Merchants Street, Valletta has been uncharacteristically quiet this season – the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed another time-honoured tradition.

The sight of sticker enthusiasts eagerly crowding in front of the Anastasi Panini shop, ahead of what should have been a peak season for collectors, was completely absent in the run-up to the kickoff of Euro 2020.

For collectors, a major football competition comes with a fresh sticker album and a race to fill every spot, with every sticker lined up perfectly in its designated pride of place. And after the first packets are purchased comes the trading, an integral part of completing an album.

The sole distributor of Panini stickers, then 17-year-old Dominic Anastasi had opened the shop in 1969, driven by a passion for football and a keen business sense that drew enthusiasts like himself into the culture of collecting.

Since then, the traditional gathering of collectors of every age has been a staple just before competitions like the Euros. But, this year, collectors have opted to stay home.

“We used to have a crowd of hundreds eagerly buzzing outside the shop but now, because of COVID, we’ve seen maybe 30 people trying to have a go at it,” Luke Anastasi told Times of Malta.

“It’s a sad situation. I’ve had people  who’ve been coming to the shop all their lives calling me up and saying, listen I’d love to be there more than anything but I’m afraid to and I’m not leaving my house.

“Of course, the most ardent collectors have still come to have a word but the culture is not the same.”

This should have been a triumphant celebration, the 50th anniversary of the first collection of stickers that Anastasi brought to Malta, with a commemorative album even in the works. But it’s been cut short.

Still, the spirit of collecting is alive and kicking online.

“The spirit and excitement of collectors has not been hampered by the pandemic. If anything, it migrated online. This is why we opened up the swap group on Facebook and it’s worked for a while.

“Ultimately, this is why we are around, to bring people together and help them finish a perfect collection.”

While the fanfare of the hobby has died down for now, Anastasi is optimistic.

“Of course, this situation is quite sad and it’s a shame. But by the end of next year we’re expecting our World Cup collection to launch and, hopefully, we’ll all be able to join in the fun again.”