Starting a F1 Collection


Formula 1 has a global audience of many millions - and with a fanbase of that size prices for F1 memorabilia are always likely to be high. There are also a huge variety of items to collect - so becoming a collector of F1 is no idle proposition. Many auto racing enthusiasts can trace their passion back to a childhood day spent among the vast crowds at a F1 Grand Prix event. Souvenir posters from such events offer a nice entrée into the world of F1 collecting. Prices are generally dictated by age and location - a glamorous Monaco or scarce Brazilian GP race poster will sell for a greater amount than their more common British or German counterparts. Typically, a Monaco GP poster from the early 1970s will retail for between $200 and $250 - roughly about twice the price of its British equivalent. A Monaco poster from the 90s however should only retail for about $20 at the moment.

Autographs are also a good starting point for young - and not so young - racing enthusiast. F1 dealers offer a wide range of drivers at a variety of prices. David Coulthard's signature has risen in value over the last few years as his results improve but a nice signed 10 x 8 portrait can still be had for about $50. Damon Hill currently costs more but I would expect his price to drop in the near future I'm afraid. Unsurprisingly, Michael Schumacher is the most valuable F1 driver racing today - currently rated at about $100+. Expect to pay somewhere in the region of $1000 for a good signed photograph of the late Brazilian champion Ayrton Senna. Bigger boys may fancy investing in an actual piece of F1 hardware - even small components such as exhaust manifolds can retail for $400 and upwards. Other F1 collectables include driver items such as overalls and helmets, team leisure wear, patches, enamel badges, security passes and stickers, drinks mugs - the list is virtually endless! A possible good investment is to try and hunt down original blueprints and masterplans for F1 cars and components. Most of this design work is done on computer nowadays so blueprints will always be scarce and collectable.

Ferrari


Enzo Ferrari died in Modena, Italy on August 14 1988 but his name had already become legendary in the world of Formula 1. Under his leadership, Ferrari won over 5,000 races all over the world and earned 25 world titles. It will come as no surprise that anything to do with the great motor company will be hotly pursued by auto racing memorabilia enthusiasts. One of the most interesting recent events for Ferrari followers was the Pit-Art exhibition which Ferrari President, Luca di Montezemolo hosted at the Galleria Ferrari featuring all the original murals hung last season in the Scuderia Ferrari-Marlboro pits. The idea behind Pit-Art is that every picture is inspired by the work of an artist native to the country where the Grand Prix took place, for example Magritte in Belgium, De Chirico in Italy and Gerhard Richter in Germany. Also on display, but not for sale, were four cars driven by Schumacher during his four years with Ferrari.

For those of you wanting to build up your collection of Ferrari memorabilia, the Internet currently offers some tantalising treats. Of the most prolific items available are those produced from the renowned Marlboro-Ferrari advertising partnership. Crew gear and paraphernalia is a fascinating area. There are lot of items from the 1990s around, from the 1995 Marlboro Ferrari Agip Hugo Boss crew shirt in yellow at $400 to the 1999 Tommy Hilfiger with full tobacco brand new driver polos at $300. Crew jackets from 1997 are slightly more at around $950 and most prized are the 1996 Crew triple layer Firesuits, in red and black with full logos, offered at $2000. Signed items make for great memorabilia so expect to pay more for anything showing the mark of the golden boys. A basic 1999 Tic Tac visor when signed by Michael Schumacher will take the price up to around $1000. If you are starting out you should be encouraged as there are some great collectibles at very affordable prices. Start with a Marlboro red embroidered cap, worn by the Grid Girls at all GPs and selling for $30 - $40. Alternatively there are the embroidered patches bearing the full Ferrari-Marlboro logos and offered for $40 - $50.