CGC-graded Sports Illustrated Expected to Sell for Five Figures in Heritage Sale
Posted on 1/29/2024
His Airness may have retired more than 20 years ago, but collectibles tied to Michael Jordan's iconic NBA career are as popular as ever. That's why an example of a 1984 Sports Illustrated with Jordan on the cover is expected to sell for tens of thousands of dollars in an upcoming Heritage Auctions sale. The magazine is among the sports collectibles graded by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) in Heritage's Winter Platinum Night Auction #50068, which will be held on February 24-25, 2024.
The top CGC-certified lot is a Sports Illustrated v61 #26, December 10, 1984, graded CGC 9.6 (lot 80098), with an estimate of at least $40,000. This is the highest graded of three examples of this particular late-1984 issue being offered in the sale, which features Jordan's first appearance on the front cover as a professional athlete, when he was a rising star on the Chicago Bulls. That season, Jordan was selected third overall in the NBA Draft and started every game for the Bulls, leading the team in scoring and winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
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As the first global NBA superstar, Jordan became a household name as the leader of the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s. Arguably the greatest player to ever pick up a basketball, his influence on the court and off of it with his Air Jordan sneaker line is unmatched even to this day, two decades after the 14-time All-Star last played in an NBA game. Jordan will always be regarded as NBA royalty, winning six championships, six NBA Finals MVPs and five NBA MVPs. He was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Other CGC-certified collectibles in the auction include:
- a D&M Athletic Goods Catalog #nn, Spring-Summer 1916 (Shoeless Joe Jackson cover) graded CGC Restored 4.5 (lot 80930), with an estimate of at least $10,000
- a D&M Athletic Goods Catalog #nn, Spring-Summer 1920 (Babe Ruth cover) graded CGC Restored 3.0 (lot 80931), with an estimate of at least $10,000
- a Sports Illustrated v41 #20, November 11, 1974 (Muhammad Ali and George Foreman cover) graded CGC 9.4 (lot 81259), with an estimate of at least $10,000
- a Sports Illustrated v61 #26, December 10, 1984 (Michael Jordan cover) graded CGC 9.0 (lot 81109), with an estimate of at least $8,000
- a Sports Illustrated v61 #26, December 10, 1984 (Michael Jordan cover) graded CGC 8.5 (lot 81110), with an estimate of at least $4,000
- a Sports Illustrated v75 #27, December 23, 1991 (Michael Jordan cover) graded CGC 9.8 (lot 81112), with an estimate of at least $2,000
- a Sports Illustrated v83 #18, October 23, 1995 (Dennis Rodman and Michael Jordan cover) graded CGC 9.8 (lot 81113), with an estimate of at least $2,000
- a Sports Illustrated v60 #3, January 23, 1984 (Wayne Gretzky cover) graded CGC 9.6 (lot 81240), with an estimate of at least $2,000
- a Sports Illustrated v86 #10, March 10, 1997 (Michael Jordan cover) graded CGC 9.8 (lot 81115), with an estimate of at least $2,000
- a Sports Illustrated v86 #23, June 9, 1997 (Dennis Rodman and Michael Jordan cover) graded CGC 9.8 (lot 81116), with an estimate of at least $2,000
Sports Illustrated was one of the first magazines for which CGC offered authentication, grading and encapsulation when it launched the service in 2003. Since then, CGC has expanded its magazine certification services to many popular titles, from Newsweek to Nintendo Power, as well as oversized comics. In 2023, CGC introduced a new state-of-the-art holder for magazines that boasts crystal-clear optics for vibrant display as well as advanced security features.
Estimates are provided by the auction house.
About CGC
Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for many other types of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. The newest division of CGC, CGC Home Video, provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of home media.
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