A sneaker marketplace and consignment shop in Philadelphia pulled Kobe Bryant’s sneakers off their shelves Monday after he died Sunday in a helicopter crash.
Vin Ho is a manager at Suplex, a sneaker reseller and consignment shop.
“It wasn’t a popular shoe in general,” Ho said. “And then because of the incident, people are trying to capitalize on it.”
The shoe retails on average for $200. Before Bryant’s death, Suplex sold them for under retail. Now, reseller websites are listing them for as much as $2,500.
“People are still coming in and asking to purchase them,” Ho said. “We only had a few to begin with.”
Authentic sports team apparel seller Mitchell & Ness is not raising prices on Bryant jerseys.
An authentic 2008 Los Angeles Lakers Home number 24 jersey is currently listed for $300 in store and online.
Bryant’s gear quickly sold out on Nike’s website, prompting customers to wonder whether the company had purposefully removed it. Searching Nike’s website for the player’s name results in a company statement extending its condolences.
Nike and Adidas partnered with Bryant to produce hundreds of styles during his lifetime.
Some of the most expensive sneakers are a pair of Kobe 5 Preludes, which were part of the collection that shared stories behind some of Bryant’s most defining moments.
Since the prices skyrocketed, sneaker reseller Stock X has pledged to donate all proceeds from Bryant-related products to Bryant’s family foundation.