1916 Cigarette Baseball Cards Price Guide – M101-4 Series
The 1916 M101-4 series of cigarette baseball cards produced by American Tobacco Company featured players from the National League and Federal League. These vintage baseball cards provide a glimpse into the early 20th century of professional baseball and are highly collectible among sports memorabilia enthusiasts. This price guide will examine the key details of the 1916 M101-4 series and provide estimated value ranges for the different player cards in the set.
Background and Production
American Tobacco Company had been producing baseball cards as promotional inserts in cigarette packs since 1909. Their 1915 and 1916 series focused on the National League and included some players from the upstart Federal League, which operated as a third major league from 1914-1915. The 1916 M101-4 series was printed using a lithographic process and consisted of 48 total cards issued over multiple packs of cigarettes. Each pack would contain between 1-5 cards at random to encourage repeat purchases by collectors.
The cards measure approximately 2.5 x 3 inches and feature a color portrait of the player in uniform on the front. The backs have a blank white space. Production runs were quite large for the time, with millions of sets issued, which has resulted in most 1916 M101-4 cards being relatively common in the today’s market, even over 100 years later. There are still some key short prints and more valuable individual player cards that can fetch higher prices.
Notable Players and Short Prints
Some of the most notable future Hall of Fame players featured in the 1916 M101-4 set include Nap Lajoie, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Edd Roush, and Dave Bancroft. Their individual cards are not particularly rare. One of the true “short prints” of the set that is significantly harder to find is pitcher Rube Marquard’s card, which has an estimated population of only around 500 surviving copies. His card routinely sells for over $1000 in top-graded condition.
Other short prints that are also quite valuable include outfielders Benny Kauff and George Starr. Kauff was a speedster who stole over 100 bases several times, while Starr was a solid hitter and defender for several NL clubs. Their scarcity, coupled with their importance as early 20th century players, pushes their individual card values up considerably compared to more common cards from the set. Graded examples of Kauff and Starr have sold for $500-800 each.
Condition and Grading
As with any vintage issue, condition is absolutely critical to the value of 1916 M101-4 baseball cards. Even small bends, creases or edge wear can downgrade a card significantly. The most desirable copies will be sharp, well-centered examples that grade high on the standard 1-10 Sheets/Beckett grading scale. A grade of NM-MT 7 is usually where most valuable examples top out in terms of condition due to the age of the cards. Anything grading 8 or higher would be truly exceptional.
It’s estimated that less than 5% of issued 1916 M101-4 cards would grade above a 5 today just based on simple survival odds over the past 100+ years. As such, high graded examples will demand big premiums. A PSA/BGS 8 Rube Marquard could conceivably sell for $2500-3500, while a 9 would be worth $5000 or more. Even more common players like Alexander or Lajoie can reach $100-200 in top-graded NM-MT 7 condition.
Price Guide and Valuation
Here is a general price guide for the 1916 M101-4 baseball card issue based on average sales over the past few years:
Common Players (80% of set) in NM-MT 6 condition: $10-25
All-Star Level Players in NM-MT 7: $50-150
Hall of Famers in NM-MT 7: $75-250
Benny Kauff in NM-MT 7: $300-500
George Starr in NM-MT 7: $250-450
Rube Marquard in PSA 7: $500-1000
Rube Marquard in PSA 8: $1500-2500
Rube Marquard in PSA 9: $3000-5000
Keep in mind this is just a general guide – individual auctions can always vary based on current market conditions and level of bidder interest. The condition and eye appeal of each specific card will also impact its exact price. But this should provide collectors with a solid baseline for estimating values of 1916 M101-4 cards in different grades. With such a long and rich history in the game, issues like this from baseball’s early 20th century remain a fascinating area for memorabilia enthusiasts.
While most 1916 M101-4 baseball cards are obtainable even for beginning collectors, the true short prints and highest graded examples can sell for thousands due to their extreme rarity surviving over a century. For those chasing the elite condition cards of legends like Marquard, Kauff and others, deep pockets are required. But affordable common cards are still available to build full sets and enjoy pieces of sports history from this classic cigarette issue era. The 1916 M101-4s offer a great look at the National League and Federal League during a fascinating transition period in early pro baseball.
