EDITORIAL: If you're wondering if the issue at the end of the year got caught up in your spam filters, uh, it didn't, there wasn't one. Sorry about that. I got a little too caught up in stocking the new store and a little too busy camping out on the couch during the more respectable hours of the day over the holidays to rouse up enough initiative to put one together. But here I am, back!

Truth be told, I've pulled out three or four magazines since our last, somewhat lackluster, issue, and really couldn't get myself involved in them the way I had before. So, the heck with it, I thought, if I can't do it right, I'm not going to force it.

So, I'm trying out a slightly different model this issue. Thus, the editorial heading at the top of this intro, no, I'm not tackling some serious mind-boggling issue here, it's just part one of a different format, whereby I get my personal thoughts out of the way. What I've done below is more of a collection of random articles than random issues this time around, with a news, entertainment, sport and even advertising section.

Why change what worked? Well, like I said, I couldn't really get into it--though I did try. But over the past couple of months I did run across a number of specific articles inside magazines both listed for sale or simply received, that I felt like sharing. Each is a little too long for a posting on my somewhat limited, though still worthwhile, blog. Does this mean I won't do an issue the way I had been doing them, nope, not at all. As I mentioned early on regarding Random Issues, I want to try and keep the format flexible.

Hope you like it!
--Cliff

BUSINESS: Truth be told auctions have been on the slow side and there have been bargains to be found. There are definitely some choice items up for bids in the coming week, beginning with a batch of World War I era issues of Collier's ending tonight, followed by a bit of a mixed bag on Thursday which includes an issue of Saturday Evening Post with a Rockwell cover and a J.D. Salinger story inside (condition issues on this one though, so please be sure to read the description carefully). Friday night is the next grouping of several early 1930's issues of the Mid-Week Pictorial that I had picked up, these are highlighted by the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Number (and if you collect Coolidge or Presidential ephemera, you'll want this one!), one issue with a great image of the Graf Zeppelin on the cover, and another featuring perhaps the best Babe Ruth cover that I've ever seen! Next week starts with a batch of late 1960's-early 70's Partisan Review, one of which includes a 15 page illustrated story by Edward Gorey. Finally, I've listed some sports magazines to end next Tuesday night including a half dozen issues of The Sporting News from 1930. If ever a week's listings should snap a slump, this would be it!

PRIZE: Back in Volume 1, Number 10 of this newsletter I asked "How do you store your vintage magazine collection?" Well, nobody replied. I'm still curious about this and I can't help to think that by the lack of response a few of you would like to know as well. So, what to do? How about $10 off at the new store on any purchase for the best answer? So, I'll try again, what I'd like to know is how you store and/or display your magazine collection. Whichever answer I like best or find most informative will be published here next issue and the writer gets a coupon for $10 off any purchase totaling $10 or more from my store (not eBay). Just let me know how/if you'd like your name published if I select your reply. Only Random Issues subscribers are eligible.

SUBSCRIBER NOTE: Don't forget, you have access to a couple of pages on the site that regular site visitors can't visit. These are our archives for "Random Notes" from our blog, which disappear from the site every ten posts and "Buyer and Seller Tips", which can only be found in issues of this newsletter.

This month the password is: deleted from archived version

ADVERTISEMENT: No way I can let you keep reading without some advertising. Not from me this time, but from the past. Below we have an ad for Cream of Wheat featuring it's famed character Rastus. An article in the Journal of Antiques and Collectibles notes the first Rastus appearance as having come in the November 1896 issue of Ladies' Home Journal. The ads below come from issues of The Modern Priscilla in 1916, pretty much in the middle of what the linked article notes as the hey day for Rastus print ads, the period from approximately 1908-1925.
 

ENTERTAINMENT SECTION: The American Magazine - January 1936.
From this issue we take a look at the article "Whozinnit?" by A.H. Blank. Blank begins the article with his credentials, he's president of two motion picture theater corporations in Des Moines, in charge of the operation of 75 motion picture theaters in 35 cities and towns in Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois. Blank uses these qualifications to talk about which movie stars are most popular with the public.

By way of comparison he notes a top ten list recently published in a movie magazine which was compiled from 352 critics from all over the United States. In order, their top ten was:
1. Charles Laughton
2. Claudette Colbert
3. George Arliss
4. Clark Gable
5. Leslie Howard
6. Norma Shearer
7. Greta Garbo
8.Will Rogers
9. Shirley Temple
10. Helen Hayes.

