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M101 4 BASEBALL CARDS

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The 1986 Topps M101-4 baseball card set holds a special place in the hearts of many collectors for its innovative design and inclusion of some of the game’s biggest stars from that era. Containing a total of 792 cards across the set, the 1986 Topps release marked a departure from the classic backs that baseball cards had traditionally featured up to that point. Instead of the usual player stats and biography, Topps opted for a colorful graphic design on the reverse of each card that highlighted key facts about the player in an eye-catching layout. While somewhat controversial with purists at the time, the modern design proved popular with younger collectors and has since become a iconic set that is still widely recognized today within the hobby.

Some key details about the 1986 Topps M101-4 release and what makes it such an important issue historically include:

Roster: The set contains photos and stats for nearly every notable player in Major League Baseball during the 1986 season. Future Hall of Famers like Wade Boggs, Rickey Henderson, Mike Schmidt, and Ozzie Smith are all prominently featured. Rookies included players like Mark McGwire, Greg Maddux, and Roberto Alomar.

Design: On the front of each card is a large color photo of the player in action. The back featured a bright red, white, and blue color scheme with textual highlights of things like the player’s position, batting stats, career highlights. Bar codes were also included on the backs for the first time.

Parallels: In addition to the base set, Topps also released factory sets, insert sets featuring traded players, and special “Traded” parallels showing players after trades occurred midseason. A rare error card of Donruss founder Don Mossi was also mistakenly included by Topps in the set.

Popularity: Upon release, the 1986 Topps M101-4 cards were an immediate success with collectors both young and old. The novel graphic design hooked many new collectors at a time when the hobby was taking off in popularity. It remains one of the most iconic mainstream issues ever produced.

The innovation of the card backs certainly turned some collectors off initially, but Topps was really just ahead of its time by embracing graphic design elements before they had fully infiltrated popular culture. Despite criticism, the bold new look paid off by drawing in even more people to the collecting hobby. In the decades since, the 1986 Topps set has only grown more revered with nostalgia. Many who collected it as kids still obtain high-grade examples to this day.

Part of what makes the 1986 Topps cards so special is that they capture a unique moment in the game’s history. The 1980s produced some true icon players and teams that defined eras. In 1986, the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox battled in one of the greatest World Series of all time. Rookies like Mark McGwire and Roger Clemens were just getting started on legendary careers. Stars like Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, and Rickey Henderson dominated the sport. The cards are a nice historical capsule from that time period.

Condition and population reports also point to the strong enduring demand for the 1986 Topps M101-4 set. Higher grade copies have appreciated greatly in secondary market value in recent decades. Many individual cards now command prices in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars if graded and preserved well. Similarly, complete original factory sets can achieve five-figure prices. This speaks volumes about how this product has cemented itself as a true classic within the collecting community.

While change was controversial at the time of their release, the 1986 Topps cards truly set the standard for innovative baseball card design and production that still influences sets even today. Their graphic backs opened the door to more visually interesting treatments that broadened the hobby’s reach. For both their historical player and team content, as well as the impact they had on the industry as a whole, the 1986 Topps M101-4 baseball cards rightfully stand out as one of the most important and investable issues ever produced. Their legacy ensures this classic set will remain a prized possession for collectors for generations to come.

BASEBALL CARDS PRICE GUIDE 1916 M101 4

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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.