Arsenal collector Arsteao: 'I didn't regret any purchase yet!'

For this series we are exploring shirt collectors all over the world. Which took us this time to Arsenal collector Arsteao. He began his collection in 2012 from the moment he started making money. His all time favorite player is, not surprisingly, Thierry Henry.  We had a conversation about his love for Arsenal, the poppy shirts and a one day trip to Hongkong. Sit and enjoy!

The uniqueness of the Poppy shirt

'What I like about poppy shirts, is that they are unique and pretty. Especially the ones that have embroidered flowers and information of both of the teams. This year I'm planning to bid on the Aubameyang and Thomas Partey poppy shirts. Also I will be trying to get the Magalhães and Tierney shirts for a collector friend of mine. Match worn Arsenal collectors are rare to find, but the ones I got to know really became friends!'

A day trip to Hong Kong

'My first item was the limited edition home jersey from the season 05/06, which I think is the prettiest Arsenal shirt available. One time me and a friend bought around 20 Arsenal shirts from a collector in Hong Kong. Because of the value I was afraid to let them come by shipment. So I decided to fly from Shanghai to Hong Kong with two empty suitcases, filled them with Arsenal shirts and returned the same day!'

Ramsey, Henry and an unbeaten season

'My favorite possession is a shirt of Aaron Ramsey that was worn in the 2018/2019 away match against Arsenal's rival Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham was leading in the first half, but when Ramsey came in Arsenal turned the tables and won the match! All goals were somehow related to Ramsey. Still my favorite Arsenal moment is the time that 'The  Invincibles' played 49 Premier League matches without any defeat!'

'One day I hope to get a match worn Thierry Henry shirt. The only difficulty is that they never sold any match worn shirts directly at that time. This makes it difficult to determine the authenticity. Although my relatives sometimes think I'm kind of crazy, I didn’t regret any purchase yet!'