SI for Kids Question....

[Arazi4442]

I was hoping for some opinions regarding the Sports Illustrated for Kids cards. One of the things I'm collecting is rookie cards of some of the current athletes from the non big 4 sports (can't really afford Trout, Lebron or Brady rookies). I noticed quite a few other athlete's earliest cards are the SI for kids. Tiger, Serena, Usain, etc.. Do most collectors consider these RCs since they came in a magazine and need to be separated by hand?
I know it's tougher with current athletes to define an RC, but just wondered if there was any type of consensus..

Thanks.

[brian1961]

I quite understand you're being besotted with the concept of collecting rookie cards.

That said, it is difficult to say whether or not cards of athletes from the non-big four will ever really draw big bucks. However, the SI cards are very beautiful, well done, with usually well-chosen photos. I recall buying an issue strictly for the Kristi Yamaguchi card, having seen her Olympic gold-winning performances in the '92 Winter Games.

The key will be to get them graded by PSA, and make sure you think through precisely how you want the cert to read. Meaning, never assume PSA will get it right, since SI for Kids cards are probably not frequently submitted.

Second, as you are likely well aware of this matter, plan carefully for the time you hand-cut the cards. PSA seems to grade them extra harshly. They claim to cut some slack for hand-cut cards, but I think they expect them as perfect as if Topps did them with their best cutter after being refurbished, tongue in cheek.

Finally, if you love them, that's the most important thing. They have a built-in scarcity, being a magazine card, and the fact that they're hand-cut throws a monkey wrench into the matter of grading, since you can never assume they will grade out at 9 or 10. Again, if you're attracted to them, that is all that really matters. People from your generation will appreciate them because they reflect the top athletes from that specific era. While the hand-cutting is nerve-wracking, and the PSA submission procedure tedious and costly, it will net you some genuine collecting enjoyment, and some admiration from some of your fellow collectors

They fall into the category of modern post-war / regional food cards, unless they have their own niche of magazine cards (i.e. recalling all that were also issued by BASEBALL CARDS MAGAZINE). Since the SI for Kids is not mainstream, they will have a much more limited collector base that really go for them. How I can relate to you. I was a collector of the scarce and beautiful post-war regional / food issues. I even published an E-book on a CD last year about them, covering the golden era of 1947 - 1971. As much as collectors seem to dig these babies, you would think they'd have easily ponied up for the $30 I charged, postpaid. Nope, in a year's time I have sold but 26 copies. I say that to you to express how a non-mainstream niche simply has limited appeal.

Again, repeating myself, if you have a vision for a personal collection display of SI for Kids PSA-graded cards, go for it! Yeah, it will cost you something. You might not get all your money back 40 years from now, but the journey and the enjoyment of building and admiring your growing collection will be more than worth what it brings to you in the end.

Just my magazine article worth of a response!

Have a good day, bro. --Brian Powell

[Peter_Spaeth]

You don't hand cut these. You need to separate them from the perforated sheets by folding then carefully tearing. It's not necessarily that easy to do.

[brian1961]

Thanks for setting the record straight, Peter, on the SI For Kids cards being perforated. It's been so long ago, I must have forgotten that fact. --Brian

[Arazi4442]

Thanks for the info guys! I've always tried to focus on the cards that I enjoy rather than investing. Just curious what people's thoughts were on these.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I like them well enough although I only own one at the moment, separated it extremely carefully but it still came out fuzzy.