With only 73 copies available, they are challenging to find; however, the Now parallels have only eight copies and are near impossible to find for sale due to collectors locking them up in vaults for permanent keeping. 1996-97 Topps Kobe Bryant RC #138 Buy on eBay. The design of this Kobe rookie is also exciting as it features the young legend floating gracefully through the air for a layup accompanied by electrifying text and font. Those copies tend to sell for around $500-$700. Of the three from this set, this one is my favorite because I think the imagery is much more exciting than on the others. pic.twitter.com/dTStDwavHx. There are so many Kobe Bryant rookies but the ones on this list are his most valuable. Contents hide 1 Most Valuable Kobe Bryant Rookie Cards 1.1 1996 Skybox E-X2000 Credentials and Base #30 Kobe Bryant 1.2 1996 Flair Showcase Legacy Collection Row 0 & 1 #31 Kobe Bryant 1.3 1996 Topps Chrome Refractor #138 Kobe Bryant Keywords Player Name Set name Acc# Baseball Basketball Football Hockey Golf Soccer Other Sports TCG Non-sports. Moreover, Fleer included a rarer parallel to the Fusion called Titanium Fusion, which is limited to 40 copies per player of numbers 31-50 and has a gold color on the front. The most recent PSA 10 gem mint condition was sold by Goldin Auctions in October 2021 for $8,610. If youre looking for an ultimate challenge, consider hunting down the 1/1 Masterpiece edition. A PSA 9 example is valued between $1,800 $2,200, while a PSA 10 just sold at auction by Golding Auctions for $7,500. The credentials set was made by Panini, arguably the biggest competition for Topps in the basketball card trading industry. On 5/24/2021 a PSA 10 sold for $57,600. All Categories; Accessories 0 Antique & Vintage 247 Appliances 6 Aquatic/Reptile Products 2 Art 20 Arts & Crafts 1 Sign up for NewsOne's email newsletter! Mamba Mentality: Kobe Bryants Top 5 Career Highlights, Kobe Bryants Shrewd Investment In Sports Drink Bodyarmor Will Pay His Family $400 Million, 'Dilbert' Comic Creator Calls Black People A 'Hate Group,' Urges Segregation So Whites Can 'Escape', Bernie Mac Show Star Camille Winbush Is Not Ashamed Of Joining OnlyFans, Kyle Rittenhouse Faces 2nd Civil Lawsuit, Continues To Beg For Money From His Supporters, Ben Stein's 'Aunt Jemima' Rant Is A Master Class On White Privilege, Why Did tWitch Kill Himself? The 20-card set features notable players such as Michael Jordan, Shaquille ONeal, Tim Duncan (RC), Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, and Kobe Bryant. So, if you submit an example to PSA, chances are you will receive an 8 or a 9, as long as the card doesnt have any significant damage. It is serial numbered to 10. Nonetheless, while this Metal series is not as big . Each card originally came with a protective film. Instead, they opted for a more geometric background pattern that has refractor characteristics set on a horizontal frame. Card Number: 91. Moreover, the design is a bit different from the standard set, with what is now called the Scope Prizm spiraling in the background. On 6/21/2021 a PSA 10 of the Essential Credentials Future sold for $12,500. It's an interesting card overall and including the names of the other players on the card front was a nice touch. The Essential Credentials Future cards had a unique serial numbering system where the card number was equal to the print run. Bryant tragically died in 2020 in a helicopter crash. Examples of this card that have been graded in PSA 10 condition have been selling for between $14,000 and $17,000 over the past few years. It is serial numbered to 24. Kobe Bryant 1996 Topps Basketball Rookie Card RC #138 Graded PSA 9 MINT $300.00 Buy It Now for only: $300.00 Buy it Now 1996 Topps Kobe Bryant #138 HOF HALL OF FAME LA LAKERS ROOKIE RC PSA 9 MINT $149.95 Buy It Now for only: $149.95 Buy it Now KOBE BRYANT PSA 7 1996 TOPPS FINEST BASKETBALL #269 HEIRS GOLD REFRACTOR ROOKIE $4,349.99 The imagery on this card is one of the more exciting of Bryant's rookies as it shows him going up for a reverse slam. Pre-owned. But he is a basketball icon and collectors will likely continue to value his cards and memorabilia. Exquisite Collection Limited Logos Kobe Bryant. This card really hits the trifecta of collecting. The cards feature laser cut technology with pinhole-sized cutouts tracing the players silhouette. 2006-07 Upper Deck Ovation Los Angeles Lakers Basketball Card #35 Kobe Bryant. The Kobe Bryant Chrome Refractor #138 is a card by Topps that is usually considered the holy grail of Kobe card collecting. Similar to the Star Ruby cards, these Fleer Ultra parallels called Platinum Medallion differ from the base card only in the crystal metallic shine in the Ultra logo along with a designation in the lower left-hand corner. Lets take a look at some of Kobe Bryants most valuable, as well as most affordable rookie cards. 2003 SP Authentic #91. 