Rare Kobe Bryant Topps Chrome Cards Continue to Rise in Value
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As the hobby continues to gain popularity, we’ve seen certain player markets completely explode to new levels. Kobe Bryant is a prime example of that, with his card market rising more than 80 percent over the past two years. And just as some were wondering if his market had finally peaked, two similar Kobe Bryant Topps cards hit new all-time highs after selling on January 11th.
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Topps Chrome Gold Refractors
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that both cards in question were Topps Chrome Gold Refractors. The first was a 2005 copy numbered to 99, graded PSA 10, which sold for $12,600. The second was a 2009 copy numbered to 50, graded PSA 9, which brought in $21,000. The 2005 copy saw a bump of $4,200 since its last sale in January of 2025, while the 2009 jumped $5,000 since selling this past September. For those wondering why the 2009 PSA 9 is more expensive than the 2005 PSA 10, there are a few factors at play. The PSA 9 has 49 fewer copies in circulation, holds the highest PSA grade in the population due to a lack of 10s, and comes from the final year Topps produced licensed NBA cards (until returning again this past year). It also coincides with the rookie season of Stephen Curry, which has drawn even more attention to the 2009 Topps Chrome set as a whole.
Hobby Legacy
Topps Chrome Gold Refractors (alongside Gold Prizms) continue to cement themselves as some of the most sought-after parallels in the hobby. Even players who don’t have massive collector followings will often see their Gold copies sell for far more than expected simply because of how popular the parallel has become. When you combine that with a player as popular as Kobe Bryant, whose brand and legacy also happen to be synonymous with the color gold, it makes these sales far less surprising. That said, nothing is guaranteed in the hobby. Like any market, sports cards experience price swings, and only time will tell whether these particular cards can continue their upward trajectory in the long term.
Kobe Bryant 2009 Topps Chrome Gold refractor /50. The last Kobe refractor of the Topps era of basketball cards… these do not become available often, very happy to acquire this copy. pic.twitter.com/CNa7tvFzzj
— CaliforniaCardCollector (@CaliforniaCard) November 16, 2023
Jason is a dedicated basketball card collector who recently transitioned into writing and educating others about the sports card industry. Find him on Instagram @jeancardz