How high does Exquisite's inaugural release rank in hobby history? How influential? How valuable?
Let's put it this way:
The Prewar Era is defined by its T206 tobacco-card set and holy grail Honus Wagner.
The Postwar Era's pinnacle is its 1952 Topps set and white whale Mickey Mantle.
The Modern Era equivalent is undoubtedly Upper Deck's 2003-04 Exquisite Collection and its crown jewels LeBron, Kobe and Michael.
No other issue ushered in the chase-card revolution like Exquisite. Game-used patches, on-card autos, deluxe designs, elite production quality—these were the Rolexes and Rolls-Royces of card collecting. The $500 per-pack price was eye-poppingly, jaw-droppingly scandalous…yet now seems quaint. What die-hard collector today wouldn't give a kidney to time travel back and shell out Benjamins for those 5-card wooden boxes?!
It's no exaggeration to say that 2003-04 Exquisite laid the foundation for every million-dollar, shiny-card sale since. Even the Shyniest of them all at $12.9 million. Exquisite did that. Exquisite made cards a blue-chip asset class. And if the Top Pop T206 Wagner and '52 Topps Mantles are $50-million masterpieces in today's market, then LBJ, KB and MJ can't be too far behind.
So that's the historical context in which to view this 2003-04 UD Exquisite Collection Limited Logos Kobe Bryant (#10/75), graded NM-MT+ 8.5 by BGS, with Autograph Grade 10 by Beckett (0020634299). Plus it's got swag, it's got drip, it's got the Black Mamba mentality. Kobe's fierce game-face is flanked by shimmering Upper Deck and Laker logos, above his tri-color game-used home gold patch, above the picture-perfect 10 signature. Centering and Surface are 9; Edges and Corners are 8.5. Text on back reads, "CONGRATULATIONS! You have received a Game-Used Patch trading card personally autographed by Kobe Bryant." Congrats will again be in order soon (for YOU?) when the gavel comes down. As Kobe famously said, "If you're going to bet on someone, bet on yourself."
A statement on the card affirms the manufacturer's guarantee of authenticity for the piece's content and serves as the item's COA. The limited-edition piece is serial-numbered "10/75."
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