Kobe Bryant Black Label Pristine Rookie Card Sells for Nearly $1.8 Million USD at Auction
Making this the most expensive Kobe Bryant card ever sold.
A 1996-1997 Kobe Bryant rookie card sold for $1.795 million USD at Goldin Auctions this past weekend. The auction house reports this trading card as one of the most expensive basketball card ever sold. The card also shatters the record for the most expensive Kobe Bryant card ever.
According to Goldin Auctions, this black label pristine 1996-97 Topps Chrome Refractors #138 Bryant Rookie Card is only one of two on Earth that is in its condition. The card is in perfect condition, with 10s across the board, thus qualifying the Kobe Bryant card for the prestigious “black label”.
In a statement to ESPN, Ken Goldin, founder of Goldin Auctions, said, “Kobe Bryant was one of the fiercest competitors of all time and a truly larger-than-life figure. 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. The fact that it sold for the final auction price of $1.795 million, the all-time record for any Kobe Bryant card, speaks to just how beloved he was around the world. The enthusiasm for trading cards and memorabilia has never been higher and as even more people recognize the incredible investment opportunity these assets offer, we anticipate that interest will only continue to grow.”
This March auction, Goldin Auctions sold more than $45.2 million USD worth of sports memorabilia, shattering the last auction record of $33 million USD, an all-time high also set by Goldin Auctions in January 2021.
Final Sale Price: $1,795,800
An all-time record for any Kobe Bryant card. pic.twitter.com/dTStDwavHx
— Goldin Auctions (@GoldinAuctions) March 7, 2021
In other NBA trading card news, a LeBron James signed 1/1 Logoman game-used patch car sold for record $1.29 million USD.
