Football cards are a relatively new thing in the UK but collectable sports cards have been big business in the US for decades now.
But it looks like we are catching up here after a one-of-a-kind Jude Bellingham Champions League card sold for £4,000 minutes after it went on sale.
Sports card brand Topps released a one-off autographed Jude Bellingham card last week for the hefty price of £4,000 after the English striker lifted the Champions League trophy. The card, featuring Bellingham in sunglasses holding the trophy, is signed by the man himself and was quickly snapped up by one collector.
The card sold instantly despite Topps making it available until the 13th June and is the most expensive Jude Bellingham card ever sold.
The price was so high because Topps has made this a one-off card as part of its Topps Now range. It also includes a signature from Bellingham, which adds value to cards in the eyes of collectors.
For those who do not have £4,000 to spend there are other Jude Bellingham cards in the Topps Now range priced at £8.99. The unsigned version of the same card is being sold until 13 June, when Topps will reveal how many have been ordered. The card will then become a limited edition based on the number sold. The less sold, the rarer the card will be.
It is not the only time a Jude Bellingham card has fetched eye-watering prices from collectors as the midfielder’s rise to one of the best players in the world continues. A ‘rookie’ Topps Chrome card from 2020 that was signed by Bellingham and limited to just 43 cards recently sold for thousands on eBay, while other autographed cards by the Real Madrid star have sold for upwards of £1,000 on the auction website.
Topps, owned by retail giant Fanatics, is quickly moving in to the UK market. It secured the rights to the official Euro 2024 stickers and is set to replace Panini as the Premier League stickers supplier from 2025/26.
