Got it, Need it, Need it, Got it

While baseball cards might be the thing that makes the little (and big) boys in America willing to bargain, right now all over Europe little (and big) boys are trading like mad in an attempt to complete their Panini card collections for the Europe 2008 Cup - the European Soccer Championship tournament that is held every 4 years. This year is particularly special as Switzerland and Austria are co-hosting the tournament. Switzerland has been promoting this fact since we arrived last August with 'countdown' clocks stationed around the city. It is also making the city feel really alive right now as fans from around Europe have arrived and are filling the buses and trams with (sometimes drunken) energy.

A company called Panini issues a book and hundreds of individual sticker cards that document every player from every national team plus cards that have pictures of all the stadiums where the tournament is being held and team shots as well. (Why Panini - my friend Alison told me it refers to the rectangular shape of the cards). A pack of 5 cards costs 1 Swiss Franc (about $1) and the boys are slowly depleting their allowance and gift money to pursue the dream of getting every single card to complete the booklet. This also stimulates impromtu trading literally around the city. We have this picture of a table set up outside the biggest toy store in the city, which is down on Bahnhofstrasse. Isaac looks longingly, wishing he had more doubles to trade.

Two more weeks of the tournament to go; wish Isaac and Elliot luck as they try to complete there book and, if you happen to have card 70 (Swiss player Marco Streller), give Isaac and Elliot a call.