Kobe Bryant's death in helicopter crash: Kiwis look to cash in on Trade Me

Listings for Kobe Bryant memorabilia on Trade Me have jumped since his death yesterday. Photo / TradeMe

Kiwis on Trade Me have been quick to cash in on NBA legend Kobe Bryant's untimely death, with listings relating to the Lakers star jumping overnight.

Interest in all things Bryant - from basketball cards, singlets, books and even socks - have also spiked in the last 24 hours.

There were a total of 5500 searches for the name "Kobe" yesterday alone - up a staggering 1212 per cent on the same search term last week.

The activity comes after it was confirmed the 41-year-old was among nine people who died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Los Angeles, yesterday.

His 13-year-old daughter, Gianna "Gigi" Bryant, was also killed.

Trade Me's head of marketplace, Lisa Stewart, said the activity on their site since the sportsman's death was not uncommon after a celebrity died.

One of the Kobe Bryant-related listings that appeared on Trade Me after news of his death yesterday. Image / Trade Me

"Whenever a star or celebrity passes away, we expect to see a lot of fans looking to get a piece of memorabilia onsite," she said.

"Following Kobe Bryant's sudden passing, we expect to see a lot of fans looking to get a piece of memorabilia to remember a star they thought highly of.

"Kobe was a global superstar and we see hundreds of searches for 'Kobe Bryant' every week already. It's likely that we'll see thousands of searches over the next week as his fans digest the sad news."

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant pictured in February, 2009. Photo / Gettys

As of 9.30am, there were just over 120 listings for Kobe Bryant memorabilia on Trade Me.

A men's 3XL Lakers number 24 singlet is among the most popular on the site at the moment. There have been 35 bids and bidding has reached $151.

The description reads: "RIP the Black Mamba. Devastating news of one of my favourite all time players and an absolute legend of the game.

Listings for Kobe Bryant memorabilia on Trade Me have jumped since his death yesterday. Photo / TradeMe

"I have had this Lakers jersey for years but it is way too big for me ... better off with someone who will appreciate it."

Another singlet said to be in "average condition" had already reached $54 and had 18 bidders.

Stewart said the site had seen similar activity when Kiwi sporting legends had died over the years - including mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and All Black greats Jonah Lomu and Jerry Collins.

"In the week following their deaths, we saw more than 8000 searches for Jonah and more than 4000 for Jerry," she said.

"Opportunism around events like this is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but it does happen occasionally.

"A few sellers look to sell items to make a quick buck, but more often than not they're selling an item related to the star and lots more interested buyers come to Trade Me keen to snap up something to remember a famous figure who meant something to them."

Overseas, American auction site eBay is reportedly being flooded with Kobe Bryant memorabilia, with thousands of items being put up every few hours, according to US media reports.