2023 Cable News Network. It was graded an unheard-of 10 by the PSA. The "Credentials" parallels were numbered to 499 and featured die cut images of the players along with off-white colored foil borders. The card, which was sold through the PWCC Marketplace,is one of the most desirable of all time. High grade copies are tough to come by as you can imagine just how condition sensitive they are. Mystery Sports Card Packs! . Row 1 is known as the Grace set and this was where this card came from. The card was graded "9" by the BGS (or "mint") and the signature was graded . It is also good to note that these cards are prone to chipping. Here is a list of the most valuable Kobe Bryant cards, including rookies and inserts from the late 90s and 2000s. 1996-97 Flair Showcase Row 2 Kobe Bryant Rookie Card #3. Since there is so much going on with the parallels, here is a good resource by Beckett to look up all the different parallels in the set. On 1/7/2022 a PSA 10 sold for $5,400. The main difference in the design from the regular High Voltage cards are the 500 Volts designnation on the front, along with a different refractor-like pattern when shown in the light. Sure, the price may seem too high for most people but the fact that it's the Mamba's final Kaboom card. However, there are also ultra-rare inserts randomly inserted in their hobby boxes known as High Voltage 500. This Star Ruby parallel would have been featured in 1996 Skybox Premium series 2 hobby boxes. Below are the current SMR Price Guide value ranges for some of Kobe's best rookie cards and some others that have been graded at the high end (8-10) by PSA (keep in mind the hot market means these prices may be obsolete by the time you read this): 1996-97 Topps Chrome #138: $400 - $3,000 1996-97 Topps Chrome Refractor $3,750 - $20,000 On 8/31/2021 a PSA Authentic of the PMG red sold for $87,330. This sale, like others in the list, were part of a Goldin Elite Auction. There are 100 PMGs per player, with the first 10 featuring a green foil and the remaining 90 having a red foil front. This card would have been featured in 1996 Skybox Premium series 1 hobby boxes. PSA graded 18 of Kobes Platinum Medallion cards, with one grading gem mint 10, six mint 9, six NM-MT 8, and the remaining PSA 7 or less. It is just one of two in the world at its level of perfection.. Kobe Bryant was seemingly destined for greatness. Panini uses this same design in its modern products. Parallel cards have a reflective coating on them that Panini calls Prizm. Other brands usually call this refractor. Prizm has both gold and silver Prizm, denoted by the color of the shiny border around the photo. A Bryant rookie card sold for $1.795 million at auction on Saturday night, giving it the distinction of one of the most valuable basketball cards (and the most expensive Bryant card). This card is well known as Kobe's most valuable rookie and the most sough after modern basketball card in the entire industry. Rookie cards are those that feature the athlete at the beginning of their career, once theyve hit the height of their sports competitive circuits. According to Warren Laufer, Vice President Of Business Development at Arena Club, there are actually still Kobe Bryant cards die-hard fans can get their hands on for a fairly reasonable price. Free shipping for many products! Two years removed from his rookie season, Fleer Brilliants was released and while it doesnt have a large number of parallel and insert cards, it is quite the set and includes rookies such as Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, and Paul Pierce. We are user supported. Only the first ten cards in the set were done in green foil while the rest were red. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. After making the jump from high school to the NBA, Bryant was one of the most hyped young stars of the day. Contact him at [emailprotected]. Source: MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images / Getty, 1996-97 E-X2000 Kobe Bryant Rookie Card #30. His dominance on the court left a legacy as one of the greatest players of all-time. Stay posted for any cards that surface on eBay for auction because any PMG card is valuable regardless of the player. While there are a seeming endless number of parallels Panini Prizm decided to produce, the golds are always the rarest and typically serial numbered to 10. Secondly, the designs are pretty impressive, with an entire foil-type front, and the refractor finish gives them a massive eye appeal. Because there are many Hall of Fame players in the set, prices can get competitive due to collectors wanting to complete the set. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much These don't come up for sale very often in top grade due to the extreme condition sensitivity but when they do they go for huge bucks. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. The one that sold at this Goldin auction was rated 9 by BGS and took in $170,400. Kobe Bryant Rookie Card Values. A BGS 7 example sold at auction in October 2022 for $2,500. 