Blank notes that this may be the majority opinion on the coasts, but not in his part of the country. Based on theater attendance over the previous year, here's how Blank ranks them:
1. Will Rogers
2. Shirley Temple
3.Clark Gable
4. Mae West
5. Norma Shearer
6. Bing Crosby
7. Claudette Colbert
8. Myrna Loy
9. Joan Crawford
10. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

What jumps out at me is that the critics are a little more highbrow based on Blank's omissions: Laughton, Arliss, Howard, Garbo, Hayes; as well as his substitutions: West, Crawford, Loy, Crosby, Astaire and Rogers. Totally different audiences for sure and as far as mass appeal I'm with Blank. In fact, I think it's safe to say time has backed him up as well.

Blank expands the top ten by noting that after the death of Will Rogers, each of his ten move up a notch and Al Jolson breaks into the list at number 10. If you're interested in a deeper ranking, please be sure to subscribe to my other newsletter, The Movie Profiles and Premiums Newsletter, where I will include Blank's top 53 (which is a little strange, why not top 50? Oh well, we'll take the extras as bonus).
 

SPORTS SECTION: Sport Magazine - July 1986. The cover story in this issue was written by one of the more important off-the-field figures of the past 25 years or so, Bill James. James's article "Who Will Make the Hall of Fame" caught my eye since I came across it soon after Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn's elections to Cooperstown.

James, the father of sabermetrics, devised a point system to project the Hall-worthiness of a number of then-active players. The basics of his system awards a number of points to each player based upon certain accomplishments. James explains that he examined after the fact voting patterns of the past and tested the system with some accuracy on retired players ranging from the biggest superstars to the mediocre scrubs. Let's see how he did 21 years later.

He divides the players of '86 into categories based upon age, scores each and comments on each. His comments range from one line to several paragraphs. Here I'll include all of the players he mentioned, their score, and quote portions of his comments. Regarding the actual points awarded, James explains that anybody receiving over 100 points is pretty much sure to be a Hall of Famer. He establishes the range of 70 to 130 points as a gray area: "some players who are in there will go in, others will not." He further clarifies, those who fail to reach 70 points have little chance of ever going into the Hall, while those over 130 are pretty much locks. I placed an asterisk (*) before a players name if they have been elected as of 2007. Here we go:

Players born 1947 or before (Age 39 and older at the time):
Pete Rose - 308 points. "...the most overwhelmingly qualified Hall of Fame candidate among active players. He will probably be the first player to be unanimously elected..."
*Tom Seaver - 234 points. "...long since been certain to go into the Hall of Fame."
*Steve Carlton - 223 points.
*Reggie Jackson - 146 points. "...is now a certain Hall of Famer."
*Nolan Ryan - 144 points. James writes that "I personally would not vote for him" but note that his accomplishments make him a sure thing.
*Phil Niekro - 139 points. Mentions Niekro may have to wait up to 10 years, but is likely to go in.
*Rollie Fingers - 134 points. "The system for evaluating relief pitchers is largely based on an intuitive feel for what things should mean....I would assume, and the system reflects, that he is very near to being an automatic selection."
*Don Sutton - 119 points. An interesting entry, in fact, James spends more words on Sutton than anyone else. He talks about lowering the bar for certain players and how that reflects poorly on the overall quality of the Hall, but goes on to say "there is no player comparable to Don Sutton who is not in the Hall of Fame.
Al Oliver - 111 points. "...very likely to make it to the Hall of Fame in time."
Bob Boone - 74 points. "...entered the gray area, and has at this point a slight chance of eventually being selected to the Hall of Fame."
Jose Cruz - 24 points. "...almost no chance..."

