Rare Kobe Rookie Find

[Wade Mulroy]

Up early one morning last week to get my toddler’s bottle warmed up. Tuned into some live baseball auctions when a seller flashed this Kobe rookie.

Looked like a regular 1996 Topps rookie, but it had an embossed stamp and hand-numbered on the back. He stated a “isn’t a basketball guy” and found it in one of his boxes and would be happy to take whatever it brings in open auction. I won it for $116 total and just received it in the mail.

Turns out this is a 2004 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Topps Original rookie buyback serial numbered to 100. For this set, Topps bought-back original rookies of Kobe, Yao, Duncan, Vince Carter, LeBron, etc., stamped them and hand numbered them.

A PSA 9 Kobe sold on eBay not long ago and a couple more are currently posted with outrageous BINs. Planning on getting this one slabbed soon, but just wanted to show it off.

I know buybacks aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but a legitimate Topps-issued, hand numbered Kobe rookie is nice to have in the collection, especially since he has very few early numbered cards.





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[hermanotarjeta]

Interesting.

I never knew these existed.

[Cardsareus84]

That is pretty sweet. I had no idea these existed. Where did you tune into live baseball auctions at?

[Beavers98]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

Interesting.

I never knew these existed.

Same.. I was just going to say that.

[Wade Mulroy]

This appears to be the checklist of who was included in the set, along with print runs. Lebron is the most limited with only 50 copies, compared to 100 for the rest.

https://www.tcdb.com/Checklist.cfm/s...es?PageIndex=1

[Wade Mulroy]

Originally Posted by Cardsareus84

That is pretty sweet. I had no idea these existed. Where did you tune into live baseball auctions at?

Whatnot - - it's a sea of nonsense on there, but every now and then I've been able to find some good shows and pick up some cool stuff for the PC. For every good show, there are 1000 terrible ones.

[cms11]

I would definitely get that graded.

[cms11]

Some crazy prices being asked for it if you search 100 "Topps Original" on eBay.

[Wade Mulroy]

Here is a PSA slabbed one - I am 100% going to get it graded since (as the comments imply) most never knew about this set and it could easily be assumed as some type of homemade custom




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[Wade Mulroy]

Originally Posted by cms11

Some crazy prices being asked for it if you search 100 "Topps Original" on eBay.

Yeah, the couple listed are people shooting for the moon. I'm not that gullible, but since there are so few serial numbered early Kobe's, it's a cool item.

I am a bit conflicted on whether I consider it a "true" rookie or not. It's a legitimate 1996 Topps rookie, but the stamping and numbering obviously came in 2004. Regardless, it is a very welcome addition, especially at the price point.

[cms11]

How many have been graded 9 or higher? I'm sure it's low since they were handled so much.

[cms11]

Originally Posted by Wade Mulroy

Yeah, the couple listed are people shooting for the moon. I'm not that gullible, but since there are so few serial numbered early Kobe's, it's a cool item.

I am a bit conflicted on whether I consider it a "true" rookie or not. It's a legitimate 1996 Topps rookie, but the stamping and numbering obviously came in 2004. Regardless, it is a very welcome addition, especially at the price point.

I treat it like a 2004 card too, but it's very unique and even then Kobe had very few cards numbered to 100.

[Wade Mulroy]

Originally Posted by cms11

How many have been graded 9 or higher? I'm sure it's low since they were handled so much.

PSA 10: 1
PSA 9: 4
PSA 8 & Below: 17


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[ThatGuyPal]

Everyone hates companies taking them to the woodshed but will bleed someone dry themselves the first opportunity.

Lol basically the hobby in a nutshell, cutthroat business

[boxbuster7]

great find but man that seller is a dummy. I mean that kobe is one of the most iconic rookies of the last 20 years. Have to give him credit - good on him for honoring the sale though. Most people probably wouldn't have.

[Spink]

Originally Posted by ThatGuyPal

Everyone hates companies taking them to the woodshed but will bleed someone dry themselves the first opportunity.

Lol basically the hobby in a nutshell, cutthroat business

Human nature - ME ME ME (universal)

[rnocards]

On these buybacks, who writes those serial numbers in? Is it the player or is it Topps?

Like in the OP, the 62/100, is that Kobe's handwriting?

I don't personally attach a significant premium value to these buybacks unless the serial number is handwritten by the player himself, and especially if the card is then signed.

[Wade Mulroy]

Originally Posted by rnocards

On these buybacks, who writes those serial numbers in? Is it the player or is it Topps?

Like in the OP, the 62/100, is that Kobe's handwriting?

I don't personally attach a significant premium value to these buybacks unless the serial number is handwritten by the player himself, and especially if the card is then signed.

O% chance the player numbered these. Topps has no reason to coordinate the player hand-numbering these if they aren’t signing them. Probably just some intern back at Topps in 2004 numbering them.


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[sethc1020]

First off congrats on the find and hopefully you make a killing. 2nd, for me there is no way that card should sell for that much, at the end of the day its a Topps RC that just has a stamp and some random person hand numbered it to 100. Its not like Kobe hand numbered it.

[Wade Mulroy]

Originally Posted by sethc1020

First off congrats on the find and hopefully you make a killing. 2nd, for me there is no way that card should sell for that much, at the end of the day its a Topps RC that just has a stamp and some random person hand numbered it to 100. Its not like Kobe hand numbered it.

I don't disagree at all - - I certainly wouldn't pay over a grand for such a card, but it appears that's generally where the market is for it.

That being said, I feel like your comment could be copy and pasted for 98% of all the random parallels Topps and Panini pump out on the regular.

"No way an Ohtani Heritage color swap should sell for that much, it's just his base card with a slightly different color"

"No way that Jordan should sell for that much, it's just a base card that says "first day issue"
etc. etc. etc.

Us sports card collectors are a weird bunch of people. We would scoff at paying $10 for a base card of most players, but if you give the slightest, indistinguishable variation to the same card and call it "rare" then we're fighting each other for it and justifying why it's more important than our mortgage payment that month.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by sethc1020

First off congrats on the find and hopefully you make a killing. 2nd, for me there is no way that card should sell for that much, at the end of the day its a Topps RC that just has a stamp and some random person hand numbered it to 100. Its not like Kobe hand numbered it.

I would imagine these cards are pretty easy to duplicate.

Not a card I would want to keep long term.

[sethc1020]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

I would imagine these cards are pretty easy to duplicate.

Not a card I would want to keep long term.

Very True

[Wade Mulroy]

Grades are in!






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[exitmusicblue]

Congrats! Looks even better, was it a surface issue?

[Rhale88]

That’s that dopamine rush we all hope to experience lol congrats and good pull my dude !
Trade for the original? ��