120 sold. Find historical values for graded 2008 Skybox Metal Universe Kobe Bryant #4 basketball cards by viewing prices sold on eBay and major auctions. While not serial numbered, these did have what could be called a SPP (or Super Short Print run). The Row 2 or "Style" Legacy Collection parallel is another extremely valuable card from that set. Platinum Medallion parallels are one of the Holy Grail parallels from the 90s. A BGS 9.5, gem mint condition example sold for $69,000 in November 2022. 1996-97 SP Premier Prospects Rookie #134 Players are cropped-out and placed over a background of the sky, appearing as though they have broken through the roof. Track your collectionfor free, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 Suicide Note Revealed After Shocking Death, Mississippi Cops Beat, Waterboarded Handcuffed Black Men, Shot 1 For Dating White Women': Lawyers, Indicted! Cards #1-30 were inserted at 1:16 packs, while cards #31-50 were limited to 250. According to the auto on the card, it is serial numbered to only 8 and represents an historic moment in Kobes playoff career when he carried the Lakers to a victory in overtime versus the Indiana Pacers. Goldin Auctions sold a PSA 10 example at auction in March 2021 for an impressive $18,450. The Legacy Collection versions of 1997 Flair Showcase are serial numbered to 100, making them quite rare. Featuring strong eye appeal and a great design, these cards remain high on the list of Kobe collectors. When it came to Topps basketball cards, Finest was top of the line. There was a gold version, which was part of a set that appeared in just one of every 2,500 packs. A BGS GEM MINT 9.5 sold for $36,000. All Rights Reserved. . Some collectors choose to leave the protective coating on for grading, and PSA designates this in their population report. However, Fleers Raise the Roof insert has too much going for it to leave it off the list. Alvin Goodley | July 1, 2022July 1, 2022 | Entertainment. The number one most valuable (non-rookie) Kobe Bryant basketball card is his 1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems parallel, which parallels the base cards; however, the backgrounds are bright green or red. MORE: The Makings Of Black Mamba: Kobe Bryant Through The Years. Kobe Bryant 1998-99 Topps Stadium Club Royal Court Holo Foil Insert #RC4. Player: Kobe Bryant . There are two versions; the Future version, shown here, has a yellow tint background and is limited to 81 copies. Judging by the grades PSA is giving these inserts, they must be very prone to chipping as a majority of the cards were given a PSA 8 Near Mint designation. It was estimated to only exist in 1 out of every 720 packs of 1997-98 Fleer Skybox EX-2001 Basketball Hobby Boxes. Kobe Bryant 1996-97 Fleer Rookie 23KT Gold Card Sculptured Purple Signature - GEM Mint 10 Brand: Fleer 197 ratings | 4 answered questions $1595 YEAR: 1996-1997 PLAYER: Kobe Bryant COMPANY/BRAND: Fleer 23KT Gold CONDITION: Gem Mint 10 LIMITED EDITION: Each Card Individually Serial Numbered. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. This card has only been graded by PSA 4 times, with 3 receiving a 10. Fleer did something unique with this set that has not been replicated since. According to eBay, just two weeks after Kobe Bryants death, his basketball cards increased in sales by 600%. This signed card in the Exquisite Collection is actually two cards, KB1 and KB2, each of which sold at a Goldin Auction for $36,000. setTimeout( function() { This is arguably Kobes best card in existence, said Jesse Craig, Director of Business Development at PWCC. Goldin Auctions recently sold a PSA 8 at auction for $8,000. Bryant appeared in two separate cards for the series and one is slightly more valuable than the other. Please comment at the end of the article and let us know what Kobe Bryant basketball card you think should be on this list. Lastly, the 15-card set is loaded with collectible players, including Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, Shaquille ONeal, and Scottie Pippen. Today we're paging through an old Beckett Basketball Card Monthly magazine!This one is from August 2001, and it's a cool one with a flip cover featuring Kobe. more specific search to refine the results. Bowmans Best did not last long in the card-making industry thus making the care more valuable. It's one of only two ever rated at that level by Beckett. The value of an ungraded 1998 Fusion Kobe Bryant card is between $2,500 $4,000, depending on the condition. On 5/7/2021 a PSA 6.5 sold for $45,301. Since then, the value and collectability of his cards have only skyrocketed. Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest players to ever set foot on the court. If you grew up before the 2000s, the hobby of collecting sports cards shouldnt be foreign to you. Try a Featuring a strange typographic treatment reminiscent to It Came from Outer Space and a Nintendo Gameboy-like border, this die-cut card is very prone to chipping along the edges. These are some of the most problematic cards to find in near-perfect conditions. Another giveaway feature is the green and red foil background split between the word Jambalaya in cursive. Because the 97 Metal Universe Championship PMGs have such high demand and low supply, the value is priceless. His Mamba Mentality is exemplified by the famous photo of him pulling his jersey. 