Kobe Bryant was without a doubt one of the greatest, most iconic, and inspirational players to ever set foot on the court. His long and fruitful career is not only a testament to the player’s skill, but also to his passion for the game.
In this post we will be looking at our top 10 picks for Kobe Bryant’s most iconic and valuable rookies every collector should strive to add to his/her collection.
1996 SP Holoviews Kobe Bryant Rookie Card #PC18 – $4,551
Let’s start our list with one of the most visually appealing Kobe Bryant rookies ever printed. The card was part of a 40card set, with an insert ratio of 1:10. The hologram of the iconic player, and the overall design of the card complement each other very well, for an very aesthetic collectable. Having said that, this card was also extremely condition sensitive, meaning that finding one of these rookies in good condition is very hard.
Of the 83 cards submitted to PSA, only 7 have ever received a PSA 10 grading. The highest price paid for the card was $4,551 in July, 2020. The value of this card has risen considerably in recent years.
1996 Flair Showcase Legacy Collection Row 1 Kobe Bryant Rookie #31 /150 - $6,000
The 1996 Flair Showcase is one of the most popular sets of the 90’s with the Legacy Collection parallels being separated into 3 categories. Row 2 was the most common, Row 1 being the second rarest, and Row 0 being the rarest. Despite being the second rarest, Kobe Bryant’s Row 1 rookie is the one that has been growing the most in terms of value and popularity.
Out of the 150 copies printed, 55 have been submitted for grading by the PSA. Of these, only 9 have ever been graded as PSA 10’s, with the most expensive card being sold for $6,000 in 2019
1996 Ultra Platinum Medallion Kobe Bryant Rookie #P52 - $11,456
A truly great card capturing the basketball legend in mid air, as he was going for a layup. Extremely susceptible to chip damage and wearing this condition sensitive Kobe Bryant rookie is very hard to come across in good condition. If you do happen to find one however, they can go for a significant amount. Along with the rest of the important Kobe Bryant cards, this rookie has seen an increase in demand in recent times.
Only 61 cards have ever made it to PSA for grading, and just 9 were PSA 10’s. The most expensive Kobe Bryant rookie from the set was a PSA 9 which sold for $11,456 in November, 2020.
1996 Bowman's Best Atomic Refractor Kobe Bryant Rookie #R23 -$26,400
While most Kobe Bryant rookies on the list capture the “essence” of the 90’s in their design, this particular card has a more modern look. The Atomic Refractor parallel in particular is significantly rarer that its refractor and base parallels, and thus can yield significantly higher price tags. The card’s value has actually multiplied during the past year, with values for PSA 10 spiking to new highs.
Out of the 240 cards submitted to PSA for grading, only 35 have been PSA 10’s. The highest price paid for this Kobe Bryant rookie was $26,400 in August, 2020.
1996 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant #138 - $56,101
With a foil finish this card is often mistaken for its much more valuable and sought after refractor parallel, but it’s still no slouch. This is especially true around the legendary player’s retirement season.
With over 5,700 cards submitted to PSA, 830 were graded as PSA 10’s, with the highest price reaching $56,101 in February of 2021.
1996 Topps Finest Gold Refractor Kobe Bryant #269 - $70,100
This card is definitely among the best of the Kobe Bryant rookies. Apart from a great background design, greatly standing out in the refractor parallel version, the card depicts Kobe in action, as he prepares to perform a reverse slam. These first came with a thin plastic coating meant to protect the condition sensitive design, but finding highly graded cards today is exceptionally rare.
Out of the 122 cards (w/Coating) submitted to PSA, 19 have been graded as PSA 10’s, with the most expensive being sold for $70,100 in December of 2020. That is an almost 5X increase over the previous highest price paid, which was set January, 2020. 91 cards without coating have also been submitted to the PSA for grading, of which only 26 were graded as PSA 10’s and 47 as PSA 9's. The most expensive non-coated card was a PSA 9 which went for $50,100 during February, 2021.
1996 Topps Finest Refractor Kobe Bryant Rookie #74 w/Coating- $75,030
While less “shiny” than its #269 counterpart from the same set, this Kobe Bryant rookie, shows the iconic player busting through the card, on his way up for a dunk. This is truly among the most iconic Kobe rookies, and well deserving of the number 3 spot on our list. High grade versions of this card are very rare, but if you manage to find one with the coating still intact, you will be looking at a very high valued card.
Out of the 268 cards graded by the PSA, only 17 have ever been graded as PSA 10’s. In fact there has been record of only 2 PSA 10 being sold. The highest price was realized in December 2020, with the card reaching $75,030.
1996 Skybox E-X2000 Kobe Bryant #30 - $87,100
Despite its Credentials parallel having the potential to drive much higher prices, the base version of this Kobe Bryant rookie card is still a card that is greatly sought after by collectors. Pretty much identical to its parallel, the base card simple has a different colored border. This means that it shares the same condition sensitivity, so finding one of these rookies in good condition is very hard.
There have been over 3,800 1996 Skybox E-X2000 Kobe Bryant rookies submitted to PSA for grading, but only 24 have ever been PSA 10’s. That ratio is among the smallest we have seen. The highest price paid for one of these cards was $81,100 in February, 2021. A truly astronomical increase in value from $6,997 in May, 2020.
1996 Skybox E-X2000 Credentials Kobe Bryant Rookie Card #30/499 - $78,000
Perhaps the second most sought after Kobe Bryant rookie, the card combines an interesting die cut, with off-white foil border design, and high rarity. Numbered to only 499, the card is also extremely condition sensitive meaning that high graded cards are extremely hard to come across.
Out of the 62 cards graded by the PSA, only 4 were found to be PSA 10’s. The highest price paid for one of these Kobe Bryant rookies however was $78,000 for a PSA 8 in February, 2020. This is over double the previous highest paid price of $30,000 for a PSA 10 in 2018.
1996 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant Refractor #138 -$500,000
The number one most sought after Kobe Bryant rookie is without a doubt his 1996 Topps Chrome Refractor. This non-numbered card was a retail-only release, with an insert ratio of 1:12. While this might not sound very rare, in a set with 220 card, the chances of finding a Kobe Bryant rookie refractor were slim. Couple its rarity with very high condition sensitivity, and you have a card that is worth more than some of his other autographed cards.
Out of the 401 Kobe Bryant rookies submitted to the PSA for grading, only 63 were ever given a PSA 10 grading. The highest price paid for one of these PSA 10’s was set in February of 2021, reaching $500,000.
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