Grant Zahajko’s June 24 Auction Aims High with 1936 Berlin Olympics US Basketball Gold Medal

2026-08-08 05:11:55 Business

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DAVENPORT, WA ? We?ve all heard the one about how Mom threw out baseball cards that are now worth a fortune. Grant Zahajko?s June 24 Sports Cards & Memorabilia Auction tells a refreshingly different version of the story through a trove of 1950s/60s baseball cards that were left untouched and beautifully preserved by one lucky collector?s mom.

?This is a great story,? said Zahajko, who is the Spokane-area company?s owner and auctioneer. ?Around 20 years ago the consignor went to help him mom move and, in the process, discovered his boyhood collection of cards produced primarily by Topps from 1953 to 1962. He had always been fastidious about putting them in sleeves and keeping them in a climate-controlled environment. They were in such fantastic condition that when we sent them off for grading, many of them came back a condition nine.?

In all, 500 cards were professionally graded. They will be apportioned into 125 auction lots. The majority were sent to PSA for grading, Zahajko said, but the auction?s opener, a coveted 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente rookie card, was sent to Beckett, where it was graded excellent/mint 6.5. Its auction estimate is $2,000-$3,000.

?What?s great about this auction selection is that it allows collectors of all budgets to buy cards that are in excellent condition across the board. This will be a good opportunity for collectors to fill some slots,? Zahajko said.

An extraordinary rarity and the highest-estimated collectible in the auction is the gold medal that was won by John H. ?Tex? Gibbons of the U.S. Men?s Basketball Team at the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany. The medal comes directly from Gibbons? family and is accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity signed by Gibbons? son and an extensive archive of ephemera documenting the basketball team?s ocean voyage to Germany, their participation in the Games, and the social events, side trips and other activities organized by the Olympic committee while they were in Europe.

The gold medal is remarkable for several reasons, Zahajko said. ?There was a great article in Sports Illustrated that talked about how the first American ?Dream Team? was actually the 1936 Olympic team. Except for one man, all of them were already professional basketball players. Also, 1936 was the first year that basketball was included in the Olympics. Playing conditions at the Berlin Games were minimal. They played on a dirt court in a horse pasture, in the driving rain. They couldn?t even dribble. They had to pass. The final game ended with a score of USA 19, Canada 8.?

Grant Zahajko?s June 24, 2017 auction of sports cards, memorabilia, celebrity autographs and books will start at 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time. The gallery is located at 510 Morgan St., Davenport, WA 99122. For additional information, call 509-725-5600 or email info@gzauctions.com. All forms of bidding will be available including absentee, phone and live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com.

CAPTION:

Obverse and reverse views of Olympic Gold Medal won by John H. ?Tex? Gibbons of the U.S. Men?s Basketball Team at the Olympic Games held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Family provenance. Accompanied by LOA signed by Gibbons? son, Donald E. Gibbons. Estimate $100,000-$150,000