4 ms·

Wait, who cares about trading cards?

zoover2020 3y ago
This is a billion+ dollar industry, it's not about "who cares about ..." but rather exposing evil corporations before it's too late.
- dagw 3y ago
  exposing evil corporations before it's too late To play devils advocate, too late for what? Let's assume this company succeeds in their evil scheme and completely takes over the sports card market for next 50+ years, using their monopoly power to mercilessly crushing anybody who tries to compete. Unless they can use that power to muscle into a market that actually matters, what difference does it make to society.
  - CPLX 3y ago
    I’m not sure how to break this to you gracefully but you, your parents, your children, and every person you have ever met or even contemplated will die, and along with them their hopes, dreams, and preferences. The degree to which one type of diversion “actually matters” or not should be taken in that context.
  - pessimizer 3y ago
    A monopoly is a profit fountain. You can use that monopoly to leverage yourself into new monopolies (because you have capital to waste/dump e.g. Microsoft), and use that collection of monopolies to leverage yourself into political influence. Monopolies are like cancer. edit: to expand; a monopoly is by nature a political thing. Once you control the market, you control the suppliers and retailers, and you don't actually have to manufacture or handle the products that you control. You set your suppliers prices, you set your wholesale prices, and you set your retail prices. Your real job then consists of fending off politicians/regulators that become interested in what you have, and creating politicians/regulators that will help you get more of what you want.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
partiallypro 3y ago
Panini cards are huge (generally thought to be the more premium brand), there are millions doing it. They have trading communities, etc. A popular YouTube thing is for someone to buy a bunch of boxes and to record them opening them. I haven't bought cards in 20 years, but I remember growing up they were big. Now my nephew is into it. So GenX/Millennials and their kids are bringing it back pretty strongly.
gadders 3y ago
It's not my bag, but honestly if you can think of it, someone, somewhere collects it. I'm so glad I don't have the collecting bug.
TRiG_Ireland 3y ago
When the emerging sport World Chase Tag released a set of trading cards, the fans were surprisingly enthusiastic about it.
- detourdog 3y ago
  I once found an incomplete set of orchestra playing cards at Lincoln CENTER.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
tnecniv 3y ago
People like collecting whatever. I buy a pack now and then at 711. It’s fun to see if you get players you like or if you pull a card that’s out of date (player is on a different team because the card was printed before the season started, or the text on the back predicts a good year when they end up having a laughably bad one, etc.)
GuB-42 3y ago
A friend of mine made tens of thousands, buying and selling trading cards. And that's what he sold, what he didn't sell is worth even more. As an investment, it beats most of the more "serious" options. It is crazy, people pay hundreds for a pack of new cards, just so that they can sell them for thousands later, and it works! And it has been working for decades, though it has been taking ridiculous proportions for the last few years. Now, you are probably better off printing trading cards than bank notes.

zoover2020 3y ago

This is a billion+ dollar industry, it's not about "who cares about ..." but rather exposing evil corporations before it's too late.

dagw 3y ago
exposing evil corporations before it's too late To play devils advocate, too late for what? Let's assume this company succeeds in their evil scheme and completely takes over the sports card market for next 50+ years, using their monopoly power to mercilessly crushing anybody who tries to compete. Unless they can use that power to muscle into a market that actually matters, what difference does it make to society.
- CPLX 3y ago
  I’m not sure how to break this to you gracefully but you, your parents, your children, and every person you have ever met or even contemplated will die, and along with them their hopes, dreams, and preferences. The degree to which one type of diversion “actually matters” or not should be taken in that context.
- pessimizer 3y ago
  A monopoly is a profit fountain. You can use that monopoly to leverage yourself into new monopolies (because you have capital to waste/dump e.g. Microsoft), and use that collection of monopolies to leverage yourself into political influence. Monopolies are like cancer. edit: to expand; a monopoly is by nature a political thing. Once you control the market, you control the suppliers and retailers, and you don't actually have to manufacture or handle the products that you control. You set your suppliers prices, you set your wholesale prices, and you set your retail prices. Your real job then consists of fending off politicians/regulators that become interested in what you have, and creating politicians/regulators that will help you get more of what you want.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

partiallypro 3y ago

Panini cards are huge (generally thought to be the more premium brand), there are millions doing it. They have trading communities, etc. A popular YouTube thing is for someone to buy a bunch of boxes and to record them opening them. I haven't bought cards in 20 years, but I remember growing up they were big. Now my nephew is into it. So GenX/Millennials and their kids are bringing it back pretty strongly.

gadders 3y ago

It's not my bag, but honestly if you can think of it, someone, somewhere collects it. I'm so glad I don't have the collecting bug.

TRiG_Ireland 3y ago

When the emerging sport World Chase Tag released a set of trading cards, the fans were surprisingly enthusiastic about it.

detourdog 3y ago
I once found an incomplete set of orchestra playing cards at Lincoln CENTER.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]

tnecniv 3y ago

People like collecting whatever. I buy a pack now and then at 711. It’s fun to see if you get players you like or if you pull a card that’s out of date (player is on a different team because the card was printed before the season started, or the text on the back predicts a good year when they end up having a laughably bad one, etc.)

GuB-42 3y ago

A friend of mine made tens of thousands, buying and selling trading cards. And that's what he sold, what he didn't sell is worth even more. As an investment, it beats most of the more "serious" options. It is crazy, people pay hundreds for a pack of new cards, just so that they can sell them for thousands later, and it works! And it has been working for decades, though it has been taking ridiculous proportions for the last few years. Now, you are probably better off printing trading cards than bank notes.