Will Michael Phelps' Sports Illustrated Cover Be Hard to Find?

Why Even Magazine Subscribers Might Need to Check Their Mailboxes

I love magazines. I actually collect them. I've subscribed to many magazines over the years and have had some issues never arrive in my mailbox - even though I have a subscription! This has happened to other people I know, even those who aren't in my neighborhood. Having owned an Audrey Hepburn magazine that soared in value almost as soon as it hit the newstands, I know that some magazines can have limited editions and disappear from store shelves, snapped up by collectors. Certain issues are rarer than others (sometimes). Will Michael Phelps Sports Illustrated cover, one that seems to be bear a striking resemblance to one of Mark Spitz, be equally popular and will it be hard to find?

Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz, Sports Illustrated, Barack Obama and John McCain

Perhaps you never thought you'd see those four names together. However, they all have one thing in common. All have appeared on controversial or popular magazine covers. Mark Spitz appeared on Sports Illustrated after winning seven gold medals in 1972. Black and white photos of that shot can be seen in many places, including this one showing a comparison between Mark Spitz and MIchael Phelps, both posed in similar positions, hand on hips, smiles on faces: www.nydailynews.com/sports/2008olympics/2008/08/18/2008-08-18_recordsetting_michael_phelps_emulates_ma-2.html
with some differences, of course (Mark Spitz had his rather controversial mustache, of course).

Barack Obama appeared on a controversial New Yorker cover, easily found online as well. You can check Ebay at www.ebay.com if you feel inclined to see examples, as you can (as of this writing) for the McCain cover on Vanity Fair. It was roundly criticized by many and praised by others.