Michael Schumacher could look at the lost F1 records when he retired and feel incredible accomplishment. The German driver owned world records for most World Drivers' Championship titles, the most wins, the highest number of pole positions, and the most podium finishes, as well as the most significant number of total fastest laps. Recently, Michael lost some of those titles to Lewis Hamilton, but his place amongst the all-time racing greats is assured.
Michael's career ended with a terrible skiing accident in the French Alps. While skiing with his son, he hit his head on a rock and sustained severe brain damage. Since then, Schumacher has undergone long and complex rehabilitation and has been unable to walk. Therefore, he may have gone on to more glorious accomplishments if it hadn't been for that tragic incident.
Although there is a solid case to be made that Schumacher was the most fantastic F1 driver ever to race, there aren't as many cards of the German legend as we would like. Racing cards have made a massive leap forward in availability and popularity over the last few years. But Schumacher's peak was long before racing cards became mainstream. That can be a disadvantage because Michael's early cards are somewhat hard to find. However, it also presents a wonderful opportunity. The population count for some of the best Michael Schumacher cards is notably low. And as the popularity of F1 cards continues to scale to new heights, their value will increase. So now is the time to scour in the Cardbase APP for those classic Michael Schumacher cards. You will be happy you did.
#13. 2005 Futera Grand Prix Michael Schumacher #15
A PSA 9 sold for $100.
The design for this card could be better. The background is somewhat nondescript, with an unflattering picture of Michael Schuhmacher at the forefront. Meanwhile, a nicer smiling visage of the German driver hides in the right-hand corner. As a result, the value of the 2005 Futera Grand Prix Michael Schumacher #15 cardis relatively low. But will it remain so? After all, there are only 2 PSA 10s of this card out of a total of 42 graded units. Therefore, betting on this card is not too expensive and probably worth a shot.
#12. 1994 Futera Adelaide F1 Grand Prix Michael Schumacher #17
A raw card sold for $100.
Racing cards are usually a bit classier than their baseball card equivalents. This is doubly true for the junk wax era. But if so, no one sent Futera the memo because the 1994 Futera Adelaide F1 Grand Prix Michael Schumacher #17 card is hideous. The colors don't match. The black borders kind of fade into the picture in an unpleasant way, and it doesn't help that the Benetton colors are not all that attractive. But this card is another with no population count and, therefore, a good investment opportunity.
#11. 1995 Futera Australian Formula One Grand Prix Michael Schumacher #2
A raw card sold for $125.
Futera cards tend to be pretty darn ugly. However, in the case of the 1995 Futera Australian Formula One Grand Prix Michael Schumacher #2, the design enters that rarified camp territory. You know, so bad it's good. By 1995, the junk wax era was technically over, but Futera was out there keeping the cheap designs alive. And this is another low population count card, so it's worth getting.
#10. 2000-05 Stadion World Stars Michael Schumacher #7
A BGS 9.5 sold for $200.
Not everyone is a fan of multi-sport cards. However, beggars can't be choosers with a relative shortage of F1 cards from the Schumacher era. And the 2000-05 Stadion World Stars Michael Schumacher #7 card is one of the best in the series and maintains a relatively strong value. It is easy to see why. The card has an excellent action shot of the Ferrari and a smaller facial shot catching the German driver in a ponderous mood. But most importantly, there are only 4 of these cards graded by PSA, and none are over an 8 grade.
#9. 1992 Amada Formula 1 Fighting Spirit Michael Schumacher Rookie Card#7
A raw card sold for $200.
The 1992 Amada Formula 1 Fighting Spirit Michael Schumacher #7 is a truly undervalued card. Sure, it looks like a reject from a 1991 Fleer Baseball card set. But we are talking about a genuine Michael Schumacher rookie card. Also, the population count is zero. So, if you can get past the hideous design and find a couple of these cards, grade them as soon as possible. You will not regret it.
#8. 2006 Formule Michael Schumacher #225
A CGS 9.6 sold for $250.
The 2006 Formule Michael Schumacher #225 has a straightforward design, but by golly, it works. Michael has a tremendous knowing smile, which is natural card fodder. The checkered flag banner at the bottom with the Ferrari in the right corner should be dull and unattractive. After all, it's a total cliché. But it works and makes this card very appealing. And like many of these limited f1 card releases, the population count is low. There is just a single PSA 9, and no gem mints out there. Therefore, it's a good bet that values will go up.
#7. 1992 Grid F1 Debut / Spa #194
A PSA 10 sold for $394.
The problem with the 1992 Grid F1 Debut / Spa #194 Michael Schuhmacher rookie card is that it is almost the same shot as the 1992 Grid Michael Schumacher (D) Bennetton #84 card. But because the picture here just isn't as captivating as that one, there is really no particular reason for this card to exist. Is that harsh? Four cards in one set are probably too many, even for freaking Michael Schumacher. The central saving grace for this card is its low population count. We are talking about an item with 272 graded cards overall, with only a select 12 gem mints.
#6. 2000-05 Stadion World Stars Michael Schumacher #321
No recorded sales. A PSA 8 is valued at around $500.
