1910-12 Sporting Life Set (M116)

‘It’s In The Details’
Title | M116 Sporting Life |
Year | 1910-12 |
Size | 1 1/2″ x 2 3/4″ |
Images | Color |
Type | Publications |
Number in Set |
287 (400+ in master checklist) |
M116 Sporting Life Overview
The 1910-12 M116 Sporting Life set was listed as having 288 cards in the American Card Catalog. Some of the backs of the cards state there are more than 300 subjects. And to date, the number is somewhere around 400. While not a tobacco or candy card set, I believe there is great future potential for these cards.
The set is almost always listed as a 1910-11 issue as grading companies and publications have stated it as such. However, as newspaper advertisements clearly show, cards were still being distributed into 1912.
It’s no surprise that the exact number of cards in the set is a mystery. A discovery in 2013 brought the total count to 400 cards. But if that’s any indication, it’s quite possible we could see more cards continue to surface in future years. This massive issue is one of the largest sets in the pre-war era.
The cards feature color portrait images of baseball players. The simple look has their name and team printed in the bottom white border. Similar to the rare E103 Williams Caramel cards, only portrait shots are included in the set. Because the cards have a series of blue, green, and yellow backgrounds, they are often referred to as featuring ‘pastel’ colors.
A total of 24 series were initially sold with 12 cards in each, which is where the initial 288 number comes from. However, all checklists I have seen reference only 287 cards.
Later cards with updates were then offered after those. The cards are colorful with full color pictures on the front along with a player’s name and team. There were three different backs printed in the series – one of which advertised more than 300 Sporting Life cards. The cards were originally offered in 24 different series with each series consisting of 12 cards. The series’ were available by mail in exchange for a coupon and four cents per series. Collectors could also by them for nine cents without the coupon.
While these cards are relatively known, new surprises are still cropping up in the form of new variations. Big finds are still happening, too. A massive collection of more than 300 of these cards was found in Philadelphia nearly 100 years after their creation. More than 100 high-grade examples were discovered in 2015. Because this series was so large, additional large finds are still likely to occur as the years go by.
These cards are generally somewhat tough to come by. The prices for them do not seem to be based on the rarity at all as collectors have flocked more to tobacco and candy cards instead.
Note that rarity is also largely dependent upon how many of a particular series was even ordered, similar to things such as the Topps Living Set. Some cards will be tougher to find than others if a particular series was not sent away for as much as others.
Varying Ad Backs and Portrait Backgrounds
Different ad backs are known for this set. One ad back has a crossed bats design in the background and can be found with both blue and black ink. A second utilizes diagonal boxes for ‘Baseball News’ and ‘Sporting Life.’ Finally, a third has two vertical baseball bats on the sides. All advertise the publication for only five cents at all ‘newsdealers’ and emphasize the publication’s focus on baseball news.
Numerous variations exist featuring players with different teams and different backs. Some backs are printed in black ink while others are in blue. In addition, the backgrounds on the fronts behind the players can vary, too. Generally, most have blue backgrounds but some have a pastel background.
Below are the various advertising backs.
PSA has graded about 6,000 of these cards to date.
Scraps and Proofs
Like some other pre-war sets, proof or scrap cards are known for these as well. These have the same pictures as the regular cards and generally have the same look.
However, they are blank-backed and do not includes the text on the front, indicating the player’s name or team. In addition, they will often have rough cuts and may also be missing certain ink colors (partially or entirely).
The market for these types of cards is generally strong and they usually command significantly more than the regular cards do.
M116 Sporting Life Checklist
This is the standard checklist of the set and does not include all of the variations.
