A RARE copy of a first-ever Football World Cup sticker album has sold for £1,500 after it was found in a charity shop in Cirencester.
The nearly complete Panini sticker book, which features footballing legends including Pele and Bobby Moore, was found among a pile of donations last year in Cirencester Oxfam.
Shop manager, Rob Daws, aged 68, immediately recognised the value of the album and passed it onto shop volunteer, Mary Ann Simmonds.
She meticulously checked every single page and matched any loose stickers to their pages and secured them with plastic files. The only sticker missing was the German flag.
The album was eventually put up for auction with Wessex Auction Rooms on Friday, February 17.
After a fierce bidding war with interest from across Europe and the UK, the sticker book sold for an incredible £1,500, with all proceeds going towards Oxfam.
The Panini company was founded in Italy in 1961 by two brothers.
The 1970 World Cup edition was the first of the now-famous collectible sticker albums sold around the world.
Rob Daws, Oxfam shop manager for Cirencester, said: “I spotted the Panini sticker album in a pile of donations, and as a football fan, I immediately thought ‘Oh brilliant’.
“I never expected that it would be nearly completed – it only had one sticker missing!
“I watched the auction online and my heart was racing as the money went up and up.
“I was so pleased when it sold for £1,500. The whole reason we do what we do is to help raise money for Oxfam’s work fighting poverty, so it means everything to us.”
Mary-Ann Simmonds, Cirencester shop volunteer and retired nurse, added: “When Rob gave me the album to value, I was really surprised by the good condition it was in after all these years.
“I was also very impressed that the owner had meticulously written in all the results of the matches in the tournament.
“Seeing people like Pele and Bobby Moore’s stickers alone, I knew they could be worth a lot of money - so I was really hopeful the album would do well.
“It feels good knowing that money will help make a difference with Oxfam.”
Rachel Cosgrove-Pearce, Oxfam’s head of retail operations, said: “One of the most wonderful things about our Oxfam shops is that you never know what amazing donation will come through the door next.
“We are so grateful for every donation made to our shops – it is sales like these that provide the vital funds for Oxfam to tackle poverty across the globe.”
Tim Weeks, Wessex Auction Rooms director said: “We were delighted with the results achieved for this beautiful and highly sought after album.
“Bidding was fierce across our two online platforms with interest from across Europe as well as the UK.”
More photos of the football album
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here