Happy Thanksgiving...need some extra cash?

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Posted By: MW 

Although this is only tangentially related to vintage baseball cards, I still thought it might be interesting.

As the message title suggests, everyone can rake in the dough in only 4 easy steps:

Step 1: Purchase the #1 Issue of Sports Illustrated for $149.95 plus shipping. Since Sports Illustrated reprinted tens (hundreds?) of thousands of these magazines beginning a mere decade ago, finding them is easy. Buy hundreds if you like. And the best thing is that they're virtually indistinguishable from the originals. The link is provided below (last item in list).

https://www.timeinc.net/subs/secure/forms/si/ws01.html


Step 2: Remove the paper insert (Topps issued a foldout paper insert depicting pre-printed samples from the 1954 Series. All "cards" are paper thin like regular magazine pages).

Step 3: Cut out as many "Mint" condition cards as you like. Place cards in acrylic screwdowns and use rivets to seal them. Grade each card and place a label at the top.

Step 4: Sell the cards on eBay (examples are provided below)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1972507820&category=16271

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1972133066&category=16271

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1972506083&category=16271


Additional notes: Thus far, this eBay seller has received over $877.99 in bids on the dozen or so items he has listed. That's a handsome profit of $784.04. Oh, and remember to make the auctions private otherwise those who are bidding will find out what they're really buying and how much money they're wasting.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

It has a little cardboard tag early in the magazine which offers a year's subscription for $6 (or something like that--many magazines have them). Lemke said the reprints don't have them.

I sure hope not, because I paid $350 for mine, 3=4 years ago. It's really gorgeous.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

...

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Posted By: Albie O'Hanian

Great, now I have to go check mine that I bought a few years ago from Slater's Americana for $200. It certainly had the appeal of being 45+ years old.

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Posted By: David

1) Learned something new. I was unaware that SI Reprinted that issue. To help prevent deception, someone should examine a few originals and reprints to determine which qualites that distinguish the card sets. For example, even if the cards are similar, the printing and paper are likely distinguishable. The disemination of this information, including through my glorious and piercing newsletter, would likely squash any ilicit market.

2) Likely, I won't be able to cash on this apparently lucrative new market. As I gaze my eyes across the domestic landscape, it is apparent that I have no say in the magazines to which my household subscribes: Living with Martha Stewart, Rosie and worse. I have a free subscription to 'The Glove Collector,' but that is a fleeting and lonely sprinkle in the desert of Rosies.

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Posted By: David

Take it back, I don't get a single magazine or even auction catalog to my home. Everything goes to the office or POB.

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Posted By: Brian C Daniels

..the fact that these folks along with their good buds "kardz-r-us" "PSA-1" et....sell from outta space!
LOCATION: " card capital of the World"

Location: " where big trees become baseball cards"

Location: "Sandlots of the America's"

these are the kinds of things noted for locations of seller!

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Posted By: MW

Julie --

You are quite right that the originals have the subscription insert. But keep in mind that some subscribers or newsstand buyers probably pulled their inserts out and discarded them.

When I'm looking for original first issue SI's, I will only buy them if one of three situations exists: (1) they have the original mailing label, (2) they come with the original white mailing envelope, or (3) they have wear commensurate with a 1954 magazine.

As far as the 1954 baseball insert is concerned, they are, to the best of my knowledge, identical.

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Posted By: MW

David --

The Standard Catalog indicates that SI only reprinted its #1 issue within the last year or two. This may be incorrect. In the early 1990s, we were contacted by various wholesalers and offered #1 issues in large quantities (and in mint condition) for approximately $100 each. The "rumor" was that they were from a warehouse find of original issues. I cannot recall whether they had the original subscription card.

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Posted By: David

Though unscientific, there's always the smell test. A genuine 48 year old magazine tends to smell 48 years old. I'm not sure if forgers have yet developed fake must. Any thoughts on this subject, Leon?

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Posted By: jay behrens

MW, I could be wrong, but I seem to recall Phil Regly telling me that there are no #1's with a mailing lable on the cover. Only issue #2 and beyond. I know that no #1 I have ever owned had a mailing lable on it and Phil is the expert on SIs.

Is Phil even around anymore? He was one of my partners in crime at big shows that I would set up at.

Jay

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Posted By: Marty

Phil is still aroung. He is working for the City of Irving California. He was at the show in Orange County CA. I believe that he will be at the Cow Palace San Francisco show in Feb. He still deals in publications.

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Posted By: Albie O'Hanian

I know mine passed the smell test at the time. I feel a little better.

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Posted By: jay behrens

If there is a decent size show in the Bay Area, then Phil will be there since his parents live there. He was probably set up at Macrae's show since he set up there every year that I set up there.

Jay

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

don't have the subscription insert, you should at least add that those which DO are genuine.

Yes, the cards are identical. And so is the splash the bat makes on the cover

And I've never seen an issue #1 with a mailing label, either.

It really ticks me off that I liked a magazine so much i went to the trouble and expense) of buying it in really mint condition, and now will have to sell it for half price!

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Posted By: David

Here's a question for the board: Do reprints ever raise the price of the originals?

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Posted By: jay behrens

not really. Almost every significant set has been reprinted and prices didn't make any discernable jump when they came out. It may help create some new interest, nothing that willc ause prices to change noticably.

Jay

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Posted By: leon

As one of the pioneers in "smellology" I have stated the following previously :
Magazines put in peculiar bodily places will get a 48 year old smell in about 30 minutes
but that's kinda gross.....oh well...in all
actuality I would believe a 48 year old mag might have a slight odor to it.

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Posted By: David

There is a world famous dealer in ancient pottery, where forgery is a problem. He said said that one of his tests for authenticty is to taste (lick) the item.

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Posted By: MW

Jay & Julie --

Granted, the vast majority of SI #1's were sent in the larger envelopes, but (and I may be mistaken), I seem to recall a few that had mailing labels.

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Posted By: jay behrens

According to Phil Regly they were either mailed in envelopes or sold on the newstand. The second issue is the first with a mailing lable.

Jay

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Posted By: runscott

for about $75 each (might have been a little more). They stated that they were actual #1 issues, not reprints.

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Posted By: MW

Jay --

What do I win if I can produce one with a mailing label?