MagCollect
The 10 Most Expensive Sports Illustrated Covers Sold in 2026 (So Far)
A PSA 9.6 copy of the June 18, 1956 Mickey Mantle issue sold for $328,180 this June, the top magazine sale we've recorded all year. Here are the ten most expensive Sports Illustrated issues to sell at Goldin in 2026 so far.
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#2 · First SI cover
Michael Jordan & Sam Perkins — November 28, 1983
$229,360
PSA 9.6 · newsstand · sold March 2026
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#9 · First SI cover
Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson — April 27, 1998
$11,590
PSA 9.8 · newsstand · sold June 2026
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What the list tells us
First covers rule. 9 of the ten are sold as a player's first Sports Illustrated cover. The exception, a December 1987 issue, features Michael Jordan, who has more covers in our catalog than any other athlete.
Grade is everything. The same 1983 Jordan issue sold three times at Goldin this year: $229,360 in PSA 9.6, $79,910 in CGC 9.2 and $17,080 in PSA 8.0. Less than two grade points was worth more than $200,000.
All ten are newsstand copies. Newsstand copies were sold in stores and have no mailing label. Subscription copies were mailed with a label printed on the cover, and collectors pay far less for them. A CGC 9.2 newsstand copy of the 1996 Tiger Woods issue sold for $1,129 at Goldin in July; a CGC 9.2 subscription copy of the same issue sold there for $110 last year.
Modern issues can join the club. Lionel Messi's June 9, 2014 cover is the youngest issue here. A CGC 9.8 copy sold for $31,720.
How we built this list
From the sales MagCollect records for every issue in its catalog: Goldin auction results sold between January 1 and October 27, 2026, approved by our team, with autographed copies left out. Each issue appears once, at its highest sale. Prices are Goldin's final prices, which include the buyer's premium. "First SI cover" is how Goldin listed the issue. eBay sales are not included because Best Offer listings don't always show the accepted price.
See every recorded sale for an issue by opening it in MagCollect. Want more? Here's every Michael Jordan magazine cover.
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