He retired in 2016. It's an interesting card overall and including the names of the other players on the card front was a nice touch. PSA graded thirteen of Kobes Essential Credential cards, with none grading gem mint 10, two mint 9, five NM-MT 8, four NM 7, one PSA 6.5, and one authentic. !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)? Some other huge names like Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury and Antoine Walker were included but it's Bryant's card that is easily the standout. This one of Kobe getting ready to attempt his trademark jam has a PSA 10 value of $1,000, and the most impressive thing about this card is that it predates the Fleer Precious Metal Gems series, making this an anomaly in the Fleer collection. Additionally, each row also went by another name: Row 0 was labeled as "Showcase", Row 1 was "Grace" and Row 2 went by "Style". setTimeout( function() { 1997 Fleer Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems #81, 1997 Metal Universe Championship Precious Metal Gems #86, 1997 Skybox E-X2001 Essential Credentials Future #8, 1998 Skybox E-X Century Essential Credentials #10, 1997 Flair Showcase Row 0 Legacy Collection #18, 1998 Skybox E-X Century Essential Credentials, 1998 Skybox Molten Metal Fusion Titanium #33F, 1997 Metal Universe Championship Hardware #7, 1998 Skybox Premium Intimidation Nation #2, 1998 Skybox E-X Century Dunk 'N Go-Nuts #6DG, 1997 Metal Universe Platinum Portraits #3, 1997 Skybox Premium Competitive Advantage #CA2, 1998 Hoops Frequent Flyer Club Upgrade #9, Shop the 1997 Skybox Z-Force Rave Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1998 Fleer Tradition Electrifying Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1997 Hoops Frequent Flyer Club Upgrade Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1997 Metal Universe Planet Metal Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1998 Metal Universe Planet Metal Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1997 Fleer Thrill Seekers Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the Skybox Premium Competitive Advantage Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1997 Metal Universe Platinum Portrait Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1998 Flair Showcase Takeit2.net Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1998 Skybox E-X Century DunkN Go-Nuts Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1997 Skybox Premium Premium Players Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1998 Skybox Premium Thats Jam Kobe Bryant basketball card on eBay, Shop the 1997 Big Men on Court Kobe Bryant basketball card on eBay, Shop the 1998 Intimidation Nation Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1997 Skybox Golden Touch Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1997 Championship Hardware Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1997 High Voltage 500 Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1998 Fusion Titanium Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1998 Hoops Slam Bams Kobe Bryant card PSA on eBay, Shop the 1997 Platinum Medallion Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1997 Legacy Collection Row 0 Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1997 Star Power Supreme Kobe Bryant card on eBay, PSA graded 49 of Kobes Star Power Supreme, Shop the 1998 Essential Credentials Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1998 Playmakers Theatre Kobe Bryant card on eBay, PSA graded six of Kobes Playmaker Theatre cards, Shop the 1997 Jambalaya Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop 1999 Raise the Roof Kobe Bryant card on eBay, Shop the 1997 Star Rubies Kobe Bryant card on eBay. It's one of only two ever rated at that level by Beckett. Kobe Bryant was seemingly destined for greatness. Finding cards in high grades is challenging due to the heavy ink and thick foil finish. Since the tragedy, memorabilia for the late five-time NBA champion has been showing up on auction sites. If youre looking for an ultimate challenge, consider hunting down the 1/1 Masterpiece edition. And that should boost the price more in theory. More than just a great player, Kobe became a cultural figure for an entire generation of players and fans. With just over 80 cards in the set, only 8 exist and only one has been graded by PSA. Like our content? However, there are also ultra-rare inserts randomly inserted in their hobby boxes known as High Voltage 500. It is serial numbered to 24. If you grew up before the 2000s, the hobby of collecting sports cards shouldnt be foreign to you. 