Formula 1 trading cards surge in value as Topps targets serious collectors
A growing collector market and premium innovation are driving renewed global interest in Formula 1 trading cards
The world of trading cards is an interesting one and across recent years motor racing, chiefly Formula 1, has become more visible in this area. It’s ‘thrill of the chase’ stuff – buying a product blind with the hope of finding something rare or unseen within.
Collectible cards were hugely popular with franchises like James Bond from the start of the 1960s, and Merlin Premier League stickers from the 1990s are another great example. Trading was an extension, as collectors swapped to try and complete a set.
Some fetch enormous values: the record for a classic baseball card stands at an eye-watering £10.8m, paid in 2022 for a mint 1952 Mickey Mantle made by Topps. Pokémon is a more modern phenomenon. In February this year, influencer Logan Paul sold his ultra-rare 1998 Pikachu ‘Illustrator’ card for £12.2m, making that the most valuable trading card ever by far.
Topps now does a few ranges focused on F1. You have the entry level Turbo Attax series for younger fans. There’s also the much higher-quality Eccellenza sets, which boast more advanced and rarified cards that feature foil, holograms, autographs and even swatches of racewear. These are aimed at a more mature audience as they regularly feature legends such as Nigel Mansell, inset, or Ayrton Senna, and some cards can fetch enormous values due to the pyramid production system that ensures some are incredibly rare and therefore more valuable.
My question is ‘valuable to whom?’ Trading cards are still a niche area, so you should treat them like art in many ways and buy what you like because you like it and enjoy the experience.
In the future, who knows? The gems of Topps’ current F1 range may well rival Mickey Mantle, but you’ll have to give it quite a few years to find out!
Andrew Francis is director at The Signature Store. thesignaturestore.co.uk
F1 x Disney Mickey T-shirt
Holiday season is fast approaching, and if you’re heading to Florida, California, Tokyo or Paris to see a certain animated mouse and friends, why not take a break from the standard kit and instead check out this collab between Formula 1 and Disney, including this Mickey Motors T-shirt. £47, f1store.formula1.com
Brick album covers
Launched in 2019 by Andrew Hoare, these build-it-yourself brick art kits pay homage to famous album covers from a wide musical spectrum. Need a motoring link? Look no further than rapper Frank Ocean’s Nostalgia, Ultra, which features a BMW E30 M3 on the cover. £39.99, stereohoare.com
Paul McLine Porsche sculpture
Dubai-based Parisian artist Paul McLine produces modernist resin sculptures of all sorts of cars that can be customised in different colours and sizes. We love this classic Porsche 964, which can be either 43cm long (11kg) or 22cm (4kg). There are also 21 different colours to choose from, or your own custom palette. From £400, paulmcline.com
Y-3 x Mercedes-AMG F1 T-shirt
Yohji Yamamoto is a big name in the fashion world, and it’s through his Y-3 collaboration with Adidas that he’s now also designing F1 merch. This striking wolf-inspired T-shirt debuted at the Japanese Grand Prix, with the design also featuring on Mercedes’ front wing. £130, shop.mercedesamgf1.com
Signature store pick
in association with The Signature Store
Signed Michael Schumacher Ferrari F300
Hand-signed Michael Schumacher stuff is rare, given he only ever signed selected items across his career and did so sparingly, which makes this model of the 1998 Ferrari F300 a bit special. It’s 1:12 scale and features the great man’s signature on a base plaque. Schumacher used the car to win six grands prix that year, with this design commemorating the last of those glory at Monza in the Italian Grand Prix.
£795, thesignaturestore.co.uk