Kobe 2000-01 Ultimate Patch Auto /8 Sells for $151K

2000-01 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Game Jersey Patches Autograph #KB-A Kobe Bryant Signed Patch Card (#01/08) - PSA Authentic - Pop 2

Kobe Bryant’s premium early-2000s inserts and autographs continue to be a key focus for serious basketball collectors. A recent sale at Goldin on 2026-01-04 put a spotlight on one of the more advanced cards in that lane:

Card profile

Player: Kobe Bryant
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Year: 2000-01
Set: Upper Deck Ultimate Collection
Card: Game Jersey Patches Autograph #KB-A
Serial numbering: Hand-numbered 01/08 (only 8 copies produced)
Attributes: On-card autograph, multi-color game-worn patch, low-serial parallel
Grading: PSA Authentic (card and autograph authenticated, no numerical grade)
Population: PSA pop 2 in this exact configuration

This specific copy sold at Goldin on 2026-01-04 for $151,143.

Where this card fits in Kobe’s market

Era and category
2000-01 products fall into what many collectors view as the late “playing-days” era for Kobe. It’s not a rookie, but it’s squarely within his prime championship window with the Lakers. For established stars, this period can be especially important: inserts and autographs from active, title-chasing seasons often become long-term reference points for the player’s market.

Why collectors care about this card

Upper Deck Ultimate Collection pedigree
Ultimate Collection was positioned as a true premium product in the early 2000s. Low print runs, on-card signatures, and game-worn patch content made it a higher-end alternative to mass-market sets. Within that context, Game Jersey Patches Autograph cards sat near the top of Kobe’s non-rookie offerings for the year.
Low-serial, on-card, game-worn patch
- On-card autograph means Kobe signed directly on the card surface, which most collectors prefer over sticker autos.
- Game-worn patch (as opposed to generic “event-worn”) connects directly to his time on the floor with the Lakers.
- A run of only 8 copies makes this a genuinely scarce piece, even before considering condition or grading.
Serial number 01/08
Serial numbering is straightforward—this is the first copy in the run. Some collectors assign a modest premium to jersey-matched numbers, 1/1, or “first/last off the line” (01/xx or xx/xx). That premium is not universal or fixed, but it can matter in high-end bidding when supply is extremely thin.
Population and grading
PSA labeling this as Authentic confirms the card and signature are genuine without assigning a numerical condition grade. Reasons for an Authentic-only label can vary (from condition issues to submitter preference).

The PSA pop report shows only 2 examples in this exact PSA Authentic configuration. When you factor in other grading companies and ungraded copies, total supply is still capped at 8, but seeing a pop of 2 at PSA underlines how infrequently these surface in public channels.

Market context and recent sales

Public sales data for this exact card is limited, which is typical for ultra-low print, high-end Kobe cards from this era. With just 8 copies in existence, many can sit in long-term collections and not hit the open market for years.

Because direct “comps” (comparable sales) for this precise card and serial number are scarce, collectors tend to triangulate value by looking at:

Other Kobe Ultimate Collection autographed patch cards from early 2000s.
Similar on-card, game-worn patch autos numbered to 10 or fewer across other premium brands (e.g., Exquisite, high-end SP/Upper Deck releases).
The general tier of Kobe’s premium inserts and autos versus key players in the same era (Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, contemporaries) and versus modern stars.

Within that framework, the $151,143 result on 2026-01-04 at Goldin sits in the upper bracket of Kobe’s non-rookie, non-1/1 patch autograph market, but it’s consistent with how the top end of his hobby profile has behaved in recent years:

Kobe’s true rookies and flagship rookie parallels still command the highest attention from a broader audience.
At the same time, deep hobbyists have increasingly targeted low-serial, on-card, game-worn autos from his playing days, seeing them as an alternate “pillar” category in his catalog.

The fact that this card is:

From a respected premium brand (Ultimate Collection),
A multi-color game-worn patch,
On-card signed,
Numbered to 8, and
Serial 01/08

helps explain why it drew strong bidding in a major auction setting.

Because this specific card does not trade often in public auctions, it’s more accurate to view this sale as a current reference point rather than a stable, long-term price anchor. One or two sales can help frame expectations, but they don’t guarantee future levels.

Collectors’ significance beyond the price

Non-rookie, but a key issue
While this is not a Kobe rookie card, it occupies an important lane: early-career, on-card, game-worn patch autographs from a premium product. For many Kobe-focused collectors, a card like this functions as a “centerpiece” alongside, or sometimes instead of, a rookie.

Championship-era connection
The 2000-01 season is part of the Lakers’ run of titles with Kobe and Shaq. Collectors often draw a line between meaningful on-court periods and the cards produced during those years. An on-card auto with a game-worn patch from that timeframe carries a direct connection to a highly celebrated part of his career.

Ultra-low print versus grading scarcity
With only 8 copies made, this is one of those situations where print run matters more than the specific grade for many high-end buyers. Whether a card is PSA Authentic, PSA 8, or similar, the central fact is that there are only a handful of examples that can ever trade hands.

Takeaways for collectors and small sellers

Ultra-rare, premium Kobe cards behave differently from mass-market issues.
They don’t have frequent public comps, and each auction can reset expectations. This Goldin result from 2026-01-04 at $151,143 is best read as a snapshot of what the market was willing to pay when one of the 8 copies became available.
Context is crucial when using this sale as a reference.
If you’re valuing or trading other Kobe autos and patches, it’s important to compare:
- Serial numbering (e.g., /8 vs /50 vs /100),
- On-card vs sticker autograph,
- Game-worn vs generic “player-worn” material,
- Brand and set reputation.
Pop reports and print runs work together.
A low PSA population (like pop 2 in Authentic) doesn’t tell the whole story on its own. Here, the known print run of 8 is the real cap. Pop reports simply indicate how many have passed through a given grading company so far.
For newcomers and returning collectors:
Sales like this can feel distant from everyday collecting, but they’re helpful markers. They show how the market ranks different categories of Kobe cards—rookies, inserts, and premium autographed memorabilia cards. You can use these reference points to decide what lane of collecting fits your budget and interest, without assuming that high-end prices will trickle down evenly to every Kobe card.

How figoca looks at this sale

At figoca, we pay attention to:

Auction venue: Goldin is one of the main stages for high-end basketball, which often brings out strong competition for rare Kobe pieces.
Timing: A sale on 2026-01-04 offers a relatively current data point in Kobe’s post-career market, well after his playing days and Hall of Fame induction.
Card profile: Premium brand, on-card auto, game-worn patch, ultra-low print run, and notable serial number (01/08).

Together, these elements help explain why this 2000-01 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Game Jersey Patches Autograph #KB-A Kobe Bryant card achieved such a strong result, and why it will likely be referenced by advanced Kobe collectors the next time another copy emerges from a long-term collection.

As always, this sale is one data point among many. It’s a useful benchmark, but not a guarantee of future prices. For collectors, the main takeaway is the continuing strength of high-quality, low-serial, on-card, game-worn Kobe Bryant issues in the modern basketball card landscape.