Collecting magazines
 

Seems like magazines (particularly highly graded ones) have taken off. Wonder what people think about magazines long term as a collectible?

They seem overwhelmingly common. But I guess even a dog turd would garner mass appeal if you slabbed it and sent it off to some stranger to grade it. I do not see the appeal, since it can't be read or even looked at inside, once it's slabbed.

But based upon the fact that I personally have no interest, I'm pretty sure they will be skyrocketing in price before you know it.

Mark I agree with your assessment of slabbed magazines. However, I love covers featuring HOFers from 1950-1979. Mags like Complete Baseball, Dell, Baseball Stars, and Sports Stars had some great covers during that time. Although I loved reading Sport and SI they aren’t as interesting to me as a collectible.

That’s true Mike….

I was thinking more along the lines of SI. But you’re right… Many of those 1940s-60s Magazine Covers are spectacular and are so artistic. They make rigid top-loaders with enough depth for magazines, yearbooks and programs. That’s the route I go for preserving and displaying them.

I just don’t understand the appeal of hermetically sealed slabs which prevent you from ever reading or leafing through them. And the grading factor seems even more superfluous, but to each his own. Sure seems to be working for Comics.

Plus, you lose the smell! :p

I agree with the posters above the artistic qualities of the old programs and magazines are pretty cool. The magazines/programs are not uncommon. I can see a higher premium for high grade examples but overall I think magazines/programs will remain a collecting niche. This is coming from a collector who went down the signed SI rabbit hole to the tune of 200 plus signed issues. Also, as the prices of cards rocketed to obscene prices; the thinking in the collectibles world seemed to be high tides raises all ships! So, all non card prices should rocket as well. For example, $900 for a Ripken ties Gehring graded ticket? Uh, no. Granted someone out there might drop that kind of iron on the ticket, but not me.

I have always liked the 1963 and 1965 World Series programs but I don't own either one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/353540628634

https://www.ebay.com/itm/285450556515

Baseball Magazines!
 

I simply love this collecting category. There are so many magazines with amazing baseball covers, and some are quite rare or at least difficult to find. I get just as much joy from these pickups as I do finding any card from my want list. I have a keen interest in four sub categories and continue to add to these collections when I see a great find:

1- HOFer magazines - especially prewar, but looking for nice solo images of all HOFers
2 - Bob Feller magazines - complements my Bob Feller collection
3 - Cleveland Baseball magazines - my original interest in baseball magazines, still try to find interesting and oddball covers
4 - Baseball Art magazines - inspired by the Net 54 thread on this. Nameless baseball scenes that show the game at any level, as long as the cover is interesting.

Sharing examples of each. No intention to slab any of these, but I can understand the need for independent authentication and grading for some folks. Just not something I have pursued, at least not now.

I also have a fair amount of magazines we all know and love - Baseball Magazine, Baseball Digest, Sports Illustrated, Sport, Sporting Life, and The Sporting News - that fit into my collecting categories. They are of course more plentiful, so the challenge is really to find nice condition examples at the right price.

I love old magazines and have hundreds and hundreds...when I was a kid I can remember many times having a dollar and trying to decide how to spend it...often times I ended up splitting my dollar between 10 cent packs and a magazine or Sporting News...however, there were times when candy, ice cream, balsa wood airplanes or a squirt gun would be in the mix if there were no new magazines available.

I don't see them ever being worth much (Yes...there may be a few rare outliers).

To me, the only value of a magazine, much like programs, is what's on the cover. If it's great artwork or photography and would like nice framed and hung on a wall, I might buy it....but typically not paying much for it.

I enjoy the magazines "The Vintage & Classic Baseball Collector along with " Old Cardboard". I place each issue in a plastic magazine bag w/ a backer board. I read them and attempt not to damage them. I enjoy the depth of information they provide. Helps me understand the environment and thoughts back in the day. The adds/auctions in the issues are interesting and allot of the articles were written or edited by people in the sports hobby. Allot of them were dealers or had their own auctions. I guess that is why I gravitated to net54, to gain more knowledge about my hobby. So many people on this site with vast amount of knowledge and experience. I read their posts and soak it in like a sponge. Magazines are entertaining to me in a way that the net is not.

That Sporting News with Cobb on the cover is an amazing piece.

Sporting Life Cobb
 

Thanks! A Net54 BST pickup from last summer (Thanks again, Gary!)

I only have one graded magazine and that is the 1955 Sports Illustrated Ted Williams CGC 9.4. I acquired it before magazines prices went out of control. For display purposes I do like having a mix of cards and magazines. To me magazines are more of an add on to my card collection.