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

With the evolving, toughening grading marks offered by CGC, the only game in town, I thought there would be some interest/benefit in lending my opinion to the current grading standard.    If we are going to live and die by the current grading standard, then my readers ought to know the translation.

I have started a new grade level for our hobby.  The “Never Will Be Beat” standard grade level.  What that means is that this writer believes that the grade in question, will never be beaten, EVER.  How can I say that?  Of course, I don’t have a crystal ball and I can’t see into the future, but I am a statistics guy.  For example, of all the SI’s (or any magazine) ever graded by CGC, there has never been a 10.0 or a 9.9.  Forget it, not going to happen in the future either.  So, 9.8 is the gold standard.

It’s quite normal within sport or collectibles, that grading standards, over time, tend to become tougher and tougher as competition gets better and better.  Maybe not fair, but that’s the way it is.  It seems we always have to leave room for the next best effort.

So when collectors buy a CGC 9.4 – none higher, they want to know what the chances are that their purchase will remain “none higher” into perpetuity.  I’m going to offer the closest service to that request possible.  I’m going to offer my opinion, given all the comparables, current trends and grading standards, as to the likelihood of current “none higher” grades remaining the highest grade.

The new grade from me is “Never Will Be Beat”.  I’m going to keep track and if any mag to which I have assigned this designation is beaten, I will report it in my blog.  So far I’m batting a 1.000. 

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

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

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