2023 – Top F1 trading card sales

As collectors look forward to the new f1 trading card sets to be released in 2024, let’s take a quick look back at some high price F1 trading card sales in 2023 (as expected Max and Lewis Topps Chrome cards dominate). For this post, I’ve decided to filter out Topps Dynasty cards as their retail price point is targeted at high end collectors rather than regular punters and sub-$10k sales.

Also it’s clear that in 2023, secondary market prices have generally moderated.

With the exception of rare Lewis and Max cards and superfractors, the cards of the other F1 drivers currently had difficulty clearing US$5k at auction earlier in the year and now an auction sale price above US$3.5k would be considered good. Auction values fetched were much higher in the 1st half of 2023 than the second half of the year, so the secondary market has clearly fallen.

With Topps’ release of the recent Eccellenza La Passione and the impending release of the new 2023 Topps Chrome F1 set, one wonders whether saturation is going have a big effect and suppress card resale prices even further in the future.

1. Max Verstappen – 2020 Topps Chrome Gold Superfractor – US$360K

US$300k sold on goldin

In June 2023, Max’s 2020 Topps Chrome Gold superfractor (1/1) graded PSA9 went for a tidy USD$360k ($300K + buyer premium) on goldin auctions. Not surprising for a Topps superfractor autograph card.

Some of you will recall Lewis’ 2020 Topps Chrome gold superfractor achieved a $US900K price in May 2022 at goldin auction. Although card prices (like all other collectables and even shares, bitcoin, etc.) have since moderated, an autograph superfractor is always going to attract premium buyer interest.

If you pull one from a Topps Chrome pack (although I’m sure all the 2020 superfractors have been accounted for), you’ve just hit the proverbial  jackpot!

Sold on ebay for $US12k

Interestingly by comparison, one of Max’s 2020 gold wave refractor cards (population of 50) sold in June 2023 on ebay for US$12K best offer price. Visually, the card looks very similar to the gold superfractor.

Also, see Max’s 2020 orange autograph card below which went for $US20k.

2. Max Verstappen – 2020 Topps Chrome  Sapphire Padparadsha #6 – US$336K

Recent auction sale price US$336K

In March 2023, this Sapphire Padparadscha (1/1) graded PSA9 went for a cool final auction price of $US336K on the PWCC marketplace. Topps only made the F1 2020 Sapphire collection cards available to buy online and the collection odds for this single Padparadscha parallel card was rated at 1 per 605 packs.

This is a bumper sale price and recognition that collectors are moving Max’s rare card values into Lewis’ league. Basically, only Max and Lewis rare cards can get anywhere near or above $100K.

As a traditional diecast model collector (where the collector focus is very car and driver specific), I find the dynamics of the trading card collectors market very interesting as it’s exclusively focused on the driver – the most popular cards are almost always the card #1-20 driver portrait cards rather than any cards with photos of the driver in their race car on track during a grand prix race.

That said, Topps Chrome sapphire cards are visually stunning and kind of justify their higher prices over their plain base card counterparts. I’m sure in real life, this padparadscha sapphire card really pops.

3. Lewis Hamilton – 2020 Topps Chrome  Sapphire #1 red refractor – US$50K

Lewis’ red refractor (1/5) Chrome sapphire card graded 9 recently went for US$50k ($42k + buyer premium) at goldin auction in June 2023 reinforcing the value of driver numbered parallel 2020 Topps Chrome sapphire cards.

4. Ayrton Senna – 1984 Panini F1 Grand Prix Scratch n Play  – US$39.6K

Back in 2021, I posted that a 4.5 graded 1984 Panini Senna rookie sticker fetched close to US$9K. Fast forward to April 2023 and a 7 graded sticker sold at goldin auction for US$39.6K ($33k + buyer premium). In the case of this sticker, apparently it’s the only known highest PSA graded one. That’s a big difference and an eye opening price for basically a sticker.

In June 2023, another 1984 Senna Panini rookie sticker but graded 6 sold for $US14.4k ($12k + buyer premium). So the higher PSA7 Panini sold for an extra $20k.

Senna diecast fans will know that you can pickup an immaculate limited edition 1:8 scale Amalgam diecast model of Senna’s McLaren Honda MP4/4 1988 Suzuka car for US$10K!

It amazes me the amount of money high end card collectors will spend (or invest). If I had the spare cash, I know what I’d be spending it on.

5. Lewis Hamilton – 2020 Topps Chrome #1 Orange Refractor – USD$33.6K

In the 2020 Topps Chrome collection, there are only 25 orange refractors. This PSA9 graded orange refractor sold for $33.6K ($28K + buyer premium) at goldin auction in June 2023.

6. Lewis Hamilton – 2020 Topps Chrome Orange Refractor Autograph card – USD$28.8K

Lewis’ driver autograph card in the 2020 Chrome set is also popular.  This PSA 7 graded orange refractor (/25) sold for $28.8k ($24k + buyer premium) on goldin in July 2023.

