Toasting to SI for Kids with a Glass of $2.8M Whiskey

Salutations, Collectors.

We stumbled upon a massive James Bond memorabilia auction at Ewbanks – 30,000 lots from the collection of a California schoolteacher – and now we’re kicking ourselves for not featuring it last week in issue 007… 

Ewbanks auctioned off half of the collection, including this original Dr. No poster (£24,700, inc. buyer fees), back in November, with the second half set for sale on March 7th. For a major Bond fan or secret agent, the upcoming auction is worth keeping a GoldenEye on. 

Alright, let’s shake this Martini and get into it. 

Collector’s Item

Last week news broke that Sports Illustrated was laying off staff and ceasing operations. While reports of the brand’s death are (potentially) greatly exaggerated, we couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for the good old days when we first discovered sports cards in the pages of SI for Kids. 

See, since its debut in ‘89, every SI for Kids mag has shown up at the mailbox with a 9-card insert featuring a mix of major league stars, up-and-coming names, talented amateurs, and athletes from non-stick-and-ball sports.  

For more than a generation, kids have discovered GOATS like Mia Hamm, Serena Williams, Tony Hawk, Tiger Woods, and Simone Biles, often appearing on a sports card for the first time in their careers, through SI for Kids. 

The cards weren’t created to be collectible (encouraging reading was the goal!), and in fact, SI made it nearly impossible to keep cards in good condition. The cardstock is thin. The cards are connected via perforations in the paper. Mail carriers slammed them into mailboxes, and kids pawed at the cards (likely with PB&J-covered hands), ripping them from the mag to tape them to bedroom walls.

As a result, SI for Kids cards in pristine condition have become major collectibles selling for eye-popping numbers. While many can still be had for a song, especially poorly graded or raw examples, a signed Mia Hamm card is currently listed for $33,333, an uncut sheet featuring Tiger Wood’s first-ever card is available for $20,000, a Tony Hawk is set at $6,450, and a Candace Parker rookie card is selling for $2,500.

The all-time record sale goes to a PSA 10, 1999 Serena Williams rookie card, which sold for $117,000 (!!) in January 2022. 

Will the current issue be the last to hit newsstands, ending an epic run of introducing kids to reading, trading cards, and generations of star athletes? We hope not. But if it is, it might be wise to scoop up the January/February issue while you can, which features cards of Chet Holmgren, Alissa Pili, Sam Coffey, Tyreek Hill, and more. If you can keep your hands free of PB&J, you might even end up with some valuable cards one day. 

Penny Thoughts

• When we drink whiskey here at Mantel HQ, we like ours neat and accompanied by a rare Fabergé Egg, which is why we were so stoked to learn about The Craft Irish Whiskey Co’s Emerald Isle offering. The 30-year-old hooch comes with said egg, a Fabergé wristwatch, a humidor, a gold-plated cigar cutter, and even… wait for it… a carafe of Irish spring water. Tasting notes call for toffee and old leatherbound books with a creamy meringue finish. If those flavors speak to you, the limited edition bottle and all its accouterments can be yours for around $2.8M. 

• Game-worn sports memorabilia continues to be one of the most fascinating, and ascendent, categories of collectibles right now. According to Altan Insights’ 2023 Sports Collectibles Market report, 52% of 7-figure sales in 2023 were for game-worn items, up from 24% in 2022. In fact, four of the top five sports memorabilia sales last year were for game-worn items, with a collection of Lionel Messi World Cup jerseys leading the way at $7.8M. Collectors and athletes are acclimating to a world where these jerseys can carry a massive premium, and we won’t be surprised if star players get more savvy about what to do with their gear after milestone performances.

Mantel Update

Thank you to everyone who has followed Mantel on Instagram, X.com, and TikTok since we launched two weeks ago. The early response has been super positive (533K plays on our post about a van from School of Rock!). We’ll keep curating the best collectibles content we can create or find, so stick around. 

We’re also inching closer to (officially) announcing Mantel and opening up our site to the masses. If you want special early access, each week we’re letting a few more brave souls in to hang out, poke around, and provide feedback. Interested? Reply to this email to let us know, and we’ll get you sorted!

And as usual, if you are digging this newsletter, send it to a friend, won’t you?