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. The only concession made to the gem mint grading is a small amount of imperfection in the printing quality. By contrast, the base insert version has been graded 82 times, with 14 getting a 10 by PSA. It's straightforward but modern-looking enough to give it some great pop overall. Fusion basketball cards are undoubtedly one of the more iconic and earliest cards with serial numbers. Finest products remain heavy collector favorites across the hobby and this gold atomic refractor of Kobe Bryant's 1996 "Heir" subset issue is no exception. Panini basketball cards have been around since the Panini brothers started their company in Milan, selling millions of soccer stickers. A Warner Bros. On 5/24/2021 a PSA 10 sold for $57,600. Fleer Kobe Bryant Rookie Sports Trading Cards & Accessories, Fleer Kobe Bryant Grade 9.5 Basketball Rookie Sports Trading Cards & Accessories, 12 Most Expensive Restaurants in Philadelphia, 10 Most Expensive Camera Lenses You Can Ever Buy, Finest Gold Refractor Kobe Bryant Rookie Card. . On 4/23/2020 a PSA 9 sold for $9,017. PSA graded six of Kobes Playmaker Theatre cards, with none grading gem mint 10, one mint 9, one NM-MT 8, three NM 7, and one EX-MT 6. Kobe Bryant Rookie Card Values. Furthermore, Fleer states that hes established himself as a legitimate three-point threat, and at age 19, Bryant will only get better. Both sales were part of a Goldin Elite auction. They offer an entire foil front with cropped-out photos of players positioned over a gold background. This card has a PSA 10 population of 15, and only 50 have ever been graded by PSA. Compare prices below or click on the card you want for more values, 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. PSA graded just 21 of the Kobe High Voltage 500 inserts, with one grading gem mint 10, five near-mint-mint 8, eight near-mint 7, and the remaining PSA 6 or less. PSA graded seven of Kobes 97 Metal Championship PMGs, with none grading gem mint 10, two mint 9, three NM-MT 8, and two NM 7. calendar_month 02/27/2023. pic.twitter.com/dTStDwavHx. With a star-studded rookie class and such amazing card designs, the hobby boxes of 1996 Skybox E-X2000 can sell for upwards of $10k. @blogzworth. Kobe Bryant. Published Because of the chipping, it only has a PSA 10 population of 22. While it is unknown just how many Star Rubies were printed, a safe estimate is between 100 and 250 according to some hobby discussion. #138 is the rookie card of the basketball legend, produced in 1996-1997. 1997 Skybox Premium Golden Touch Kobe Bryant basketball card #3GT PSA 10 sold for $8,300 1983 Fleer Cello Pack Value Pak W/ Wade Boggs RC Rookie Card On Front - TCCCX TW (#374525276421) See all feedback. The Ultra Stars insert was rare enough on its own, and this Gold parallel is even more rare at a staggering 1 out of 28,000 packs. Set#: KB1/KB2. Attributes of gem mint-rated cards include a sharp focus, sharp corners, and the full original gloss on the whole surface of the card. Platinum Medallion parallels are one of the Holy Grail parallels from the 90s. The card, which was sold through the PWCC Marketplace,is one of the most desirable of all time. Because this is Kobes third-year card and the second year of Essential Credentials, it holds significant value to hobbyists. Getting your hands on a Kobe Bryant basketball card might not be as hard as you think. Arena Club has over 140 Kobe Bryant cards on the marketplace, Laufer told NewsOne. The Gold parallel of this Most Valuable Players insert were serial numbered to 10. Stay posted for any cards that surface on eBay for auction because any PMG card is valuable regardless of the player. In 2003, E-X resurrected the Essential Credentials Future and Essential Credentials Now serial numbered parallels. On a PSA NM+ 7.5 sold for $109,200. On 10/27/2021 a PSA 10 of the Credentials parallel sold for $617,460, and on 2/22/2021 a PSA 10 of the base version sold for $87,100. The card was made by Panini, the Italian card developer who got their start making soccer stickers. His dominance on the court left a legacy as one of the greatest players of all-time. Try a 1996-97 