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The whole world recently celebrated the late Kobe Bryant's birthday, or more commonly known as Mamba Day. This occasion became a good reason for Kobe Bryant fans to flex various memorabilia items of the Los Angeles Lakers' legend, such as game-worn jerseys and kicks. But one card collector from the Philippines manages to outshine them all through his massive autographed card collection of the Black Mamba himself.
In a photo shared on social media, Bimbo Tequillo and his son Stefano were shown displaying their monster 81-piece autographed card collection of Kobe Bryant to commemorate the late All-Star's birthday. All of these cards were sourced from Panini's 2017-18 Eminence set, a luxury product designed to commemorate Bryant's retirement from the NBA.
Speaking to Clutchpoints, Tequillo said that he started collecting basketball cards during the boom in the 90s and just returned to the hobby five years ago. He chose to collect Kobe Bryant cards due to his historic championship runs with Shaquille O'Neal during the early 2000s. “I also decided to buy autos of other players that I can still afford like that of Kevin Durant and Steph Curry,” Tequillo said.
LOOK: A Cebuano collector who is a fan of NBA star Kobe Bryant shows off a collection of “one of one” cards during a tribute to the late basketball icon at the First 5 in Bonifacio District on Thursday night, January 30, 2020. pic.twitter.com/7jqGtyL1CT
— CDN Digital (@cebudailynews) January 31, 2020
Tequillo added that what drew him to this particular set is how the gold signature of Bryant looked good on the card's black design. He accumulated these cards a year before the shooting guard passed away via eBay or personal transactions with other collectors in the Philippines. Tequillo also plans to share his love for cards with his son and give him a headstart in the hobby.
“I want him to enjoy the hobby as much as I do,” Tequillo added.
At the time of this product's release, a hobby box containing nine cards and a signed book can be had for $13,500. The whole set, which consisted of several autographed sub-sets, and premium cards containing either gold or platinum, is now considered a grail for card collectors. The value of one autographed Kobe Bryant card from this product ranges from $4,500 to $28,000 on eBay. Doing the math, Tequillo's insane Kobe Bryant card collection can be worth a lot of money right now.
With the boom of the entire card industry, it's only logical for fans like Tequillo to go for someone like Bryant. And with the late legend's legacy growing stronger and stronger with each Mamba Day, you can expect this wicked card collection to become more valuable through the years.
