Grant Zahajko heads to Mesquite with sports memorabilia auction

Grant Zahajko Auctions will stage a Sports Cards & Memorabilia sale Oct. 28 from its new Mesquite, Nevada gallery, featuring more than 400 lots. The top lot is a handwritten 1916 Knute Rockne letter with diagrammed plays and original envelope, estimated at $15,000 to $20,000.

Why it matters: - Grant Zahajko Auctions is opening its new Nevada chapter with a sale packed with high-end sports collectibles and fresh-to-market material. - The auction brings rare cards, signed memorabilia and graded vintage issues to buyers online and in person at the company’s new Mesquite gallery. - The top Rockne lot carries a five-figure estimate and broad appeal to football and history collectors.

What happened: - Grant Zahajko Auctions will hold a Sports Cards & Memorabilia auction on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 9 a.m. Pacific Time. - The sale will run online and from the company’s new gallery home at 1624 Riverstone Bend, Unit 604, in Mesquite, Nevada. - The auction includes more than 400 lots of rare sports collectibles. - The company moved from Davenport, Washington, where it had been headquartered for more than 10 years.

The details: - The leading lot is a three-page handwritten Knute Rockne letter from 1916 with diagrammed plays and the original envelope addressed in Rockne’s hand. - The letter came from a high school coach’s request for plays, and the consigning family says the piece has remained in the same family for more than 100 years. - Rockne writes that Notre Dame’s plays would be too complicated for high school players, then diagrams several plays anyway and signs the letter “Rock.” - The lot includes a letter of authenticity from Beckett Authenticating Services. - The estimate on the Rockne letter is $15,000 to $20,000. - Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig appear multiple times in the auction. - A Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey #149 card, graded PSA 3, carries a $14,000 to $18,000 estimate. - A Lou Gehrig 1933 Goudey #92 card, graded PSA 2, is estimated at $3,500 to $4,500. - Two 1935 government postcards authenticated and encapsulated by Beckett include one signed by Lou Gehrig, estimated at $4,000 to $6,000, and one signed by Babe Ruth, estimated at $3,500 to $4,500. - A Lou Gehrig cut signature with a letter of authenticity is expected to bring $2,000 to $3,000. - Basketball highlights include a Michael Jordan 1998 Fleer Tradition #6 Electrifying card graded PSA 8, estimated at $4,000 to $6,000. - Other basketball lots include a 1998 Skybox Premium That’s Jam 4 Shaquille O’Neal card graded PSA 9 at $3,500 to $4,500, a Kobe Bryant 1996 Skybox E-X2000 Star Date 2000 #3 card graded PSA 8 at $2,500 to $3,000, a Kobe Bryant 1998 Skybox Premium Soul of the Game 6 card graded PSA 8 at $1,600 to $2,000, and a 1996 Ultra Scoring Kings 4 Michael Jordan card graded PSA 6 at $800 to $1,200. - A black-and-white 8-by-10 still from Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier’s 1971 Fight of the Century, signed by both fighters and backed by a letter of authenticity from Steve Grad Authentication, is estimated at $500 to $800. - A 5-by-4.5 black-and-white photograph signed by Joe Louis, showing the heavyweight champion carrying groceries, carries a $500 to $700 estimate. - A Mickey Cochrane single-signed baseball inscribed during a hunting trip, with a photo of the hunters included, is estimated at $2,000 to $3,000. - Other baseball items include a 1935 government postcard signed by Honus Wagner and Arky Vaughn, estimated at $2,000 to $3,000, and a 1935 postcard signed by Ty Cobb, estimated at $1,200 to $1,600. - Additional lots include a 1933 Goudey #223 Dizzy Dean card graded PSA Very Good at $900 to $1,200, a 1959 Dell Sports Magazine with Mickey Mantle on the cover graded CGC 9.2 and described as population one with none higher at $400 to $600, and a 1975 George Brett O-Pee-Chee #228 card graded PSA 6 at $600 to $800.

Between the lines: - The Rockne letter stands out because it combines football history, handwritten provenance and a direct link to Notre Dame’s coaching legacy. - The sale leans heavily on iconic names like Ruth, Gehrig, Jordan, Bryant and Ali, which should widen bidder interest across multiple collector segments. - Freshly graded vintage cards may draw attention from buyers looking for population rarity and condition-driven upside.

What's next: - Live preview appointments are available at the Mesquite gallery. - Interested bidders can schedule a preview by calling 702-552-9640 or emailing info@gzauctions.com. - Internet bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, Auctionzip.com, Connect.Invaluable.com, bid.gzauctions.com and the company’s redesigned website, gzauctions.com. - Grant Zahajko Auctions is accepting consignments for future sales by phone at 702-552-9640 or by email at grant@gzauctions.com. - Updates are posted often at the company’s website.