This was such a pleasure to read and I couldn't wait to tell my wife about it. I really got sucked into the beautiful game during the 2014 World Cup, and then became an Arsenal obsessive, so while I did dabble with the 2018 Panini stickers, it was just a little foray.
This year, with the World Cup being a bigger deal here (obviously), not to mention being more excited than ever because I'm still giddy about Arsenal winning the Premier League and having so many players in this World Cup, I decided to go all-in and have definitely spent way more than a 46-year-old should on stickers. And my wife has made fun of me countless times for this!
But if it brings one joy, and isn't exactly a destructive behavior, why not? (I should add that my wife hasn't actually told me not to do this; she's tried to find me sticker packs, even, but even in upstate NY the bins were empty at most stores even before the tournament began!)
So thank you for this, Joe, and godspeed with your (our!) efforts in filling in our books!
Your story of the 1973 Joe Rudi card inspired me to share my 1973 card story. I got hooked on baseball card collecting in 1974 as a 10-year-old. Took me all summer to complete the set. In 1975 we moved to a small rural town where I could rarely find packets for sale. But I did have comic books and this kid on my bus wanted those comics more than anything. He had a box of 1973 baseball cards he offered as trade. Having a bad case of card withdrawal, this was a no brainer. Included in that box was the Johnny Bench card where he’s catching a foul pop-up. Being a huge fan of the Big Red Machine, it was instantly my favorite card. Fast forward 50 years, I worked with a graphic designer friend to scan the Bench card and, using PhotoShop, turn it into something along the lines of a piece of art that I framed and have hanging in my study. Wish I could share it—it’s pretty cool. Did the same with the 1974 Tom Seaver card, another of my all-time favorites.
If you read basically any English football writer when World Cup time comes they will at some stage mention the joy of panini sticker books at the world cups of their youth, the 1982 World Cup Panini collection is particularly loved it seems (some terrific kits at that tournament with a great Brazil shirt especially)
There is no way that Micky Van de Ven is leaving my Spurs! (I hope). We've got the whole Dutch central defense, for crying out loud - can't break them up.
Despite several years of intense interrogation, my mother stuck to her story and insisted she did not toss my baseball cards. God only knows what would have happened to World Cup stickers if I had them way back then.
I definitely fell in love with baseball cards first. I've thought that I should get back into collecting. It would help me appreciate current players and memorize more things. But it seems too complicated now with all the different sets. And expensive. And I'm busy enough. And ... on and on. Maybe. Probably not. We'll see.
My suggestion to you if you do decide to get back into collecting (I collected from 77-90, took a break from 1990 to 2002, and got back into it when my wife bought me a pack after the birth of our 1st son, a decision she probably now regrets 🤣) is go with the Topps Heritage set. Each year they use the design from 50 years ago, so this year's set uses the design from...1977 (not 1976 🤷). Plus, unlike most sets that use a glossier card stock, the Heritage are good old-fashioned cardboard (but no gum).
I've felt for years that there is something uniquely evocative about 1973 Topps. I think my first "vintage" card was "Foster's Run Decides It," the card memorializing the Reds finishing off the Pirates (Foster never had a PA that series! Trivia!) There's just something about the way those photos are shot and processed. The landscape cards like Rudi's are even more stunning. You can find Youtubes of folks deeeep-diving the shooting dates of the whole collection.
That photo of Odom pleading with the ump, with Bench looking away is an absolute gem.
Canadian readers will recall the '70-'71 NHL Power Players sticker/stamp campaign by Esso. You got player stickers with gas, and you pasted them in a very nice album that they provided. It was a national sensation. As an 8-year old, I lobbied my neighbors/uncles/grandparents to get their gas at Esso so I good get more stickers. It was a very competitive neighbourhood!.
My theory on collectible pricing is that sometimes they need to get that high price in order to pay for the drugs that make them think they can get that price.
I remember tagging along with a couple of my soccer fan friends during a past World Cup (2012?) over to Jackson Heights in Queens where there was (and probably still is) a big sticker collecting scene. Lots of people just hanging out on a corner of 37th Ave selling and trading stickers. It was the first time I'd ever heard of this and certainly reminded me of growing up with baseball cards, as well!
I loved the Panini baseball sticker books as a little girl and I think I still have all of mine. I feel like you could write a letter once a year and request five stickers for free from the company.
They ran a promotion back in early 2000s where you could upload a photo & they would send it back to you as a sticker. $3.00 a sticker I think it was. Did some for my son & friends. Big thrill for all.
Micky Van de Ven has some legendary highlights of blazing the length of the pitch, past everyone, to score goals. But he's a legend for his game saving acrobatics in the Europa League final. COYS
This was such a pleasure to read and I couldn't wait to tell my wife about it. I really got sucked into the beautiful game during the 2014 World Cup, and then became an Arsenal obsessive, so while I did dabble with the 2018 Panini stickers, it was just a little foray.
This year, with the World Cup being a bigger deal here (obviously), not to mention being more excited than ever because I'm still giddy about Arsenal winning the Premier League and having so many players in this World Cup, I decided to go all-in and have definitely spent way more than a 46-year-old should on stickers. And my wife has made fun of me countless times for this!
But if it brings one joy, and isn't exactly a destructive behavior, why not? (I should add that my wife hasn't actually told me not to do this; she's tried to find me sticker packs, even, but even in upstate NY the bins were empty at most stores even before the tournament began!)