- Ed Abbaticchio
- Babe Adams
- Red Ames
- Jimmy Archer
- Frank Arrelanes
- Tom Atkins
- Jimmy Austin
- Les Bachman
- Bill Bailey
- Home Run Baker
- Cy Barger
- Jack Barry
- Johnny Bates
- Ginger Beaumont
- Fred Beck
- Heinie Beckendorf
- Fred Beebe
- George Bell
- Harry Bemis
- Chief Bender
- Bill Bergen
- Heinie Berger
- Bob Bescher
- Joe Birmingham
- Lena Blackburne
- John Bliss
- Bruno Block
- Bill Bradley
- Kitty Bransfield
- Roger Bresnahan
- Al Bridwell
- Buster Brown
- Mordecai Brown
- Al Burch
- Donie Bush
- Bobby Byrne
- Howie Camnitz
- Vin Campbell
- Bill Carrigan
- Frank Chance
- Chappy Charles
- Hal Chase
- Eddie Cicotte
- Fred Clarke
- Nig Clarke
- Tommy Clarke
- Ty Cobb
- Eddie Collins
- Ray Collins
- Wid Conroy
- Jack Coombs
- Frank Corridon
- Harry Coveleski
- Doc Crandall
- Sam Crawford
- Birdie Cree
- Lou Criger
- Dode Criss
- Cliff Cutis
- Bill Dahlen
- Bill Davidson
- Harry Davis
- Jim Delehanty
- Ray Demmitt
- Rube Dessau
- Art Devlin
- Josh Devore
- Pat Donahue
- Patsy Donovan
- Bill Donovan
- Red Dooin
- Mikey Doolan
- Patsy Dougherty
- Tom Downey
- Jim Doyle
- Larry Doyle
- Hugh Duffy
- Jimmy Dygert
- Dick Egan
- Kid Elberfeld
- Rube Ellis
- Clyde Engle
- Tex Erwin
- Steve Evans
- Johnny Evers
- Bob Ewing
- Cy Falkenberg
- George Ferguson
- Art Fletcher
- Elmer Flick
- John Flynn
- Russ Ford
- Eddie Foster
- Bill Foxen
- John Frill
- Sam Frock
- Art Fromme
- Earl Gardner
- Larry Gardner
- Harry Gaspar
- Doc Gessler
- George Gibson
- Bill Graham
- Peaches Graham
- Eddie Grant
- Clark Griffith
- Ed Hahn
- Charley Hall
- Bob Harmon
- Topsy Hartsel
- Roy Hartzell
- Heinie Heitmuller
- Buck Herzog
- Dick Hoblitzell
- Danny Hoffman
- Solly Hofman
- Harry Hooper
- Harry HOwell
- Miller Huggins
- Tom Hughes
- Rudy Hulswitt
- John Hummel
- George Hunter
- Ham Hyatt
- Fred Jacklitsch
- Hughie Jennings
- Walter Johnson
- Davy Jones
- Tom Jones
- Tim Jordan
- Addie Joss
- Johnny Kane
- Ed Karger
- Bill Killifer
- Johnny Kling
- Otto Knabe
- John Knight
- Ed Konetchy
- Harry Krause
- Rube Kroh
- Art Krueger
- Nap Lajoie
- Fred Lake
- Joe Lake
- Frank LaPorte
- Jack Lapp
- Chick Lathers
- Tommy Leach
- Sam Leever
- Lefty Leifield
- Ed Lennox
- Fred Linke
- Paddy Livingstone
- Hans Lobert
- Bris Lord
- Harry Lord
- Johnny Lush
- Connie Mack
- Tom Madden
- Nick Maddox
- Sherry Magee
- Christy Mathewson
- Al Mattern
- Jimmy McAleer
- George McBride
- Amby McConnell
- Pryor McElveen
- John McGraw
- Deacon McGuire
- Stuffy McInnis
- Harry McIntire
- Matty McIntyre
- Larry McLean
- Tom McMillan
- George McQuillan
- Paul Meloan
- Fred Merkle
- Clyde Milan
- Dots Miller
- Warren Miller
- Fred Mitchell
- Mike Mitchell
- Earl Moore
- Pat Moran
- Lew Moren
- Cy Morgan
- George Moriarty
- Mike Mowrey
- George Mullin
- Danny Murphy
- Red Murray
- Chief Meyers
- Tom Needham
- Harry Niles
- Rebel Oakes
- Jack O’Connor
- Paddy O’Connor
- Bill O’Hara
- Rube Oldring
- Charley O’Leary
- Orval Overall
- Fred Parent
- Dode Paskert
- Fred Payne
- Barney Pelty
- Hub Pernoll
- George Perring
- Jeff Pfeffer
- Jack Pfiester
- Art Phelan
- Ed Phelps
- Deacon Phillippe
- Eddie Plank
- Jack Powell
- Billy Purtell
- Farmer Ray
- Bugs Raymond
- Doc Reisling
- Ed Reulbach
- Lew Richie
- Jack Rowan
- Nap Rucker
- Slim Sallee
- Doc Scanlon
- Germany Schaefer
- Lou Schettler
- Admiral Schlei
- Boss Schmiidt
- Wildfire Schulte
- Al Schweitzer
- Jim Scott
- Cy Seymour
- Tillie Shafer
- Bud Sharpe
- Dave Shean
- Jimmy Sheckard
- Mike Simon
- Charlie Smith
- Frank Smith
- Harry Smith
- Fred Snodgrass
- Bob Spade
- Tully Sparks
- Tris Speaker
- Jake Stahl
- George Stallings
- Oscar Stanage
- Harry Steinfeldt
- Jim Stephens
- George Stone
- George Stovall
- Gabby Street
- Sailor Stroud
- Amos Strunk
- George Suggs
- Billy Sullivan
- Ed Summers
- Bill Sweeney
- Jeff Sweeney
- Lee Tannehill
- Fred Tenney
- Ira Thomas
- Jack Toney
- Joe Tinker
- John Titus
- Terry Turner
- Bob Unglaub
- Rube Waddell
- Honus Wagner
- Heinie Wagner
- Bobby Wallace
- Ed Walsh
- Jimmy Walsh
- Doc White
- Kaiser Wilhelm
- Ed Willett
- Vic Willis
- Art Wilson
- Owen Wilson
- Hooks Wiltse
- Harry Wolter
- Smoky Joe Wood
- Ralph Works
- Cy Young
- Irv Young
- Heinie Zimmernman
- Dutch Zwilling
- TBD
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