Kobe Bryant Rookie Cards: Values & Price Guide
By Ripbin Research · Updated 2026-06-12 · prices from live market data
Rookie cards are where collections start and where the biggest premiums live. This guide ranks Kobe Bryant's earliest-year cards by value, beginning with the 1996 issues — every price pulled from current market data.
Prices below are for raw copies (top of the list: ~$18,388.00); click through any card for its full PSA/BGS/CGC/SGC grade ladder.
#11996 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant #138
$18,388.00PSA 10 ~$90,426.09At $18,388.00 ungraded, this is the card collectors hunt first. Graded gem-mint copies jump to roughly $90,426.09 — a 4.9× premium that rewards pristine examples. This is the Refractor — scarcer than the base and priced accordingly.
#21996 Skybox E-X2000 Kobe Bryant #30
$7,554.44Raw copies trade near $7,554.44. This is the Credentials — scarcer than the base and priced accordingly.
#31996 Skybox Premium Kobe Bryant #55
$1,718.75PSA 10 ~$42,500.00Raw copies trade near $1,718.75. In PSA 10 it's a different card — around $42,500.00. The Rubies parallel is the version driving this price.
#41996 Flair Showcase Kobe Bryant #31
$1,459.40PSA 10 ~$5,199.00Raw copies trade near $1,459.40. In PSA 10 it's a different card — around $5,199.00. The Row 0 parallel is the version driving this price.
#51996 Bowman's Best Rookie Kobe Bryant #R23
$1,325.00PSA 10 ~$18,255.47Valued around $1,325.00 ungraded. Graded gem-mint copies jump to roughly $18,255.47 — a 13.8× premium that rewards pristine examples. This is the Refractor — scarcer than the base and priced accordingly.
#61996 Skybox E-X2000 Star Date 2000 Kobe Bryant #3
$1,030.00PSA 10 ~$15,300.47Currently around $1,030.00 in raw condition. In PSA 10 it's a different card — around $15,300.47.
#71996 Finest Kobe Bryant #269
$976.25PSA 10 ~$8,994.00Expect to pay about $976.25 for an ungraded example. In PSA 10 it's a different card — around $8,994.00.
#81996 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant #138
$974.76PSA 10 ~$11,500.00Valued around $974.76 ungraded. Graded gem-mint copies jump to roughly $11,500.00 — a 11.8× premium that rewards pristine examples.
#91997 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant #171
$865.00PSA 10 ~$3,805.00Valued around $865.00 ungraded. Graded gem-mint copies jump to roughly $3,805.00 — a 4.4× premium that rewards pristine examples. The Refractor parallel is the version driving this price.
#101996 Topps Draft Redemption Kobe Bryant #DP13
$698.44PSA 10 ~$5,738.00Expect to pay about $698.44 for an ungraded example. Graded gem-mint copies jump to roughly $5,738.00 — a 8.2× premium that rewards pristine examples.
Market snapshot
The top 10 Kobe Bryant cards are worth a combined $34,990.04 in raw condition, and where graded data exists, PSA 10 copies average about 10.6× the raw price — condition is doing real work in this market. 10 of the top 10 clear the $100.00 mark. Values move with the market — each card page above tracks current prices and live listings.
Just missed the cut
- #11 1996 Skybox Premium Kobe Bryant #203$622.20
- #12 1996 Flair Showcase Class of '96 Kobe Bryant #4$446.37
- #13 1996 Skybox E-X2000 Kobe Bryant #30$425.00
- #14 1996 Topps Chrome Youthquake Kobe Bryant #YQ15$346.09
- #15 1997 Topps Chrome Destiny Kobe Bryant #D5$276.59
- #16 1996 Topps Kobe Bryant #138$274.66
- #17 1996 Flair Showcase Kobe Bryant #31$243.33
- #18 1997 Metal Universe Kobe Bryant #81$207.75
- #19 1996 Flair Showcase Kobe Bryant #31$175.00
- #20 1996 Metal Cyber Metal Kobe Bryant #5$173.06
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most valuable Kobe Bryant rookie card?
- The 1996 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant #138 tops the list at around $18,388.00 ungraded — graded copies sell for more.
- Are Kobe Bryant cards worth money?
- Yes — the top 10 Kobe Bryant cards alone are worth about $34,990.04 combined in raw condition, and gem-mint graded copies average roughly 10.6× the raw price.
- Where can I sell Kobe Bryant cards?
- eBay is the most liquid market — each card above links to live listings. You can also scan your cards with Ripbin to track values and receive bids from collectors.