Topps Kobe Bryant Rookie Card #138. A BGS 8.5 example recently sold at auction in October 2022 for $3,916. PSA 9 examples sell between $16,800 $18,450, while PSA 10s sell between $57,000 $68,000. They moved on to Italian football trading cards and albums and eventually created a set for Sports Superstars. These included NBA players like Michael Jordan in their 1987 set and eventually led to this Kobe Bryant entry. This insert set features 15 players and joining Kobe are Michael Jordan, Shaquille ONeal, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, and Scottie Pippen. The last PSA 10 version of this card sold for around $2,500 in 2014 so I'm guessing it would go for much more in today's market. The first year of the highly popular Essential Credentials parallel was 1997, which was Kobes second year in the league. This card will run you anywhere from $150-$1,850. This card was sold at a Goldin auction for $136,530. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. On 5/24/2021 a PSA 9 of the #23SR parallel sold for $87,330. Learn how to search faster and find your cards. However, in February 2022, a collector decided to let their PSA 8 example go up for auction and chose Goldin Auction as the auction house. Try a more specific search to refine the results. Kobe Bryant, the shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, had a legendary 20-year career before retiring with 5 NBA championships under his belt, as well as 15 memberships in the All-NBA Team. Mar 7, 2021 A Kobe Bryant rookie card sold for $1,795,800 at auction on Saturday, the most expensive for a card of the Lakers legend and one of the most expensive for a basketball card. Category: Basketball. Golden Touch die-cut inserts are found in 1:360 packs from series 2 boxes. One of Kobes most iconic, yet attainable rookie cards is the 1996-97 Topps card. So, the Championship PMGs are much rarer. Player: Kobe Bryant . This unique card was part of a 40-card set that was randomly inserted into 1 out of every 10 packs. Thank you for reading, and happy collecting! Like the rest of the card market, the Kobe Bryant card market is down from the record high sales of 2021 and early 2022. The refractor parallels of Kobes rookie fetch much higher values, particularly in Gem Mint condition. 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. On eBay, the cards are listed at $360-$900. They feature up close and personal photos of players looking intimidating placed over a fiery background. Fleer included the Precious Metal Gems parallels in the Championship set but limited each card to 50 copies as opposed to 100, like the standard set. The imagery on this card is loud as it features a young Kobe looking like he's busting through the card itself on his way up for a jam. 1996-97 Flair Showcase Row 2 Kobe Bryant Rookie Card #3. Free shipping for many products! historic prices, and card details. CNNs Jill Martian contributed to this report. The unique and distinct portrait plus action card design makes the Flair cards really stand out amongst other basketball card designs of the 90s. Login. Both were part of Golding auctions. Please, comment below and let me know which cards you think should be on the list. And the last time one of these in BGS 10 condition sold in 2017, it went for an incredible $33,500. Kobes copy has never been graded by PSA. I used to love watching him and Shaq play together during that dominant Lakers run. 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. The second parallel is called Essential Credentials Now and has 10 copies for Kobe. Firstly, they are limited to 100 copies per player and are of the early cards with serial numbers. The cards overall rating dropped to 5.5, however, due to it being so off-center in the printer. The card has only been graded by PSA 13 times, with 7 of them being graded a PSA 10. On 4/6/2021 a BGS 9.5 sold for $145,200. Grant Hill was one of the NBA's biggest young stars of the era and in a nod to his greatness, Hoops created this set in his name. Having the coolest cards from some of your favorite athletes was like a badge of honor in the streets. Huge Chasers! If and when they do, expect record sales to be set nearly every time. The most recognizable feature of the Jambalaya is the oval die-cut shape. 