Market
In my opinion, the market for vintage-graded sports magazines is still in its infancy. There is a tendency to look to the vintage sports card market to draw comparisons; but, frankly at this early stage, they are very different markets. Let’s compare a popular vintage baseball card to a popular vintage magazine just to demonstrate how different these markets are: 1953 Topps Mickey Mantle Card #82 and 1953 Dell Annual Magazine featuring Mickey Mantle on the cover.
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle #82 – approx. 100 cards have been graded PSA 8 or better of over 4,000 examples graded. Incidentally, a PSA 8 has a current market value of $120,000.
1953 Dell Annual Mickey Mantle – 5 books have been graded CGC 8 or better out of only 15 that have been graded to date.
It is also hard to compare the grading scales for these two collectibles. Frankly, it is easier to find a thick stock cardboard baseball card in high grade than it is to find a thin cover, pulp paper stock in a similar grade.
The asking prices for high-grade examples are all over the place. Seems many sellers are afraid to sell them at prices that are a reflection of what they paid. I pretty much ignore census reports as it is ever changing and have come up with a pricing matrix reflective of the desirability of the subject, the era, and finally the grade. You may not agree with my pricing, but you will at least see some consistency in it. As a result, you can acquire attractive encapsulated examples for $80 to $100 while high-grade examples of iconic players will set you back $300 or more.