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I've asked chatgpt to explain to me the pokemon card craze, and it gives a long answer, but I still don't understand the videos of people shoving shopping carts

I've asked chatgpt to explain to me the pokemon card craze, and it gives a long answer, but I still don't understand the videos of people shoving shopping carts full of big boxes of Pokemon cards...

daedrdev 2y ago
The answer is they are gambling they can sell them for more later
- browningstreet 2y ago
  Oh this is a long game? I thought there was an immediate trade/return/game involved. I didn't realize Pokemon had legs like these... so out of the (game) loop.
  - goosedragons 2y ago
    Some of it is scalping. Buy product that's not going to be reprinted and sell it for more soon after. Pokemon generally will reprint big sets as needed though so it's less of an issue.
  - lbotos 2y ago
    for a parallel see MTGStocks: https://www.mtgstocks.com/prints/109848-pest-control-extended-art https://www.mtgstocks.com/prints/109848-pest-control-extende... Many ppl speculate on TCGs just like other securities
    - rrix2 2y ago
      cant forget about mtgox either
- Cthulhu_ 2y ago
  It's the offshoot of the "everything bubble" during the pandemic, lots of people buying up things that in hindsight were collectible / scarce / worth a lot of money; Pokemon cards and boosters ended up being worth hundreds of thousands, same with sneakers, lego sets, etc. The market has of course adjusted, lego's bread and butter seems to be high cost items marketed as collector's items. I mean at the same time I'm confident all of these companies are themselves filling up warehouses with the intent of drip-feeding these into the market for low volume, high revenue sales, whilst keeping the actual production run volume of these a closely guarded secret.
- jmcgough 2y ago
  It's interesting, I remember comic collecting got really hot in the 90s (after 50s - 70s kids grew up in the silver age of comics). Wonder if every generation's favorite childhood nerd collectibles just hits a point where the generation has real purchasing power, decides to buy that Charizard card they always wanted as a kid, and a bubble develops.
Salgat 2y ago
In 2020 during COVID influencers like Logan Paul got into it and made it a fad again.
low_tech_love 2y ago
This may sound stupid but can you actually ask ChatGPT to comment on stuff that’s happening in realtime, now? I haven’t been using AI much these days.
- mdrzn 2y ago
  Yes, it has the capabilities to search on Google and provide up to date results.
browningstreet 2y ago
I get -3 points on the downvote, and yet.. thread below among others.

I've asked chatgpt to explain to me the pokemon card craze, and it gives a long answer, but I still don't understand the videos of people shoving shopping carts full of big boxes of Pokemon cards...

daedrdev 2y ago

The answer is they are gambling they can sell them for more later

browningstreet 2y ago
Oh this is a long game? I thought there was an immediate trade/return/game involved. I didn't realize Pokemon had legs like these... so out of the (game) loop.
- goosedragons 2y ago
  Some of it is scalping. Buy product that's not going to be reprinted and sell it for more soon after. Pokemon generally will reprint big sets as needed though so it's less of an issue.
- lbotos 2y ago
  for a parallel see MTGStocks: https://www.mtgstocks.com/prints/109848-pest-control-extended-art https://www.mtgstocks.com/prints/109848-pest-control-extende... Many ppl speculate on TCGs just like other securities
  - rrix2 2y ago
    cant forget about mtgox either
Cthulhu_ 2y ago
It's the offshoot of the "everything bubble" during the pandemic, lots of people buying up things that in hindsight were collectible / scarce / worth a lot of money; Pokemon cards and boosters ended up being worth hundreds of thousands, same with sneakers, lego sets, etc. The market has of course adjusted, lego's bread and butter seems to be high cost items marketed as collector's items. I mean at the same time I'm confident all of these companies are themselves filling up warehouses with the intent of drip-feeding these into the market for low volume, high revenue sales, whilst keeping the actual production run volume of these a closely guarded secret.
jmcgough 2y ago
It's interesting, I remember comic collecting got really hot in the 90s (after 50s - 70s kids grew up in the silver age of comics). Wonder if every generation's favorite childhood nerd collectibles just hits a point where the generation has real purchasing power, decides to buy that Charizard card they always wanted as a kid, and a bubble develops.

Salgat 2y ago

In 2020 during COVID influencers like Logan Paul got into it and made it a fad again.

low_tech_love 2y ago

This may sound stupid but can you actually ask ChatGPT to comment on stuff that’s happening in realtime, now? I haven’t been using AI much these days.

mdrzn 2y ago
Yes, it has the capabilities to search on Google and provide up to date results.

browningstreet 2y ago

I get -3 points on the downvote, and yet.. thread below among others.