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Kobe prices BC and AC; tale of two eBay sellers, what would you do?
As most of you know, with the shocking tragic passing of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13 yo daughter Gianna and 7 other beautiful souls, Kobe Bryant autograph prices are going sky high AFTER the crash (AC). Suddenly, many Kobe Bryant signed basketballs, even without legitimate COAs, are selling for $3000 and beyond. How high prices will go and where they will settle is anyone’s guess.
But have you wondered...where were Kobe prices BEFORE the crash (BC)? I talked to an eBay seller tonight who was faced with an ethical dilemma. He sold an UDA Kobe Bryant signed basketball just a couple of days before Kobe died for $749. The buyer didn’t pay until late the next day on the 25th, the night before the tragedy; so the seller could t ship until Monday morning the 27th. But then suddenly on the Sunday the 26th, news quickly spread that Kobe and his daughter had been killed in a helicopter crash. And also suddenly, hundreds if not thousands of people, realized they had to have a Kobe autograph, and prices soared.
Well, this ebay seller, Barkley7nfl, was being told by several of his friends that he should cancel the sale of the basketball and cash in since he had not shipped it yet. But he told his friends...no guys...I can’t do that. Even though that same ball is now selling for $3000 or more. The seller said he wouldn’t want someone to do that to him, not to mention the fact that the ball no longer was legally his property.
So he stayed true to the deal for $749 and shipped the ball.
And then there’s this seller, the bad boy. His ebay ID is k_middagh. On the MORNING of Sunday, January 26, 2020, BEFORE the crash or before k_middagh was aware of it, he sold a similar UDA Kobe signed basketball for the same amount $749, and the buyer paid immediately. The sale was completed. But then a few hours later news of the horrific event broke out. KOBE BRYANT AND HIS DAUGHTER WERE DEAD!! So what did this unscrupulous seller do?
Well, HE CANCELLED THE SALE...of course!!!! And he re-listed the basketball. Bidding is currently up to about $3500 with 12 hours remaining!
So here is a link to the original sale:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/KOBE-BRYANT-UPPER-DECK-AUTHENTICATED-UDA-A...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by James on
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I sent a message to the unscrupulous seller:
“I was looking through Kobe Bryant sold items. You sold this ball on 1/26/2020 for $749 either before Kobe died or before you knew about it. At the point of sale, this became the PROPERTY of the person who paid for it. You then canceled the sale (in effect, you stole this from someone else because it was no longer your property), and re-listed it...which you had no legal right to do. Whatever amount this now sells for actually belongs to the original purchaser on 1-26-2020. That was chicken sh*t. Buyer should contact Judge Judy.”
And here is a link to the current auction which is actually at $3400 in the bidding.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/KOBE-BRYANT-UPPER-DECK-AUTHENTICATED-UDA-A...
”
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So basically, as the ethical seller told me, Kobe signed balls were going for about $750 BC. What they are at now is getting kind of crazy, although Kobe prices will not likely ever drop to BC prices given the stardom and popularity of Kobe and the horrific nature of the tragedy.
Kobe signed a lot of items while he was alive, but now with his passing prices will eventually probably come down a little bit, but they will likely forever be fairly pricey.
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Actually to say they were going for $750 BC is an overstatement of value. Maybe $750 for UDA balls perhaps.
‘However, more research shows that LOTS and LOTS of Kobe signed basketballs with both PSA/DNA and Beckett LOAs were only selling for around $300 even with bold autographs. Many sold for less than $300.
And people are paying $2000 to $4000 for these same balls that were going for $300 in December 2019 !!! THAT IS CRAZY!!! I don’t think I’ve seen such a sudden increase over a celebrity’s passing maybe ever.
Kobe Bryant autographs are not scarce at all. Kobe was a very generous signer. His autographs are everywhere.
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Permalink Reply by CJCollector on
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Blind emotion. So many people are getting ripped off.
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Yes, they are. I saw where one buyer paid $4000 for a slightly faded Kobe signed PSA basketball on Sunday, the day of the tragedy. $4000 and it wasn’t even very bold. The day of the tragedy was the absolute worst day to buy for sure.
Kobe items have been flying off the shelves since that fateful day.
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Permalink Reply by Dan Morris on
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Seems it happens more and more with some sellers. For me, the buyer should probably go to eBay as a matter of procedure and when they do nothing go to the Police or FBI if the sent the money over state lines. Not sure what it will achieve if anything but these seller s need to be taught they are not above the law. I imagine on the values these will soon start to reduce but not until after the funerals when values will spike again
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Yes, I’m pretty sure what the seller did was illegal because once the buyer paid, the item legally transferred hands. The seller was simply momentarily the custodian of the item until it was sent...which never happened.
Obviously, it’s an unusual situation. I do understand it would be a tempting situation for the seller to be in. In his mind, I’m sure he’s thinking...look the circumstances have sadly changed. But...they changed AFTER the sale was made. I would honor the deal just like the other seller did. But I’m sure some others wouldn’t. However, ebay should do something to protect the interests of the buyer, like notifying the seller that he cannot sell that which is no longer his.
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Agreed, I wish eBay took this sort of thing seriously. I had the same issue when Whitney Houston died when I purchased an item for only $49 that I knew was real but the day after she died the seller canned the sale. eBay said the seller had made an error despite relisting hours later for hundreds more and selling and my feedback was also received.
Sadly unless congress or a State's Attorney General takes this up to stop eBay and the scammers it will never change and this time it's Kobe and next month or year it'll be someone else who dies suddenly
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