While the #7 from this series is rare, the 2000-05 Stadion World Stars Michael Schumacher #321 is even more challenging. A solitary PSA 8 sits on the register of the premier grading company. However, the card is far less attractive. The action shot, and the driver's picture are less inspiring. Honestly, those are the kind of shots we used to delete from our rolls back in the olden days of developing film.
#5. 1992 Grid Benetton B192 Ford / Michael Schumacher #18
A PSA 10 sold for $515.
The 1992 Grid Benetton B192 Ford / Michael Schumacher #18 is not the most popular of his cards in this landmark release. The 200-card 1992 Grid release had a healthy 4 Michael Schumacher cards, and because this one just features a picture of his Ford (and not a very good snap at that), it will never be the most valuable in the series.
The 1992 Grid base Racing Card set is not getting excellent prices for all these reasons. But in the long term, this card has strong potential. There are two reasons for this. First, it's a very recognizable and familiar card for F1 enthusiasts. Second, the population counts are very conducive to value. There are only 293 PSA-graded cards out there in the universe. Granted, 118 of them are PSA 10s. But that is still a reasonably scarce card. One of the reasons the population count is low is because, at the time, all the focus of the 1992 Grid release was on Ayrton Senna. Schumacher was just another hungry young driver at the time.
#4. 2006 Futera Grand Prix Michael Schumacher / Felipe Massa #84
A PSA 8 sold for $570.
Felipe Massa was Schumacher's Ferrari racing partner. And while he was firmly in the shadow of his brilliant German partner, today, Massa is recognized as one of the best F1 drivers not to win a championship. In 2008 Felipe came agonizingly close to winning the title at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Massa says Schumacher was his greatest teacher and credited him with giving him an incredible opportunity, "Michael was always friendly to me in every situation. And he gave me a big chance by deciding to quit after the 2006 season. That was unbelievably nice of him." The beautiful 2006 Futera Grand Prix Michael Schumacher / Felipe Massa #84 card captures the magic of that incredibly successful partnership. It features both drivers, with the machine that brought them both to glory in the background. Unfortunately, there are only three graded copies of this card; the highest is a PSA 8. However, considering that both drivers are legends, and these babies are incredibly scarce, this card is truly worth seeking out.
#3. 1992 Grid Michael Schumacher (D) Bennetton #84
A PSA 10 sold for $702.
This one is my favorite of all the 1992 Grid Michael Schumacher cards. The 1992 Grid Michael Schumacher (D) Bennetton #84 card captures the mysterious gaze of the master driver and gives us a glimpse of those dreamy grey eyes. As you can see, the shot is eerily similar to the 1992 Grid F1 Debut / Spa #194 card. But a much sharper and more memorable image. That is why for my money, this is the best of the 1992 Grid Michael cards, aside from the iconic #51.
As always, these 1992 Grid cards all seem to suffer a bit in price because there are no less than 4 Schumacher cards in the release. But it remains a strong card because of its striking image and indisputable status as a legit Michael Schumacher rookie card. Another element in favor of the #84 is its low population count. Sure, the #51 is better known. But this guy has about 33% of the graded items as its more recognizable counterpart. Therefore, only a fool would sleep on this card. You aren't a fool, right?
#2. 1992 Grid Michael Schumacher #51
A PSA 10 sold for $1,024.
There aren't too many F1 cards from Michael's early years. But luckily, the Grid release was around to give us the best known of his rookie cards, in the form of the1992 Grid Michael Schumacher #51. The design is clean and appealing, with a picture of the young driver and an early 90s-appropriate mini mullet. In addition, the green panel with Schumacher's name is surprisingly tasteful for what is a junk wax-era release.
The card has become Michael's best-known, and therefore people have sent in more of these babies for grading than the other 1992 Grid Michael Schumacher cards. So, by F1 racing card standards, it has a high population over at PSA. There are 1,015 graded cards, of which a good 403 are PSA 10s. But honestly, that is not a large enough amount to be concerned about. The German driver is an absolute legend, and this is the card he will be remembered by. So getting a PSA 10 at its current price point is a no-brainer.
#1. 2005 Futera Grand Prix Michael Schumacher SDM11
A PSA 8 sold for $3,900.
This card has it all. First, the design is absolutely impeccable. Gold lettering is usually ugly and tacky, but it is understated and tasteful here, which is good since the pictures are overpowering. On the left, we have the power of the Ferrari F2005. Meanwhile, on the right, we have the far greater force of Michael's penetrating grey eyes. Second, these cards are incredibly scarce, and therefore we expect the value of the 2005 Futera Grand Prix Michael Schumacher SDM11 to continue to rise. Finally, there are only 4 graded cards; a solitary PSA 9 is the highest grade available. The 2005 Futera Grand Prix Michael Schumacher SDM11 is just a solid card, and current prices will look like a bargain in a few years.
Final Word On The 13 Most Expensive Michael Schumacher Racing Cards
Racing cards have only recently entered prime time, and now collectors are primarily focused on current stars like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. That means cards featuring earlier legends, like our boy Michael Schumacher are often undervalued. In addition, some of his classic cards haven't even been graded. You have a slew of lesser known releases featuring the legend, some of which are even rookie cards. Therefore, buying some of these items raw and sending them to PSA is a good idea. Even if they don't end up offering a massive return on investment, you can just gaze into Schumacher's dreamy grey eyes. I know I will.