So thank you for this, Joe, and godspeed with your (our!) efforts in filling in our books!
In my world, Mickey van de Ven is the Mike Garman of soccer. I got at least four Garmans when he was a Dodger hurler in 1978---but it felt like 44!!!
Your story of the 1973 Joe Rudi card inspired me to share my 1973 card story. I got hooked on baseball card collecting in 1974 as a 10-year-old. Took me all summer to complete the set. In 1975 we moved to a small rural town where I could rarely find packets for sale. But I did have comic books and this kid on my bus wanted those comics more than anything. He had a box of 1973 baseball cards he offered as trade. Having a bad case of card withdrawal, this was a no brainer. Included in that box was the Johnny Bench card where he’s catching a foul pop-up. Being a huge fan of the Big Red Machine, it was instantly my favorite card. Fast forward 50 years, I worked with a graphic designer friend to scan the Bench card and, using PhotoShop, turn it into something along the lines of a piece of art that I framed and have hanging in my study. Wish I could share it—it’s pretty cool. Did the same with the 1974 Tom Seaver card, another of my all-time favorites.
Here is a link to the Johnny Bench card 'art'
https://photos.app.goo.gl/XP3T2kYLD6MtYXb28
That's really cool! What are the dimensions?
It's about 18x25 inches
For me it's the 1977 Seaver.
If you use Google photos, you can take a picture of your Bench artwork, then share the link in a comment and we can all see it.
Thanks for the suggestion. Never done that before.
If you read basically any English football writer when World Cup time comes they will at some stage mention the joy of panini sticker books at the world cups of their youth, the 1982 World Cup Panini collection is particularly loved it seems (some terrific kits at that tournament with a great Brazil shirt especially)
Oh Joe ...
The Tour de France starts July 5th. Do you have your Panini stickers yet?
Panini Tour De France 2026 Sticker Collection Full Pack & Album – ExtraFunCo https://share.google/fT5QX45tBXS83dE5S
There is no way that Micky Van de Ven is leaving my Spurs! (I hope). We've got the whole Dutch central defense, for crying out loud - can't break them up.
(Go Canada!!)
Despite several years of intense interrogation, my mother stuck to her story and insisted she did not toss my baseball cards. God only knows what would have happened to World Cup stickers if I had them way back then.
I definitely fell in love with baseball cards first. I've thought that I should get back into collecting. It would help me appreciate current players and memorize more things. But it seems too complicated now with all the different sets. And expensive. And I'm busy enough. And ... on and on. Maybe. Probably not. We'll see.
My suggestion to you if you do decide to get back into collecting (I collected from 77-90, took a break from 1990 to 2002, and got back into it when my wife bought me a pack after the birth of our 1st son, a decision she probably now regrets 🤣) is go with the Topps Heritage set. Each year they use the design from 50 years ago, so this year's set uses the design from...1977 (not 1976 🤷). Plus, unlike most sets that use a glossier card stock, the Heritage are good old-fashioned cardboard (but no gum).
I've felt for years that there is something uniquely evocative about 1973 Topps. I think my first "vintage" card was "Foster's Run Decides It," the card memorializing the Reds finishing off the Pirates (Foster never had a PA that series! Trivia!) There's just something about the way those photos are shot and processed. The landscape cards like Rudi's are even more stunning. You can find Youtubes of folks deeeep-diving the shooting dates of the whole collection.
That photo of Odom pleading with the ump, with Bench looking away is an absolute gem.
Canadian readers will recall the '70-'71 NHL Power Players sticker/stamp campaign by Esso. You got player stickers with gas, and you pasted them in a very nice album that they provided. It was a national sensation. As an 8-year old, I lobbied my neighbors/uncles/grandparents to get their gas at Esso so I good get more stickers. It was a very competitive neighbourhood!.
My theory on collectible pricing is that sometimes they need to get that high price in order to pay for the drugs that make them think they can get that price.
I remember tagging along with a couple of my soccer fan friends during a past World Cup (2012?) over to Jackson Heights in Queens where there was (and probably still is) a big sticker collecting scene. Lots of people just hanging out on a corner of 37th Ave selling and trading stickers. It was the first time I'd ever heard of this and certainly reminded me of growing up with baseball cards, as well!
The "Otto Velez" of stickers------ and that is why I relate to Joe so well. WE speak the same language.
I loved the Panini baseball sticker books as a little girl and I think I still have all of mine. I feel like you could write a letter once a year and request five stickers for free from the company.
They ran a promotion back in early 2000s where you could upload a photo & they would send it back to you as a sticker. $3.00 a sticker I think it was. Did some for my son & friends. Big thrill for all.
Anyone else old enough to remember this?
https://chuckthewriter.blog/2009/08/27/reminiscing-about-sunoco-nfl-72/
Micky Van de Ven has some legendary highlights of blazing the length of the pitch, past everyone, to score goals. But he's a legend for his game saving acrobatics in the Europa League final. COYS
For those who want to see the video referenced above: https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/video/0299-1dd0f1862c78-69db8859beec-1000--watch-micky-van-de-ven-s-jaw-dropping-goal-line-clearance/
Watching it at the 10 second mark gives you a better appreciation for how incredible the play was. COYS!