Sports Illustrated 25th Anniversary Swimsuit Issue Value Guide

This landmark 1989 edition celebrates a quarter-century of the swimsuit franchise, featuring Kathy Ireland's iconic first cover appearance photographed in Mexico. It remains a quintessential collectible from the late 1980s supermodel era and stands as one of the publication's all-time best-selling issues.

What Is Sports Illustrated 25th Anniversary Swimsuit Issue Worth?

The typical price range for Sports Illustrated 25th Anniversary Swimsuit Issue is $8 - $9 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• Overall physical condition, including spine stress, corner creases, and page yellowing.
• Presence or absence of the original subscriber mailing label on the front cover.
• Completeness of the magazine, including all internal advertising inserts and fold-outs.
• Market demand for Kathy Ireland memorabilia and 1980s sports culture collectibles.

How to Identify Sports Illustrated 25th Anniversary Swimsuit Issue?

• Verify the cover features Kathy Ireland wearing a yellow bikini on a beach in Mexico.
• Check for the '25th Anniversary' branding prominently displayed on the front cover.
• Confirm the publication date of February 1989 and the photographer credit to Paulo Curto.
• Ensure the presence of the original mailing label or a clean 'newsstand' cover without a label.

History of Sports Illustrated 25th Anniversary Swimsuit Issue

This iconic 25th-anniversary issue features Kathy Ireland on her first of three cover appearances. Photographed by Paulo Curto on Mexico's Pacific coast, this issue remains one of the most recognizable and best-selling swimsuit editions in the publication's history, marking a peak in the supermodel era of the late 1980s.