on SPORT’s challenge into this market.

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!