M116's

I'd like to know a bit about this set. I know one of our resident posters (Hi Mark), is working on the set, and I'd like to know what you know.

1) How many cards are in the set?

2) Do you collect the set and if so what draws you to them?

3) What are the toughest cards in the set?

4) Are they easy to find in high grade? How were they acquired back in the day?

5) How many card from the set do you have? How many do you have left to get? How many HOFers are in the set?

6) Why do some have blue backgrounds and some have pastel backgrounds?

7) What is the toughness (if any) of the 3 types of back variations?

8) Anything else you want to share about the set?

The reason I ask, is because honestly this is one of the sets I know the least about.

There was a very in depth article in Old Cardboard #18 on the set. When the article came out OC added a great checklist to their site that includes a rarity rating for each player, variation, and for each of the 3 possible backs.

I don't collect the set but I am trying the impossible task of putting all of the Lionel Cater collection Boston National players back together. I have 4 of 16.

Hi Eric...I am typing this quick since i need to get my son from camp but i love the set and i am selling a few to clean things out a bit but still have a bunch i will keep.


1) How many cards are in the set? 327

2) Do you collect the set and
if so what draws you to them? yes, they are portraits.

3) What are the toughest cards in
the set? Wood, Coveleski, Shean,

4) Are they easy to find in high grade? How were they
acquired back in the day? somewhat, send in 4 cents and an ad from newspaper to get 12 cards i believe.

5) How many card from the set do you
have? How many do you have left to get? How many HOFers are in the
set? 45, lots

6) Why do some have blue backgrounds and some have pastel
backgrounds? 1st series came out with the blues....pastels followed

7) What is the toughness (if any) of the 3 types
of back variations? Over 300 subjects.

8) Anything else you want to share about the
set? Get the Old Cardboard mag that talks about this set, written by Tim N. and you will know all you need to know.

First M116 bought by myself was a Joe Tinker PSA 4 Black back, and most recent was a Smokey Joe Wood (bought raw) graded to a PSA 2 (MK).


Mark

Is Speaker one of the tougher M116's? I've seen a few sell for surprisingly high prices over the years....so I always assumed it was a toughie because of that.

Not many people who own the Speaker sell it....just like the Wood. It is a great portrait of him and who ever the artist was got these portraits down pat except for 2 cards in the set. Amos Strunk and i forgot the other guy but will look later.

I think most, if not all the portraits were done by Carl Horner.

Jay

Yes, i believe you are correct...must have had his 10 year old draw those other 2 since they look like a crude cartoon.

Oh god.....you're right Mark, that Strunk is hideous! I want one!

Can't say I've ever seen that Strunk card before.

Jay

fisherboy7 wrote:Oh god.....you're right Mark, that Strunk is hideous! I want one!

Yeah, no kidding. How tough is the Strunk? I want one too, just because it's a funny looking card. Almost has a MAD magazine feel to it.


And does anyone here own a Speaker? Would be interested in seeing a scan (too lazy to look it up).

The speaker card is one of my favorites of him.
Any card of speaker that uses the Horner Portrait is great.
The Colgans has the same portrait.

The Strunk is not tough at all....a PSA 6 a while back sold for around $110 i think.

crazylocomerk wrote:4) Are they easy to find in high grade? How were they acquired back in the day?

M116's are actually among the easiest prewar cards to find in mid-high grade.

Are you sure they were redemption cards Mark? I always thought they were issued as part of the Sporting Life magazine, which jives with the cards being commonly found in high grades - they would have stood the test of time very well between those magazine pages.

Edit: Old Cardboard tells me that they were packaged in envelopes and sold in 24 series of 12 cards each. I just learned something new.

Ben...from what i know, the only way to get them is to be a subscriber to the mag and you needed a cut-out from such mag. which you would send in 4 cents and get an envelope with cards in it.

Old cardboard article explains it all, i have a copy myself and will read through it this weekend.

Here's my Speaker ... as well as an Envelope that the cards came in. This one looks like it contained Philadelphia Athletic cards.

I am not 100% sure, but I think the Plank came in this envelope. My memory is failing me, but I think I got them in the same lot in an auction a couple years ago.

Square_Frame_Ramly wrote:Ben...from what i know, the only way to get them is to be a subscriber to the mag and you needed a cut-out from such mag. which you would send in 4 cents and get an envelope with cards in it.

Thanks for explaining, Mark. So they were sent in team sets by request....send in your coupon with 4 cents and you get the envelope with your cards mailed back to you by the company. Makes sense. Also understandable why M116's would have survived in better condition than T/E cards that were packaged right alongside the tobacco/candy product.

BTW....nice cards King. That Speaker is indeed a beauty.

There is a great article on PSA web site where a hoard of them were found in philli still in envelopes and cards got graded by PSA, most got 8,9 with a few 10's....We all know who owns those, The Whales.

Square_Frame_Ramly wrote:There is a great article on PSA web site where a hoard of them were found in philli still in envelopes and cards got graded by PSA, most got 8,9 with a few 10's....We all know who owns those, The Whales.

Wow! Some 10's? I would love to see a 10. I'd also love to see the envelope that they came it to be that pristine.

The Cincinnati version of Johnny Bates is no walk in the park, either.
http://ebay.oldjudge.com/archive/200604/baseball/headliners/5/#a

Here are some more legendary rarities within the set:

http://ebay.oldjudge.com/archive/200404/baseball/3/

http://ebay.oldjudge.com/archive/200711/m116/52/

http://ebay.oldjudge.com/archive/200711/m116/53/

20k for that Bates variation? WOW. Never realized there were rarities within the M116 set with that kind of demand.


What's the deal with the black and white M116's? There's one in that Seymour lot that Zach just posted.

Wow...that's the Seymour which i believe Tim N. confirmed as a extremely super rare card and is the only B/W i have seen.