Finding A Needle In The Grand Canyon

When collectors talk about elusive decks, we think of the Norwood 85, Murphy Varnish, and the USPCC World War I decks, to name a few. Decks that are seldom seen, and just as difficult to acquire. But among collectors of Congress decks like myself, the one that is considered the rarest of this brand is from 1911, called “Grand Canyon”.

As the story goes, some of the biggest names in antique/Congress collecting like Tom and Judy Dawson, Toby Edwards, Colin Brady, John and Dan McKinnon, and Matt Schacht, had never seen a deck, only a few singles. For over 100 years, a complete 52 card deck had never been found. That is, until one collector spotted one in 2017, and finally acquired it in 2021. This deck was the only one of its kind, until number two appeared out of nowhere just over a year later.

And this is where my story begins.

The following is the actual conversation that took place. On November 27, 2022, I received 2 emails from my contact form on the old website. This is what they read:

Name: Martin (last name withheld)

Email: (withheld)

Comment: I have a deck of 1911 Grand Canyon Congress 606 cards that has possibly been in my family since new. It is a deck of 52 with 2 unique promo cards and a third card showing how to score the game of 500 on one side and bridge on the other. There are no cards that appear to be Jokers, however, I am wondering if the 2 promo cards would be used as the Jokers. I saw on your website that this is one of the top 10 rarest decks. Please contact me as I would be interested in knowing more about this deck. Thanks, Martin

Then a follow-up soon after:

Name: Martin (last name withheld)

Email: (withheld)

Comment: Correction: The 1911 Grand Canyon deck I have is 52 cards with no Jokers in the original box. Sorry, I am traveling and doing this from memory and confused this Congress 606 deck with another early 1900s deck I have from Northern Pacific Railroad. I will be at home tomorrow and can send you pictures, if you desire. Thanks again, Martin

I could not believe what I was reading! Could another deck be out there? It had been 106 years before one had finally shown up, and now there’s another? I asked for photos and he sent them to me a couple days later. It was legit! There it was, staring me in the face. 52 cards, the box, I couldn’t believe it. I immediately messaged my fellow Congress collectors and friends Matt Schacht and Colin Brady. The three of us worked on the rarest decks page on the website for nearly two months to come up with this list. I put the photos that were sent to me into our Facebook chat and we all agreed that it was in (at best) VG condition with faults. The box had the top panel missing and rated it OB3. I told them I was going to ask Martin if he would consider selling it. On November 30, I sent a reply to Martin and asked if he would consider selling it.

The following was his reply:

Yes, I was considering putting it on eBay, however, I was concerned that someone would want to buy it and then turn around, break it up, and sell individual cards which I consider criminal destruction of such a remarkable collectible antique. After finding your website, I felt you might be the right person to contact about it. This would be a great addition to your collection. What is it worth to you? I replied: This would never leave my collection until the day I die. I’m 47 years old so it will stay in my possession God willing the next 40 years. In this condition I think (offer withheld) is a fair price. I base it on a small portion of the box missing, the joker missing, and the small defects in the deck itself. The next day, December 1, he replied: I would really like for you to add this deck to your collection. If you can go to (counteroffer withheld), it is yours. I agreed to his counteroffer, and soon the deck was on its way to me. On December 5, it was in my hands. I thought I struck gold when I acquired my Multi deck earlier this year. This one topped it by far.

A few days later, he sent me another email with the name of his great-grandmother, Charlotte Butscher, and a photo of her from 1967 when she was 90 years old. She had purchased the deck brand new in 1911 and remained in the family for 111 years. He is not a collector, which is why the deck flew under the radar for so long. I’m guessing that was the case with the other known Grand Canyon deck. I quickly shared it with everyone in multiple Facebook groups, my Facebook and Instagram pages, and on Reddit. Needless to say I was overjoyed.

Sometimes we find a name written on a box or on one of the cards, but never a photo. In this case we have both, and they have become part of the story of a deck that only a few people had ever seen. What are the odds that a second deck would show up so soon after the first one was discovered?

Based on statements from a few collectors, this was the find of a lifetime.

Also, if you are reading this and have a joker, please use the Contact Us link on this website so that I may fully complete the deck.

UPDATE: There are now 3 known decks that reside in collections. Photos of all 3 decks together have been added. I was able to reunite the decks at the 52 Plus Joker Convention in Niagara Falls, NY. Photos taken October 3, 2024.

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