1996-97 Fleer Metal Kobe Bryant Cyber Metal Rookie RC #5. He started at Radio One in 2010 as an Online Editor in Richmond, VA. Before his time at NewsOne, Bilal was the Regional Online Editor In Atlanta, GA. Fleer Ultra continued with its rare Platinum Medallion parallel in 1997, this time the cards were serial numbered to just 100. Sellers declare the item's customs value and must comply . On eBay, starting bid for this card is all over the place. There are only 10 of each issue in existence. Compared to some other rare high end cards, these Topps Chrome refractors tend to have a strong card stock and are not prone to chipping. This card would have been featured in 1996 Skybox Premium series 1 hobby boxes. His rookie card is one of the rarest in existence and one of only two on earth in black label pristine condition, which is the highest possible obtainable grade, said Ken Goldin, founder of Goldin Auctions. He also specializes in SEO and evergreen content. These include #1 (Charles Barkley), #23 (Michael Jordan), #50 (Shaquille ONeal), and #20 (Allen Iverson). I will make separate lists of his other cards and list them below. In March 2021, a Kobe Bryant card sold for a record $1.795 millionin an online auction house called Goldin Auctions. Bilal was hired by Interactive One in 2021, but has worked for the company for over 10 years. The only recorded sales are of a PSA 7, selling for $20,400 in October 2021, and a PSA 10, selling for $80,000 in February 2022. A pair of LeBron James cards sold for over $2.8 million combined. After making the jump from high school to the NBA, Bryant was one of the most hyped young stars of the day. Some collectors choose to leave the protective coating on for grading, and PSA designates this in their population report. Moreover, Fleer included Intimidation Nation cards in their 98 football set, creating more awareness and collectability. The late Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, known for his remarkable scoring ability and his championship pedigree. PSA graded a meager 6 of Kobes Raise the Roof cards, with one grading gem mint 10, one nm-mt 8, and four near mint 7. PSA graded 23 of Kobes PMG cards, with three grading NM_MT 8, one PSA 7, one PSA 6, and the remaining PSA 5 or less. The borders can be extremely susceptible to showing wear and chipping. This card has a PSA 10 population of 0, which isnt surprising since the typically came with chipping along the high gloss edges straight out of the pack. Showing only 100 cards. Even more valuable are Refractor parallels, which fall 1:12 packs, on average. A BGS 8.5 grade, the copy is numbered /10 and sold for $2,000,000 privately this year . Yet another great insert set in the E-X2001 set is this oval-shaped die cut card which has become iconic among collectors. Read Description. 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. The 1996 Flair Showcase set offered an interesting yet complicated grouping of base cards that were broken into tiers of scarcity that they called "Row 0", "Row 1" and "Row 2". Lets take a look at some of Kobe Bryants most valuable, as well as most affordable rookie cards. Year: 2003. The card was graded "9" by the BGS (or "mint") and the signature was graded . Kobe's first jersey card came in the 1998-99 Upper Deck set, and it featured two versions. During a Golding Elite auction, a BGS MINT 9 with BGS 10 Auto sold for $105,780. This sale coincided with a large spike in graded card sales across the hobby and sticks out as quite the anomaly compared to a sale in February of 2019 for $6,000. Most cards in this collection were only released in 50 examples, so nabbing the rarer ones is a feat worthy of only the most devoted collector. According to Goldin Auctions, the card qualified for black label recognition. Kobe Bryant was one of the fiercest competitors of all time and a truly larger-than-life figure. Only one copy per card exists. 4:33 PM EST, Mon March 8, 2021. On 7/21/2021 a PSA 10 sold for $8,650. On 4/6/2021 a BGS GEM MINT 9.5 sold for $67,200, and on 10/6/2021 a PSA 9 $18,450. Look for the label that says, Upper Deck Authenticated.. Moreover, the background is covered with a platinum finish, and the text also boasts a metallic gradient. Learn how to Goldin Auctions recently sold a PSA example at auction in August 2022 for $15,350. Find historical values for graded 2008 Skybox Metal Universe Kobe Bryant #4 basketball cards by viewing prices sold on eBay and major auctions.