Is there any possible way to know how many complete 1914 CJ Sets exist?

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Thanks for sharing those pictures. Those cards almost look too good.

[sniffy5]

Yeah, those cards do almost look too good. As a 1914 collector, they almost look wrong. (Not so wrong.....I wish I had them!!). Buy it's almost surreal to see them so clean. But I think part of the "wrong" is that the cards cheated!! They are, presumably, the only 1914's that did not face the many obstacles all the other 1914's faced. I think therein lies the somewhat odd feeling any 1914 collector experiences when gazing at those cards. It's like they should not exist. They represent an unfair comparison to all other 1914's.

In a way any 1914 collector should be happy more of those pristine cards didn't turn up. I guess it could be conceivable that 50 of each card could have been discovered originating from someone from the company. Imagine 50 pristine Jackson's and Matty's, etc... Sounds awesome on the surface, but again, it would ruin things in a way also. All mystique would be gone. Like if 50 perfect Honus's and Plank's showed up. Just would feel kinda wrong...

[btkpath]

Well put Tom!

[tiger8mush]

Originally Posted by sniffy5

As a 1914 collector, they almost look wrong.

Agreed - part of being a 1914 CJ is blemishes. Its not just a trait, its a right-of-passage or something. A wrinkle, a tear, a stain, a clipped corner, a pinhole. Its the card's way of saying "I survived that box of caramel popcorn"! It wasn't tucked neatly away in its own compartment of a cigarette pack, it was in there with the candy, guaranteed!

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Originally Posted by tiger8mush

Agreed - part of being a 1914 CJ is blemishes. Its not just a trait, its a right-of-passage or something. A wrinkle, a tear, a stain, a clipped corner, a pinhole. Its the card's way of saying "I survived that box of caramel popcorn"! It wasn't tucked neatly away in its own compartment of a cigarette pack, it was in there with the candy, guaranteed!

I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. I think mint tobacco cards looks weird.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by sniffy5

Yeah, those cards do almost look too good. As a 1914 collector, they almost look wrong. (Not so wrong.....I wish I had them!!). Buy it's almost surreal to see them so clean. But I think part of the "wrong" is that the cards cheated!! They are, presumably, the only 1914's that did not face the many obstacles all the other 1914's faced. I think therein lies the somewhat odd feeling any 1914 collector experiences when gazing at those cards. It's like they should not exist. They represent an unfair comparison to all other 1914's.

In a way any 1914 collector should be happy more of those pristine cards didn't turn up. I guess it could be conceivable that 50 of each card could have been discovered originating from someone from the company. Imagine 50 pristine Jackson's and Matty's, etc... Sounds awesome on the surface, but again, it would ruin things in a way also. All mystique would be gone. Like if 50 perfect Honus's and Plank's showed up. Just would feel kinda wrong...

Can you say Black Swamp Find!!!!

[sniffy5]

Yeah, I don't know too too much about the Black Swamp Find, but that is an excellent point, as it steers the conversation from the hypothetical to a reality-based event. Would E98 collectors say that the Find sent shockwaves, negative or positive, into their worlds of collecting those cards? I have no way at all to gauge that at all.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

By the way there's no way there's more than 10 completed 1914 CJ sets in existence today...

[uniship]

Any new thoughts these days on how many complete 1914 cj sets exist?

[1952boyntoncollector]

To me I dont really think the number to guess on is not complete sets...its how many have the big 3-6 cards or the main main key cards of any set. Whoever has those really has the set. When 6 or so cards are worth more than the rest of the cards combined or real close than i really count the people with those cards. The ones with the whole sets count of course too ,but the ones with those key key cards count the same in my book