Sports Illustrated -- Issue #1 (August 16th, 1954): With The Publisher's Original Shipping Envelope!! -

New York: Time Inc, 1954. Original wraps. Near Fine. A very impressive copy of the August 16th, 1954 maiden issue of Sports Illustrated. This copy is clean, crisp and Near Fine in its pictorial wrappers (with the complete 6 pg. Topps baseball card fold-out in beautiful condition). It shows just a touch of very light creasing at the foot of the spine and, happily, has no address label on the iconic cover (which of course bears the photograph of Hall of Fame 3rd baseman Eddie Matthews at the plate for the Milwaukee Braves in a night game against the New York Giants). THE MOST NOTABLE FEATURE TO THIS COPY THOUGH IS THAT IT INCLUDES THE PUBLISHER'S VERY UNCOMMON PICTORIAL SHIPPING ENVELOPE. The envelope shows some inevitable wear along the edges and light soiling to the rear cover. It also does have an address label at the front cover but, even as such, is undoubtedly very elusive and has clearly kept the magazine itself in bright, lovely condition. A true collector's item in its original shipping envelope, which this bookseller has never before encountered.