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STICKERS

The Brand in Next-Generation Ephemera

BY MAXINE CARTER-LOME, PUBLISHER

rading cards and stickers are not While the figurines he purchased to
new to the collectibles world or repackage and sell showed proof of a
Tephemera collectors. Nor are the viable business, Giuseppe saw the
subjects printed on these small pieces of possibility of so much more by bringing
paper, the basic marketing principles the design and printing aspects of the
behind the business itself, or the thrill of business in-house.
the “hunt” for collectors. The following year, Giuseppe and his
Advertising trade cards, tobacco cards, brother Benito founded Panini with the
baseball cards, game cards, stickers, and plan to manufacture and sell their own
stamps – those from the 19th century “figurines.” These early Panini stickers
and those being issued today – continue depicted flowers, a family-acknowledged
to fuel inter-generational interest among disaster that almost bankrupted the
fans and collectors of all ages. Like all brothers’ fledgling business. It did not
collectors, those with an interest in this take long for them to see that it wasn’t
type of ephemera love to meet up with the business model that was wrong, it
others, either in person at swap meets was the subject matter. That’s when
and paper shows or online, to buy, sell, they turned to soccer—Italy’s national
and trade, and are always seeking the pastime—for inspiration.
elusive in order to complete a set. In 1961, Panini made what would
By the second half of the 20th century, become a historic collectible by intro-
the popularity and proliferation of ducing the first-ever, officially licensed
sports-themed trading cards and stickers The first sticker and album (Calciatori) was produced by the Paninis Italian soccer trading stickers featuring
were literally changing both the intent of in 1960/1961. This is the Nannina album Gol 1960-1961 — the the Calciatori (meaning footballers) and
one with all those unsold stickers that started the Panini empire.
collectors and the business side of sports also named it Calciatori. The stickers,
trading card collectibles. Today, it is which featured headshots of the players
brands such as Topps, Fleer, Bowman, and useful biographical data, were one
Donruss, Upper Deck, and Panini that reign thing, but it was providing an album to put them
supreme for both early, new, and series re-issued in that was the game changer that led to Panini’s
cards and head-turning card values. Among these early success in the European figurines market.
giants in the trading card marketplace, Panini is The album made it fun for fans and collectors
probably the least well-known in the U.S.; of all ages to buy and trade their favorite players
however, talk to sports fans and collectors the and teams with the goal of completing an album.
world over and you’ll find buying, trading, and Over the decades, these albums have become
collecting Paninis is always on their mind. nostalgic keepsakes that can be worth quite a lot
more today than their sentimental value and the
From Humble Beginnings cost at the time to purchase stickers.
The first album published under this new
After WWI and the death of her husband, licensing agreement is Calciatori 1961/62
Olga Panini took over the family’s newspaper dedicated to Serie A. Due to printing errors and
kiosk on a street corner in downtown Moderna, the stickers’ popularity, four versions of this
Italy with her four sons. In 1960, her oldest son, album were distributed, with the first version
Giuseppe, known in the family as the “dreamer featuring Nils Liedholm on the cover wearing his
with the big plans,” came across a collection of red and black Milan jersey. Twenty-nine million
soccer player stickers (called “figurines”) that a sticker packets were sold for this premier season.
Milan company was unable to sell. Purchasing The Calciatori 1961/62 album contained
the collection, he split up the sheets of stickers 40 pages in total for collecting a total of 288
and sold them in packets of two for ten lire each. stickers. Each club (team) was presented with 14
Three million packets were sold in that first year Calciatori album 1961 - 1962 Panini album player stickers plus their emblem and team stickers.
as this type of new collectible was gaining remake. Serie A Italy, Publisher L’Unita. This is The final pages of the album were dedicated to
the first Calciatori produced by the Paninis and
popularity across Europe. Grande Torino, the best team in Italy after
features Nils Liedholm on the cover.
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