If you come across an item of Kobe online, you may want to check out its authenticity before you waste your money on a fake.
Since the highly-publicized passing of NBA legend, Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, scammers are popping up online trying to make some quick cash by selling fake Bryant memorabilia.
Via TMZ:
But, with the high demand comes scam artists looking to push fakes … and the market is already on high alert.
We spoke with multiple high-end collectible dealers who are all saying the same thing … people are clamoring for anything Kobe … and they’re paying anywhere from 2x to 20x the price Kobe stuff was fetching before his death.
For example, a game-worn and signed Kobe jersey from the 2004-2005 season was expected to hit $6,000 before his death … but pre-bidders have already bumped the price to a starting $6,500 and the auction still runs for another month!
Another high-end dealer who didn’t want to be mentioned by name says an extremely rare Kobe basketball card (which was originally expected to sell around the $2,500 range) has sold in the private market after Kobe’s death for nearly $50,000.
Other dealers have told us straight-up they’re pressing pause on selling Kobe items because it doesn’t feel right to capitalize on emotional fans.
As for the fakes, multiple dealers have told us it’s not uncommon for forgers to push out fake items and fake signatures on eBay and other platforms.
Our experts are warning fans to only buy merchandise that’s been authenticated by reputable sellers.