Later in September this year, another 2020 Lewis orange refractor autograph card fetched $34k ($28k + buyer premium) at goldin auction.

7. Max Verstappen – 2020 Topps Chrome  Sapphire Padparadsha #2 – USD$21K

This went for $18K

This Sapphire Padparadsha single card (1/1) went for $US21.9K ($18K + buyer premium) at auction on goldin in January 2023.

8. Max Verstappen – 2020 Topps Chrome  Orange Autograph card – USD$20K

This PSA8 graded orange autograph card is 1 of 3 in 2020 Topps Chrome collection. It went for $US20K best offer price on ebay in April 2023. You can see in the PSA grading the card and the autograph have separate grading scores.

9. Max Verstappen – 2022 Topps Chrome #1 superfractor card – USD$19K

Max’s 2022 Topps Chrome superfractor card has been found and was sold for $19.5K ($16,251 + buyer premium) at goldin auction in August 2023. As you can see, the sale value difference between Max’s 2020 (see #1 above) and his 2022 Chrome superfractor is massive!

10. Lewis Hamilton – 2022 Topps Chrome Red Refractor Autograph Card – USD$18K

This 2022 Topps Chrome was bid for $18k ($15k +buyer premium) at goldin auction in March 2023. As you can see, its PSA grading for card and autograph are 10 – a pristine card.

Compared to past Topps seasons, Lewis looks imperious in his 2022 portrait card!

11. GuanYu Zhou – 2021 Topps Chrome Superfractor – US$18K

You could be excused for thinking top card sales are reserved only for Max or Lewis cards. Thankfully, Zhou Guanyu’s 2021 F2 Futurestar’s Topps Chrome card proves there’s keen interest in the Chinese driver.

Zhou’s 2021 Chrome superfractor went for $US18K ($15k + buyer premium) on goldin in June 2023.

Remember, Zhou’s 2020 F2 Chrome superfractor card sold on ebay last year for AUD$58k. So like on track, trading card values generally reflect a driver’s current form.

12. Charles LeClerc – 2020 Topps Chrome Cyan Print Plate – US$15.6K

Art mirroring life? A faded (somewhat sad looking) Charles LeClerc 2020 Topps Chrome autography cyan print plate sold for $15.6K ($13k + buyer premium) on goldin auction in June 2023.

Come on Charles, just tell the team who’s the boss and those victories will come again!

13. Charles Leclerc – 2020 Topps Chrome #4 Red 70th Anniversary – USD$14.4K

The red 2020 Topps 70th anniversary variation card for Charles #4 driver portrait base fetched $14.4k ($12k + buyer premium) at June auction on goldin.

14. Max Verstappen – 2022 Topps Chrome Superfractor – USD$13K

This ungraded Max Verstappen 2022 superfractor of card #2 sold for $US13k on ebay in June.

15. Lando Norris – 2020 Topps Chrome #7 Red Refractor – USD$12K

Lando’s 2020 red refractor driver portrait card #7 sold for $12KUSD ($10k + buyer premium) back in March 2023 auction on goldin.

McLaren were really struggling early his season, so its possible Lando’s stock will rise with the resurgent form of McLaren.

16. Ferrari – 2020 Topps Chrome #113 Red 70th Anniversary – USD$12K

The 2020 Chrome team logo cards were very clean and attractive. No surprise that the red Ferrari 70th anniversary card was sold for $12USD ($10k + buyer premium) at August auction on goldin.

In the second half of the year, outside of Max, Lewis and Dynasty cards there were very few cards sold over US$10K mark. Some notable non-Max or non-Lewis cards sales included:

17. Logan Sargeant – 2022 Topps Chrome #82 Superfractor – $4,107CAD

The superfractor of Logan Sargeant’s F2 driver portrait card (ungraded) in 2022 Topps Chrome set went for best offer price of $4,107 Canadian dollars recently in November.

It will be interesting to see how Logan goes in his second season at Williams this year and whether the values of Logan’s parallel cards also respond.

18. Charles Leclerc – 2023 Topps Excellenza La Passione Gold – USD$3,999

Topps released a limited edition collection set named Excellenza La Passione. This ungraded gold Charles Leclerc driver card (1/1) sold for $US3,999 buy now price via ebay in December.

19. Antonio Giovinazzi – 2020 Topps Chrome Red Refractor Autograph card – USD$3.5K

Who said Antonio Giovinazzi was yesterday’s F1 man. Ferrari’s 2023 Le Mans winner may yet get an outing in Ferrari’s 2024 F1 challenger in Charles or Carlos are unavailable for any reason.

His 2020 Chrome red refractor autograph card recently went for $US3.5k at ebay auction in October.

20. Sebastian Vettel – 2020 Topps Chrome  Sapphire Padparadsha #176 – USD$3.5K

4 times champ, Seb Vettel is obviously still popular. His Chrome Sapphire Padparadscha of his #176 card in the 2020 Chrome set sold for best offer of US$3.5k in late December 2023.

$US3.5K seems to be the magic number for a lot of card sales in late 2023.