The best SGC-graded “near set” of the ultra-desirable E98 “Set of 30” baseball cards – issued in 1910 and known to hobbyists as part of the famous 2012 “Black Swamp Find” – is being offered at auction for the first time ever in the Goldin Auctions 2018 Holiday Auction. The sale of the near set (25/30), which holds the #1 ranking on the SGC Set Registry, runs from Nov. 19 through Dec. 8. The auction catalog is open for preview at GoldinAuctions.com.
Among sophisticated enthusiasts of vintage baseball collectibles, E98 cards carry a mystique thanks in part to the scarcity of the set, the players and the 21st century find that drew a wealth of publicity. The offered gallery includes the 25-card near set graded by SGC, plus nine additional, variation cards. The set is missing only Jennings, Mathewson, Lajoie, Tinker and Walsh for completion.
Highlights of the near set being offered include: SGC GEM 10: 4 cards w/Evers, Kling, Meyers and Vaughan; SGC MINT+ 9.5: 7 cards w/Bender, Clarke, Collins, Wagner/Green, Wagner/Red, Young/Green and Young/Red; SGC MINT 9: 10 cards w/Bresnahan, Bridwell, Brown, Chance, Cobb, Coombs, Dooin, Ford, McGraw and Tenney.
“It is truly an honor to bring this incredible collection to auction and make it available to our passionate and growing universe of vintage collectors,” said Ken Goldin, Founder of Goldin Auctions. “We look forward to seeing who will add this rare item to their collection.”
When whispers of an E98 “find” were first heard a few years ago, few expected it would yield numerous virtually untouched examples. The cards were carefully tied together with twine by a print shop employee more than a century ago and had remained undisturbed before being discovered when family members cleared out the home of a deceased relative in Defiance, OH. The “Black Swamp Find” became national news and one of the hobby’s greatest discoveries.
Nearly two dozen cards from the discovery have sold for $20,000 or more at auction.
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