The highly anticipated 56th edition of "Calciatori Figurine 2016-2017 [2]" Serie A Soccer Player Sticker Album by Panini [3] is finally available and sporting spiffy new features. Devoted soccer fanatics, old and young alike, excitedly hit local newsstands to get their hands on this year’s 128-page collection.

The Panini Group [4] specializes in sticker portfolios, bringing together collectors and fans since the early 1960s when Giuseppe Panini began selling rare soccer figurine (stickers attached with glue) with his brother in Modena, Italy. It only took one year for the phenonomen to gain speed, as Panini sold over 3 million stickers his first year in the industry. The multi-million dollar business continues to expand today, showcasing a variety of different sports and athletes.

On the cover of the 56th edition of Calciatori Figurine is, once again, 1940’s iconic soccer defensive mid-fielder Carlo Parola [5] performing his perfectly executed acrobatic bicycle kick; which earned his legacy as a notorious Italian soccer player. The design team at Panini chose a colorful street-art inspired cover complete with shades of blue, green, yellow and red; but it’s what inside that is truly enticing collectors.

The stickers are slightly larger this year and contain more detailed information about the players. Along with photographs of the soccer stars, information about their birthplace, preferred foot, and other various stats about their career are included. Another new feature is a star that has been placed on certain player's stickers to indicate whether or not they are on the Italian National Team [6].

Panini Italy experimented with new materials like satin, mesh, holograms, metallic topcoats, and holographic trophies in the 2016-2017 edition. The design and marketing team work to constantly take their designs to the next level, maintaining a solid clientele base since the early 1960s.

Featured in a never before seen section are 11 caricatures of Italian players drawn by collectors. The marketing team of Panini Italy decided to take an artistic approach in adding new content to really hone and grapple with the demands of the new generation of collectors. Innovation and creativity are crucial aspects to the business of collectibles with the proper balance of tradition to keep consumers satisfied and enthusiastic.

Players have expressed their appreciation and approval for this year’s trading sticker book, though Panini took risks in changing the sticker sizes and adding to the book, it is being received as an overall success. Collectors are eager to add to their growing assortments, some that have been passed down through the years, others that are new and growing in value each day with a story behind each sticker.