With the World Cup in Brazil less then a month away, children are desperately trying to get their hands on trading cards and stickers. We speak to football fanatics and retailers in Derby about the trend.
FOOTY-mad brothers Clayton and Jacob Broughton are hooked on World Cup fever – and stickers.
The youngsters are among thousands of children and even adults who are busy collecting and swapping famous footballers in the hope of completing their 2014 Brazil FIFA World Cup Panini sticker album.
So far, Clayton and Jacob, who play for Derwent Football Club, in Chaddesden, have collected hundreds of football stickers between them to gear up for the big competition, which begins on June 12.
And they have spent hours carefully fixing them into their albums.
After seeing the book on offer at her local supermarket, mum Jodie bought her two sons an album each.
Now, they cannot stop asking for more stickers in the hope of getting all 639 needed to complete their collection.
Jodie, 27, of Chaddesden, said: "Every time I go to the shop, the boys say 'can we have more stickers?'
"They really enjoy it. They talk to all of their friends about it, it gives them something to play with and chat about.
"They play football for Derwent FC and they are big Derby County fans – their whole lives revolve around football."
Clayton, nine, said: "My brother, Jacob, got three shiny stickers in one pack! We like looking at the stickers together and putting them in our books.
"The sticker I really want to get is Neymar Junior, who plays for Brazil, because he is one of my favourite players."
His brother Jacob, six, added: "The best part is sticking them in the book and then seeing which ones you still need."
Mum Justine Cooper, 38, of Chaddesden, has also been caught up in the latest craze.
Her son, Jay, nine, is also a big fan of the stickers and he said: "All my friends collect them, so that's why I do it.
"I really want to get Joe Hart. We like swapping them in the playground."
And for youngster Traidon Anthony, nine, he only has 89 stickers left to collect.
He added: "I really want to get the England flag because I want them to win the World Cup.
"I've got all of the stickers for Argentina, Chile and Germany."
FIFA World Cup stickers and Match Attax trading cards are the current trend in the world of toys – and it's evident children cannot get enough of them.
World Cup sticker collections, produced by Panini, have been going since 1970.
And with the 2014 World Cup set to be one of the biggest and most celebrated tournaments ever, the business is gearing up for one of the most successful football campaigns.
Jessica Tadmor, head of marketing at Panini, said: "There is a huge element of nostalgia supporting sticker and trading card collecting.
"Dad and lad collecting hype is definitely building and social media is rife with excitement about the collection.
"The sticker album also serves as a guide to the tournament, gets fans in the mood for the World Cup and has an educational value for children.
"Many footballers see it as an honour to be included in the Panini sticker album and football commentators have been known to commentate using their completed Panini sticker album as a guide."
Also flocking off the shelves in Derby are Match Attax trading cards, produced by Topps.
Every card features player star ratings and a range of statistics so that collectors can rank them according to power, skill, passing, shooting, speed and tackling, as well as attack and defence.
Match Attax collections include star player, stat-boosted Man of the Match cards and 100-club cards.
Fans can also collect team manager cards as well as referee cards.
Rod Pearson, marketing director at Topps Europe Ltd, said: "Trading cards such as Match Attax are popular, chiefly because they are part of everyone's childhood.
"Topps has been publishing collectible cards and stickers since the 1950s, so it's more than possible that three generations have all enjoyed collecting and finding those elusive missing cards and stickers.
"People also collect Match Attax trading cards and football stickers because of the satisfaction of finding their favourite card, or the one last sticker they need to finish their favourite team.
"Despite the digital era we live in today, kids still love something tangible that they can take into school to show off to their friends."
He said there were "always stand-out players who are more popular than others".
"Wayne Rooney has been a firm favourite with Match Attax collectors for the last few seasons but this season will see Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Sergio Aguero up there among the favourites," he added. "A lot of people think the more popular stickers are rarer and harder to find but each sticker is printed to the same equal number.
"What will happen is that more popular players in a local area won't be swapped, so there will be a shortage of that player in that area."
And such is the latest football craze, retailers in Derby are finding stickers and trading cards flying off the shelves.
A pack of FIFA World Cup stickers cost 50p and the special album costs £2.99.
Packets of 10 Match Attax cards are available for £1 each.
For super fans, collector tins – containing 50 cards including a limited edition card – are available for £5.99.
Graham Hancock, from Toy Planet at Intu Derby shopping centre, said: "Match Attax cards have the playability of Top Trumps and are great to collect.
"They can be played with and traded – they have dual purposes.
"When I was a kid I remember being determined to fill my football sticker album.
"The typical age range that buy the cards and stickers in store are seven-to-12-year-old boys but adults are buying them too, probably for the nostalgia of them.
"The nice thing about the cards is that very little has changed over the years. They are traditional and that is what people love about them."
Vikki Congiu, assistant manager at The Entertainer toy store in Intu Derby, said they were holding World Cup sticker swaps from May 24.
She added: "Sales are doing very well at the moment and we are expecting this to increase as it gets closer to the World Cup.
"Everybody gets behind England, whether they are football fans are not.
"The further they get in the competition, the better our sales will do."