Players born 1948-1951 (Ages 35 - 38 at time of writing)
*Mike Schmidt - 183 points. "Among players still in the productive part of their careers...most certain to go into the Hall of Fame."
Steve Garvey - 116 points. "...in the strong gray area...very little question he'll go in."
Ted Simmons - 116 points. "...very likely, although not certain, to achieve eventual recognition..."
Dave Parker - 103 points. Obliquely referring to the cocaine scandal in the early 80's, James suggests Parker will have to accumulate over the 130 points before he retires to make it in.
Ron Guidry - 100 points. His "performance over the last three seasons...has made him a very strong Hall of Fame candidate."
Cecil Cooper - 97 points. "Unless his productivity ends now...has an excellent chance..."
Goose Gossage - 93 points. "...well positioned to gain Hall of Fame support..."
Dave Concepcion - 79 points. James compares Concepcion's case to Larry Bowa's, but says Davey's is stronger because of his team's postseason success and because he's four years younger than Bowa.
Bert Blyleven - 74 points. "...continues to make inexorable progress...although he would be very unlikely to go into the Hall of Fame if his arm blew out in 1986."
*Dave Winfield - 73 points. Comments that Winny has entered the gray area and "his eventual selection seems fairly likely."
Bobby Grich - 39 points. "...no reason to think that Bobby Grich will go into the Hall of Fame," though he personally likes him and compares Grich with Joe Gordon and Tony Lazzeri.

Players Born 1952 - 1955 (Ages 31 - 34 at time of writing)
*George Brett - 145 points. "...the only player among those in this age group who has virtually locked up a spot..."
Jim Rice - 131 points. "His career totals will probably make him an automatic selection within a year or two," though James doesn't like Rice as much as Winfield.
*Bruce Sutter - 91 points. Entire comment: "One would have to assume Bruce Sutter has a very nice corner on immortality."
*Gary Carter - 75 points. "...if he remains productive for two or three more years, he should be a very strong candidate..."
*Robin Yount - 73 points. James comments that Yount isn't quite a Hall of Famer yet, but given his youth and early start he expects that he will be.
Jack Morris - 47 points. "Among the starting pitchers of his generation, Jack Morris is te one who is making the strongest progress toward the Hall of Fame."
Andre Dawson - 41 points. "...will not make the Hall of Fame unless he is able to overcome the knees and play better than he has the last two seasons."
Scott McGregor - 36 points. "...outside chance..."
Frank Tanana - 32 points. After a great start injuries took over for Tanana. James writes "If he were to have a 20-win season, he would reemerge as a serious Hall of Fame candidate. Short of that, he has no chance."
Jack Clark - 17 points.

Players born 1956 - 1960 (Ages 26 - 30 at time of writing)
Dale Murphy - 91 points. Entire comment: "Dale Murphy will go into the Hall of Fame."
*Eddie Murray - 73 points. Entered the gray area.
*Wade Boggs - 58 points. "He will go."
*Cal Ripken - 58 points. "...it seems quite possible that Ripken might be one of those rare players, like Aaron, Ruth, Rose and Cobb, who reach totals of three or four hundred" (James referring to this particular point system).
Dave Steib - 30 points. "...compiling a very impressive log of accomplishments, and he well might make it." But not really close yet.
Lance Parrish - 29 points. "making good strides toward the Hall of Fame."
Lou Whitaker - 29 points. "making excellent early progress toward the Hall of Fame."
Mario Soto - 27 points. "His chances are very slim."
Dave Righetti - 14 points. "He's very much a longshot at this time."

Interesting that the system is accurate, as expected, for the oldest group (and I always personally liked Al Oliver, but that was surprising!), but is more accurate for younger groups than it is for the second most established group of age 35-38 players. Schmidt would be tough to miss, but Winfield's the only other one of that group that makes it in to this date (back to 2007). While Gossage and Blyleven both receive their share of votes and both have a good chance of still gaining entrance via the writer's vote, of those ranking above them only Garvey and Parker managed to remain on the ballot! (Furthermore, Garvey just completed his 15th and final season of eligibility on the BBWAA ballot.) Twenty years ago I probably would have given Simmons a better shot, but he was never really a serious candidate, and I think Guidry and Cooper are considered so well because they're expected to put up some more solid seasons, which neither really did at this point. I'd probably put Concepcion in that Guidry/Cooper group and behind Simmons in my own rankings, but somehow he remains on the ballot and was one of the few to actually gain in percentage of votes received this year (still under 14%).

All in all a very interesting article though, one I'd love to see repeated with today's ballplayers.

FINAL THOUGHTS: That was fun and put itself together pretty well I think. It lights a little fire under me too, now I'm really looking forward to unearthing some gems inside the issues I work on for February. Once again if you're looking for magazines to buy check out my eBay Auctions for the choicest new items and my store for hundreds of items priced to sell. I've had some sales there now, a few paid by PayPal, a couple by credit cards to customers in the U.S. and U.K. and everything is running smooth. Hope to see you pass through one of those venues, and if not, I'll talk to you at the end of the short month coming up in our next issue of Random Issues.