4 ms·

My immediate reaction is "didn't beanie babies 'tulip' years ago?" For that matter don't most 'collectibles' introduced to be collectible do pretty much the sam

• larkeith 9y ago
  > At least Magic: the Gathering cards could be used to play a game The fact that MtG cards and tournaments are more popular than ever, while beanie babies are an utter flop, tells you all you need to know about designing collectibles for the sole purpose of being collectibles.
• mannykannot 9y ago
  Very few mass-produced items achieve collectible status, and as far as I know, they do so accidentally. Anyone manufacturing something to be marketed as such is hoping to exploit the same set of irrationalities that drive speculative bubbles and Ponzi schemes, but without the risk of being prosecuted for securities fraud. Those irrationalities are bolstered by those few cases that have made the grade, and the practice of salting a large number of generic items with a few rare ones appeals to the jackpot fallacy.
• endemic 9y ago
  Exactly. The junk I collect (video games) is primarily for use, rather than some other value.