His jersey might have been the biggest seller at the NBA Store in Manhattan and on NBA.com last season, but Kobe Bryant's other memorabilia -- trading cards, autographed posters, photographs and basketballs -- wasn't exactly flying off the shelves.

Despite his popularity, the five-time Los Angeles Lakers All-Star hasn't been much in demand among sports memorabilia collectors, collectibles dealers say. And now that he's fighting a charge of sexual assault, it could be even slower.

Bryant merchandise hasn't moved the needle since he was charged and collectors are in a holding pattern similar to Bryant's big endorsers, including Coca-Cola and Nike, while the case plays out.

"There's plenty of athletes who have been amid controversy -- Mike Tyson, accused of rape, look at O.J. Simpson ... their collectibles are affected by it," said Howard Schwartz, president of grandstandsports.com. "Right now we haven't seen a great demand or less of a demand. I think most people at this point are patient. Most people have a wait-and-see attitude before looking for collectibles or wanting to sell them off."

Last week on eBay, more than 2,000 Bryant items, including trading cards, autographed photos and T-shirts with sayings such as "Free Kobe," were up for auction.

"That's not uncommon," Schwartz said. "Anyone controversial and in the news, you'll see an increase of items available, but in terms of the value, nothing has really wavered."