Kate: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Kate and joining me today is Rosie!
Rosie: Hello Kate.
Kate: Hi Rosie. Today we're going to talk about collections and collecting things.
Collecting is when you put together a group of objects all of the same type - stamp
collecting for example…. autographs or anything really. Do you collect anything
Rosie?
Rosie: answers
Kate: Well, the World Cup is still in full swing for a few days more and something
which has become very popular internationally is collecting football stickers. Can
you explain what stickers are Rosie?
Rosie: Sure, well stickers are small pieces of paper with a picture or writing on one side
and glue on the other. They can be made to stay permanently on a surface or 'stick'
to something – hence the name 'stickers'.
Kate: Right – well, football stickers have pictures of all the players printed on them and
they are sold with an album or book full of spaces to place the stickers into. This
year there are around 630 stickers of different players to collect.
Rosie: That's a lot. Imagine if you kept getting the same sticker….
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Kate: I know – that must be annoying. But before we go any further, we're going to start
with a question. In which year did the first official Panini World Cup sticker book
appear on the market?
a: 1970
b: 1980
c: 1990
Rosie: answers
Kate: We'll check your answer at the end of the programme. Next, we're going to
hear from a sticker book collector and UK Journalist, John Crace. Let's start by
finding a bit more about his collection of sticker books… what is the oldest item in
his collection?
John Crace
I have every World Cup sticker book from 1974 onwards…
Rosie: Wow – so he said he has every single World Cup sticker book since1974 –
quite impressive!
Kate: Let's listen to that extract again and what he goes on to say afterwards. You're
going to hear three more expressions: like gold dust, set you back and a grand.
Can you explain what these mean please?
Roise: Yes, like gold dust is an expression we use to describe something that is very
difficult to get, because a lot of people want it. Set you back is another way of
talking about cost. If something sets you back – it costs you a certain amount.
And a grand is an informal term for £1000.
Kate: Let's listen to the whole extract again. What does he say about the value of his
sticker book collection?
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John Crace
I have every World Cup sticker book from 1974 onwards – which is about as good as it gets. The
1970 one in Mexico is like gold dust. A complete sticker book will set you back over a grand.
Rosie So he said that book from 1970 is like gold dust and will set you back or cost you
over a thousand pounds!
Kate Yes, obviously it's much in demand then. Let's listen again. What do you think
about this Rosie – grown men collecting football stickers…. Surely this is a hobby
for younger people – children even!
Rosie: answers
Kate: Let's find out what the appeal is. In the next extract you're going to hear the
expression let you down. This means to disappoint or not live up to your
expectations. Let's listen.
John Crace
I mean, unlike the football, won't actually let you down. It starts 2 months beforehand and
there's a sense of enjoyment in collecting.
Kate: So, he said that unlike football in real life, the stickers wont' let you down as in
when your team loses. He mentioned the sense of enjoyment in collecting, which
mean a feeling of happiness when doing something.
In the next extract listen out for what he says about the appeal of collecting
football stickers as an adult?
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John Crace
And also as an adult person, you have a chance of completing the collection because it’s
something you can afford to do that you couldn’t do as a child.
Rosie Ah – so a lot of it is down to the fact that as an adult you can afford to do it. As a
child, it's an expensive thing to be doing. Now he's a grown up with his own
money – he's returning to the hobby. A little bit strange really!
Kate: Yes, I think you have to be a little bit obsessive to collect every single sticker but I
can see the appeal. We're nearly out of time so let's find out the answer to my
question earlier. I asked you in which year did the first World Cup sticker book
appear on the market?
a: 1970
b: 1980
c: 1990
Rosie and I said…
Kate: Well that's all we time for today, but do join us again next time for another 6
Minute English. Good bye.
Rosie: Goodbye.
