Bidding is underway for the lots of 1910 E98 baseball cards from the so-called Black Swamp Find in northwest Ohio and judging by the opening activity, there's plenty of interest.
The ultra high grade near set of 27 cards put together out of the 700-cards found in a Defiance, OH attic has a high bid of $203,150 with more than two weeks of bidding left, including the final portion of the sale held live on August 2. The price includes Heritage Auctions' buyer's premium of 19.5%.
Two other lots of cards from the find are also in the auction.
The hobby's only PSA 10-graded Honus Wagner card from the set has been bid up to $131,450 with "the juice". A group of eight orange and green background variations including McGraw, Young and Brown, all graded PSA 6-8.5 stands at $20,315.
The cards were found by the descendants of a meat market owner who likely put them there more than 100 years ago.
However, the cards have so far been overshadowed by the highest graded Babe Ruth autographed baseball in existence. Given to the Hollywood publicist involved with the movie The Babe Ruth Story in the late 1940s, the white ball with blue ink signature stands at $227,050. Graded 9.5 by PSA/DNA and also authenticated by James Spence, the signed ball is of the official American League variety.
It had carried a pre-sale auction estimate of $300,000 but is now likely to soar well past that amount.
Wednesday morning, the cousins who found the box and an auction house rep talked about it with Matt Lauer on Today:
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 1910 E98 Set of 30 Roger Bresnahan Red Background SGC 20 Fair 15 Rare $385.00 Time Remaining: 1d 23h 40m Buy It Now for only: $385.00 |
 1910 E98 CONNIE MACK Philadelphia SGC A $499.99 Time Remaining: 2d 9h 9m Buy It Now for only: $499.99 |
 1910 E98 Caramel TY COBB SGC 20 $1,500.00 Time Remaining: 5d 6h 3m Buy It Now for only: $1,500.00 |
 1910 E98 EDDIE COLLINS SGC 30 GOOD 2 PHILA AMER $325.00 Time Remaining: 5d 10h 15m Buy It Now for only: $325.00 |
 1910 E98 JOE TINKER SGC 40 VG 3 CHICAGO NATL $525.00 Time Remaining: 5d 10h 15m Buy It Now for only: $525.00 |
 1910 E98 FRED CLARKE SGC 20 $374.99 Time Remaining: 7d 13h 37m Buy It Now for only: $374.99 |
 1910 E98 CHRISTY MATHEWSON SGC Graded $1,200.00 Time Remaining: 13d 10h 59m Buy It Now for only: $1,200.00 |
 1910 E98 Anonymous Set of 30 FRED TENNY SGC 1 PR Orange Background SUPER TOUGH $129.00 Time Remaining: 15d 12h 56m Buy It Now for only: $129.00 |
 1910 E98 Set of 30 CY YOUNG SGC A HOF BLACK WHITE POSSIBLE PRINTERS SCRAP $1,499.00 Time Remaining: 16d 13h 1m Buy It Now for only: $1,499.00 |
