Looking at Mike Trout's first SI cover and some rookie cards
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Almost exactly 13 years ago, Mike Trout was featured on his first ever Sports Illustrated magazine cover. Released on August 27, 2012, the cover features a young Trout, barely a year into his career.
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He was drafted 25th overall by the Angels, using the compensation pick from the Yankees for signing Mark Teixeira. Trout had a successful minor league hitting .352, .341, .326, and .403 (20 games) over his first four seasons in the minors.
He didn't make that much noise during this first stint in the majors, with a batting average of just .220 and five home runs in 40 games. But in 2012, he exploded. He hit .326 with 30 home runs and 83 RBI over 139 games.
His Rookie Was in 2011 Topps Update
One of the most recognizable cards in the game is Trout's rookie card from 2011 Topps Update. The pop count on the 6,773 PSA 10s leads to cards selling for around $800 today. However, this card has seen the peak of the mountain and was valued around four figures at one point.
According to Card Ladder, just before the COVID boom and right around the time he won his third MVP award in 2019, this card went for $1,142.75. When the offseason hit, it dipped down to around $800-$900 but quickly went back up to the thousands when the 2020 season started. However, just forward to 2021 and this card was in massive decline.
Card Ladder's sales data shows that on February 6, 2021, this card sold for a whopping $6,268.63. That number is just incredible for a paper base card. In 2011 there weren't nearly the amount of SKUs as made today. With the limited chances to have a card with the rookie shield, it makes sense with the way the market was how this card went for so much.
Currently, the value of this card sits around between $700 and $900, with the latest recorded sale on August 24, 2025, going for $750.
As crazy as it is to think about a base paper going for four figures, there is also a market for graded magazine covers. CGC is one of the most prominent companies when it comes to graded magazines and comic books.
Currently on eBay, there are many listed with varying prices, depending on the grade. From a 9.6 listed for $750 to a 9 listed at $75, there are price points all over the place. The above piece sold for $250 on July 19, 2025, according to eBay sold listings.
After graduating from the University of North Dakota in 2008, Cole worked as an advertising copywriter until shifting to print journalism a few years later. Managing three weekly newspapers in the Dakotas, Cole won numerous awards from the North Dakota Newspaper Association including Best of the Dakotas and, their top award, General Excellence. He returned to collecting in 2021 and has since combined his passion for writing with his love of cards. Cole also writes for the Sports Cards Nonsense newsletter and has made guest appearances on multiple sports card collecting podcasts including Sports Cards Nonsense, and the Eephus Baseball Cards Podcast. IG: coleryan411 X: @colebenz