Our sole house phone rang. It was my friend Greg, “Turn on ESPN. Now. You still have those old Sports Illustrated for Kids mags, right?” I flipped through channels and caught the tail end of a segment on Tiger Woods’ rookie card—one not from Upper Deck or Topps, but from a perforated magazine insert. It had just sold at auction for $125,000.
If you grew up in the ’90s, Sports Illustrated for Kids cards were more than just collectibles—they were a cultural touchstone. Torn from their perforated sheets with varying degrees of patience, carelessly shoved into backpacks, lockers, and drawers, most cards barely survived adolescence. Those that did were rarely "mint" in any meaningful sense; perfect centering and crisp edges remain mythical. And that elusive PSA 10? Nearly impossible. These cards were never meant to survive intact.
Still, the beauty of SI for Kids (SIFK) cards lies in what they represent. Launched in 1989, they gave collectors a first look at future icons—Tiger, Serena, LeBron, Tony Hawk, Simone Biles—often before the rest of the world knew who they were. Many were athletes in sports that had no mainstream card sets. Some were still in high school.
Still thriving today, these cards have evolved into coveted gems, igniting bidding wars and frantic hunts for that impossible PSA 10. Here, according to my totally unscientific but passionately argued ranking, are the top SI for Kids cards ever printed.
S Tier - Important Pieces or Sport History
Tiger Woods Rookie 1996 Sports Illustrated for Kids II #536
The most important and culturally significant SI For Kids card by a large margin. Before Tiger was a golfing legend, he was immortalized as a teenage prodigy in the pages of SI Kids. Recognized today as one of the hobby’s most influential modern sports cards, Woods' SI Kids rookie remains highly sought after by collectors due to its rarity, historical significance, and condition sensitivity. Only 22 PSA 10 examples of this card exist. Often viewed as the card that elevated SI for Kids inserts into mainstream collecting, Tiger's 1996 rookie remains the benchmark for all other SI Kids cards.
PSA 10 Population: 22 | PSA 9 Population: 200
Recent PSA 10 Price: $45,600 (May 2023)
Serena Williams Rookie 1999 Sports Illustrated for Kids #814
Before Serena Williams redefined women's tennis—and women's sports overall—her first-ever sports card appeared in the pages of Sports Illustrated for Kids. Released in 1999, this card quietly captured Serena at the very beginning of a groundbreaking ...