1996-97 Finest Kobe Bryant Rookie Card #74. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1985 OPC #9 MARIO LEMIEUX ROOKIE CARD PSA 9 MINT at the best online prices at eBay! $5.95 New. A rare Kobe Bryant rookie card sold for more than $1.795 million on Saturday, "an all-time record" for any Bryant card. photo source: Goldin Auctions. Since this card does have a more iconic design than its series 2 counterpart, I would expect it to fetch top sale price, but the $100k+ price tag does seem excessive. According to Goldin Auctions, the card qualified for black label recognition. Mystery Sports Card Packs! These Star Ruby cards are also serial numbered to only 50, making them more rare than the previous year. Both were part of Golding auctions. This limited-edition card still took in a bundle based on the allure of its three icons. PSA graded 53 of Kobes Jambalaya cards, with fifteen grading gem mint 10, twenty mint 9, seven nm-mt 8, and the remaining psa 7 or less. The card has only been graded by PSA 13 times, with 7 of them being graded a PSA 10. Home; Browse . Five players remain correct: Michael Jordan, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Shawn Kemp, and Stephon Marbury. This card has a PSA 10 population of 15, and only 50 have ever been graded by PSA. historic prices, and card details. Lastly, they are limited to 100 copies per player, making them ultra-rare and hard to find. He is based in Atlanta and covers Black folklore, politics, and race. #138 is the rookie card of the basketball legend, produced in 1996-1997. More than just a great player, Kobe became a cultural figure for an entire generation of players and fans. $399.99. Last year, for example, the towel that Bryant draped over his shoulders during his farewell speech in 2016, along with tickets to his final game, sold at a virtual auction for more than $30,000. The front designs are nearly identical to the base versions with the differences coming in the teal foil text used on the front and the black and white imagery on the back sides. However, this base-level card's current fair market value is around $7,200 for the highest graded version. Proving just how rare they are. Panini basketball cards have been around since the Panini brothers started their company in Milan, selling millions of soccer stickers. The Essential Credentials Future is Serial Numbered to 94, while the Essential Credentials Now is numbered to just 9. Here is a list of the most valuable Kobe Bryant cards, including rookies and inserts from the late 90s and 2000s. There were 90 cards in their base set for this year, separated into what they call Rows. Row 2 is the base set and the most common while Row 1 and Row 0 are much rarer. Huge Chasers! 1997 Metal Universe Championship Hardware inserts are found in 1:360 packs of 97-98 Metal Universe Championship hobby boxes. 1996-97 Bowmans Best Kobe Bryant Rookie Card #R23. The auction house called the quality of the card a condition assessment of unsurpassable magnitude, scoring 10s in every tested category. In 1997, Fleer released two Metal Universe sets, the standard set and the Championship set, which has 100 total cards, including 98 players and two checklists. On 4/6/2021 a PSA GEM MT 10 sold for $73,200, and on 10/27/2021 another PSA 10 sold for $18,450. On 4/6/2021 a BGS 9.5 sold for $145,200. Moreover, we see how rare they are, with a small supply of only 23 graded by PSA. The value of an ungraded Kobe Bryant Hardware basketball card is between $700 $1,000, depending on the condition. When ungraded, the value is between $800-$1,000. On eBay, starting bid for this card is all over the place. Due to the many Kobe Bryant cards on the market, I left out his rookie cards, autograph cards, jersey cards, and refractors. The hefty price tag made the card one of the most expensive basketball. The E-X2000 Credentials Kobe Bryant Rookie Card is a limited-edition card in a set of 499 examples. The base version of this card in a PSA 10 slab typically sells for $500-$700. Topps is one of the most popular trading card brands in America. Bills GM Joins NFL Doctors Optimism, Kobe Bryant card sold for a record $1.795 million. Kobe Bryant Basketball Trading Card Values. International shipping - items may be subject to customs processing depending on the item's customs value. Despite the fact that these are second year Kobe Bryant cards, Skybox vastly improved the designs from his rookie year, particularly with the refractor-like background design of the Star Ruby parallels. This generally makes them scarcer and more historically relevant. PSA graded eleven of his #23 and thirteen of his #226. On 4/6/2021 a PSA 9 sold for $157,200. Because of the oval die-cut shape, the Jambalaya card doesnt have corners, which makes them easier to find in near-perfect conditions. Both sales were part of a Goldin Elite auction. It's straightforward but modern-looking enough to give it some great pop overall.