(LOT 30)
1916 M101-5 Blank Backs #176 Jim Thorpe SGC 5 EX
LEGENDARY THORPE!!!... Prestigious to say the least, the most valuable Jim Thorpe cardboard issue is his highly coveted 1916 M101-5 #176 subject. Considered by many hobbyists to be his true mainstream rookie card, it is only preceded by Thorpe's 1913 undersized Colgan Chips circular disks and some stray early 1910s postcards. Obviously playing second fiddle to the iconic Babe Ruth rookie, the M101-5 set's next two most prized subjects are Thorpe's #176 and Joe Jackson's #86 subjects, with Jim Thorpe only issued in the M101-5 series that included blank backs, Famous & Barr, Standard Biscuit, Morehouse Baking, Successful Farming and Holmes to Homes versos. Thorpe's extreme scarcity stems from the fact that he did not partake in the 1916 baseball season, with the Felix Mendelssohn printing company removing his subject from the later printed M101-4 Sporting News series and replacing Thorpe with Cleveland Indians infielder Terry Turner. As vintage enthusiasts are well aware, the M101-4 related sets include a greater number of ad-back issues, ultimately denying collectors the opportunity to capture more Jim Thorpe M101 cards. That said, presented here is a spectacular SGC 5 EX 1916 Jim Thorpe M101-5 Blank Back with this POP 1 SGC rarity, only bested by two SGC Blank Back examples!

A remarkably gifted athlete, Thorpe's MLB career commenced in 1913 when the fleet-footed outfielder tallied 35 official at-bats with John McGraw's New York Giants. Unfortunately for Thorpe, he played only six seasons, ending his career in 1919 on a high note with the Boston Braves by batting .327 in 60 games. When considering the greatest athletes of the 20th century, the names that immediately come to mind are Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Magic Johnson, Muhammad Ali, etc. One athlete, however, who must be placed in the mix for this most distinguished honor is the immortal Jim Thorpe, who not only dominated various Olympic events but played professional baseball and football as well. In 1950, the Associated Press named Thorpe the world's greatest athlete and placed him third in their 1999 all-century vote. Thorpe won gold medals for both the pentathlon and decathlon events in the 1912 Olympics, became a collegiate All-American football player in 1911 and 1912, and then played both professional baseball and football. And you thought Babe Ruth's pitching and hitting skills were impressive? This aesthetically pleasing heirloom reveals an imposing Thorpe batting image as the by-gone athletic marvel dons his NY Giants' pinstripes while holding his period-style lumber in his left hand.

This classic Thorpe fungo-hitting illustration taken from a real photo reveals absolutely sensational clarity and contrast, eluding any obtrusive surface flaws and/or glaring creases. While a hidden faint wrinkle may exist, at a quick glance it has certainly escaped the naked eye, with the timeless pose partly favoring the left edge between four relatively clean borders. Even corner wear and general surface toning/wear account for the accurate assessment, with the final complement being a somewhat clean blank verso. It should be noted that this exact same card fetched over $30K in a 2021 Memory Lane auction, with another M101-5 Thorpe recently nailing down $42K. Although Thorpe's somewhat limited baseball career certainly falls short of his world-class Olympic and football stature, this magnificent mid-grade scarcity is tantamount to his unparalleled athletic endeavors. Indeed, Thorpe's propensity to excel at so many different sporting events truly places him as one of the greatest athletes the globe has ever seen!

MIN BID $7,500
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