Black Swamp Find? Tell me more!

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

I don't know any more than what is published online re the BSF. BSF cards were stigmatized at first...some didn't/don't believe they are real. They also changed the landscape of e98 collecting forever as there are now more ultra high grade examples than not.

Many of these cards have been reholdered...or have been since graded without the BSF moniker as I believe people are trying to distance their cards from the find.

Additionally I believe family members of the find likely still hold numerous more yet to be holdered examples.

Actually the story that I was told is that some of the family held back ungraded examples--more cards than what had been initially graded and sold by Heritage. After Heritage sold the ones they graded, the other part of the find was sold off and ended up with Evan Mathis. Those are the high grade E98s that you see without the BSF provenance on the holders.

[x2drich2000]

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

Actually the story that I was told is that some of the family held back ungraded examples--more cards than what had been initially graded and sold by Heritage. After Heritage sold the ones they graded, the other part of the find was sold off and ended up with Evan Mathis. Those are the high grade E98s that you see without the BSF provenance on the holders.

I was aware that some of the family held back cards from the intital group graded by PSA and sold by HA. I was not aware that Evan bought a group from the family. Were these the ones that were subsequently graded by SGC?

This kind of speaks to the issue with the collectability of the BSF cards. No one knows the full story of how many were in the find and it seems more and more keep coming to market. Could you imagine what would happen to the market for these if a large portion has still not been released?

[Jay Wolt]

Its amazing that a batch survived untouched after all these years.
Had a couple of them

Here's one that I scanned

[Jay Wolt]

& PSA handed out promos of the cards at the 2012 National Convention.
it has a write up on the card back

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by x2drich2000

I was aware that some of the family held back cards from the intital group graded by PSA and sold by HA. I was not aware that Evan bought a group from the family. Were these the ones that were subsequently graded by SGC?

This kind of speaks to the issue with the collectability of the BSF cards. No one knows the full story of how many were in the find and it seems more and more keep coming to market. Could you imagine what would happen to the market for these if a large portion has still not been released?

Evan Mathis eventually ended up with the ungraded cards that were held back. They were not offered to him initially. I forget the quantity but it was more than the 600 or 700 that were initially graded. PSA and SGC have graded some of these and the provenance was intentionally left out on some or most of them.

I recall there was an interview early on after the find was made public that alluded to the fact that not all of the cards ended up with Heritage.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by Lorewalker

Evan Mathis eventually ended up with the ungraded cards that were held back. They were not offered to him initially. I forget the quantity but it was more than the 600 or 700 that were initially graded. PSA and SGC have graded some of these and the provenance was intentionally left out on some or most of them.

I recall there was an interview early on after the find was made public that alluded to the fact that not all of the cards ended up with Heritage.

WOW!!!!!! I didn't realize there were THAT many?????

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

WOW!!!!!! I didn't realize there were THAT many?????

Prior to the find, PSA had a total of 627 in their pop report. They have now graded 2,238. No doubt that includes BSF card having been broken out and resubmitted but a staggering increase.

No idea what SGC's pop report showed prior to 2012 but they have now graded 1,839 E98s but who knows how many of those are cards being resubmitted.

[A2000]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjGZ...ritageAuctions

[Belfast1933]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

WOW!!!!!! I didn't realize there were THAT many?????

Oh man, the original “junk wax” era! Who knew?? Maybe I’ll trade my Bres for a sweet Gregg Jeffries RC!

[BobbyStrawberry]

Is it known who these cards originally belonged to?

[BobC]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

Is it known who these cards originally belonged to?

I believe the father of the woman who lived in the home had a small store back in the day, and speculation was that instead of handing out all the cards with the candy he was selling, he took the cards of maybe just a couple players to the store to hand out, and the rest somehow ended up untouched, and still bound together by player, in the attic of his house. I think the guy had two daughters who ended up with the house when he passed, and then when the last sister passed, other members of the family came in and found the cards in the attic. IIRC, there were just a very few players in the E98 set that were not included in the cards found in the attic, or there was only one or two of them. And thus, the speculation that the store owner/father had taken a couple of the stacks of player cards to the store to hand out, and then for whatever reason left, forgot, or took home the rest of the cards at/to his house, and then forgot about them.

[Casey2296]

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I think BSF cards should be considered a separate set from original circulation E98's. The buyers of BSF and OC cards are completely different collectors, BSF collectors lean more towards hi-grade registry type of stuff.

When I put my sets together I only wanted original circulation cards so I could experience what is was like to build the sets pre-BSF.

The best OC set I have seen is a member here who put a Green one together with his dad prior to BSF, beautiful set, apologies I can't remember his username.

And a couple of cards.
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