Informal street stalls in neighborhoods like Pablo VI offer single missing cards for 1,000 Colombian pesos, though coveted star players, team shields, and commemorative editions command up to 50,000 pesos on the secondary market.
The trading activity bridges multiple generations of football fans. Children, young adults, and elderly collectors negotiate card values amidst heavy crowd traffic.
Some participants purchase entire wholesale boxes of sticker envelopes to accelerate completion, while others choose manual swapping to maintain long-standing community traditions.
"For me it's very important because it's like having the memory of the World Cup, of the players who were there," explained Diego Casas, a fan experiencing his third World Cup filling the album on his own.
Casas noted that the current edition presents unique difficulties due to the evolved numbering, yet he remains committed to finding cards through social interactions.
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"I really like this dynamic of coming to change and what it means to keep alive a tradition that must continue to move forward," he added.
