Digital trading cards, Huh?

This article explains how some people are collecting and selling digital cards. Pretty sure that didn't exactly clear it up for me. Rarity is digitally created by the company. It's just fake scarcity?!

http://io9.com/how-the-hell-is-this-jpg-of-han-solo-worth-225-1726156785?google_editors_picks=true


I'm sure I'll think about it later and have an 'Aha' moment.

what is the difference between a digital card, a color printed card or any other technique. someone with control over what is printed and how much is printed tries to make money such as by making one baseball player's card rare while flooding the market with other players on the same team.

Same thing Madonna did with "emerging artists"....her buying their works made them famous but she made sure that she cashed in by selling those early purchases at high prices.

Quote: Fleastiff

what is the difference between a digital card, a color printed card or any other technique. someone with control over what is printed and how much is printed tries to make money such as by making one baseball player's card rare while flooding the market with other players on the same team.

Same thing Madonna did with "emerging artists"....her buying their works made them famous but she made sure that she cashed in by selling those early purchases at high prices.

While I wasn't a big baseball card collector, there are several differences. A couple mentioned in the article.

But also, when you collected baseball cards, you never knew if a rookie player was going to become a star. If you just happened to collect 10 Mickey Mantle cards from his first year, you struck gold.

Some players only played one year, or something happened to them -- so other reasons they became collectable.

It actually wasn't manipulated by the baseball card company to the complete extent it is here. Including the bizarre thing, that it's just a jpeg, you can just copy yourself.


1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Rookie PSA Authentic
. PID: 5565754 .
$28,527.99

Digital cards are used a lot in some online games, and there the rarity translates into advantages in the game itself. And that's been around since the late 90's, at least. I used to play an online game called 'ChronX' with digital trading cards.

Quote: TheCesspit

Digital cards are used a lot in some online games, and there the rarity translates into advantages in the game itself. And that's been around since the late 90's, at least. I used to play an online game called 'ChronX' with digital trading cards.

In the context of a game, there's still a certain amount of sense.

In the context of just a collection, it's just nothing but company manipulation. Like I said, compare it to the old time baseball trading, where you at least had some unknowns from baseball players.

So, I may be the only one here scratching my head about this, but I don't mind.

Quote: rxwine

In the context of a game, there's still a certain amount of sense.

In the context of just a collection, it's just nothing but company manipulation. Like I said, compare it to the old time baseball trading, where you at least had some unknowns from baseball players.

So, I may be the only one here scratching my head about this, but I don't mind.

I'm not surprised though I do wonder why on earth anyone would bother... but many social/light games have set collection elements, and rarity of rewards. And this collection is engaging/addictive. I'm kind of tired of addictive, soul crushing, repetitive games with little reward, and now I've realized it's a massive genre of games...