Football is an important part of contemporary history and documenting it in some way is live that passion that moves millions around the planet and that every four years is shown in its maximum splendor.
The fans of king of sports they treasure their love for this activity in different ways. Whether in team shirts, cups, flags…, or as in the case of Patricio Del Castillo, a 50-year-old engineer from the capital, who keeps an invaluable collection of Panini albums and stickers in his home of everything related to football.
“My first album was the World Cup 82. Practically since then I have had the opportunity to continue collecting (from the following years) and also to acquire those from previous World Cups, from 70, 74, 78. I have not missed any collection”, Del Castillo details.
Since 1970, the Italian publisher Panini has had the rights to market FIFA World Cup albums. Likewise, since 1980, it has been selling the albums of the European Championship, among other various football events in the world.
Del Castillo recalls that he had the opportunity to live for five years in Germany, because his father, Walter del Castillo, was Ecuador’s ambassador to that European nation in the 1980s. It was around that time that his passion for collecting albums grew. football.
In any case, he points out that he not only has collections of Panini albums from the World Cups, but also from the UEFA European Championship (European Championship), of the UEFA Champions Leagueas well as FIFA 365 or the America Cup. From the Bundesliga it has the collection of albums that the Italian publisher released from 1979 to 2009, the year in which the American company Toops acquired the rights to the German league.
“I also have the English championship (Premier League), whose rights Panini acquired in 2019″, details Del Castillo, who also has in his collection albums of the national team and the local championship, released several years ago.
In addition to complete Panini albums with their respective stickers, it has more than 280,000 loose stickers, most preserved in special protectors brought from abroad; empty albums and display boxes of the world cups, giftboxesloose envelopes, etc.
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Del Castillo does not dare to put a price on his collection of albums and stickers, although he considers that it is incalculable. “Mainly the versions of the 70s, 80s, in the international market have extremely high values″, assures the collector, who adds that he would not put his pieces up for sale, because then they would be incomplete and because of the sentimental value they hold.
He details that when he has the opportunity to travel to the United States or Germany, he meets with collectors and acquires missing cards. In addition, he will soon have in his hands another historical piece, the official album of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. After this, several more will come, since he estimates that his Hobbie it will last for at least another 30 years.
Del Castillo thinks to whom he could one day leave his precious collection, but while that time arrives, he wants collecting to increase among the youth, and not only during the world championships, but also for other championships. (F)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
