ShareThisBy BABE WAXPAK
Scripps Howard News Service
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Dear Babe: My father bought a copy of the first issue of Sports Illustrated in 1954, which I now own. It is in good condition and still has all of the baseball cards that were included. -- Charley Gramling, Panama City, Fla.
Lots of folks have first issues. My standard answer is that Internet sales, the discovery of cases of first issues in a Time warehouse and the reprinting of the issue for promotional purposes have had a major impact on the value of these magazines. Today, top value for an "original original'' is $100-$150 and $75 for copies with flaws. In the past, I've noted that the leather-bound issues that came from the warehouse find first sold for $295 and then dropped to $159. The prices of these "found'' issues brought down the value of originals that folks had saved from August 1954. Now, leather-bound copies are selling for $75-$150 on eBay.
In today's marketplace, it's the second issue that is sought after because these have not been reprinted nor have extras been found in any warehouses. While the first issue had a three-page foldout with 27 color repli-cards in the style of 1954 Topps cards, the second issue has three pages of B&W repli-cards featuring New York Yankees. That includes Mickey Mantle, who did not have a Topps card in 1954. A second issue with a mailing label is worth around $150-$200 and one with no label could sell for as much as $300- $350.
Dear Babe: Back in the mid-1960s, Arnold Palmer played a round of golf at the Skokie (Ill.) Country Club. I was a member there and don't know how it came to be (I was only 10), but I carried his bags for nine holes and another boy did it for the second nine. At the end of the round, we tore Palmer's scorecard into our respective halves and he signed each side. -- John Taylor, Decatur, Ga.
The big question is whether Palmer scored his round or if you and your buddy did it for him. Each half is worth $25-$40 if the kids scored it and $100 each if Palmer did it himself, said Mike Breeden, an autograph expert and Tuff Stuff columnist.
Dear Babe: I have 1959 yearbooks for the Giants and Dodgers. -- Bob Brian, South San Francisco
The Dodgers won it all in their second year in L.A. Brian Marren, vice president of acquisitions for www.MastroAuctions.com auctions in Chicago, agreed with my $50-$100 range with the Giants counterpart at $25-$40.
Dear Babe: In 1987 I was fortunate enough to obtain an autographed baseball by "Joltin'' Joe DiMaggio for my mother. Recently, because of a move, she has returned it to me to display in my home. I am more than happy to have it on my mantle. As you can see by the attached photo, it is personalized to her with "Dear Grace.'' -- Steve Payne, Corona, Calif.
Tuff Stuff lists a single-signed DiMaggio at $575. Even though your baseball has a nice, bold signature it is going to have a tough time coming anywhere near that value, because of the personalization. There are plenty of DiMaggio-signed baseballs available with just his name. Further, it appears the signature is not on an official American League ball.
(Send card questions to Babe Waxpak in care of this newspaper, PO Box 492397, Redding, CA 96049-2397 or e-mail babewaxpak(at)redding.com. If possible, include card number, year and brand or a photocopy. Please do not send cards. Babe Waxpak is a feature of The Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif.)
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