Also while I’m here… may as well respond to this. I don’t see anyone in this thread being hostile. It’s an open conversation of rationalization. To be honest, it made me curious about Nospin’s contribution to this community. It reads like a grown man being upset and shedding tears of salt. At some point, people need to learn how to separate their personal feelings/emotions from harsh realities. We are all collectors here, and this silly gatekeeping or coping mechanism that leads to some people trying to explain why they’re some sort of purist in the hobby and everyone else is a meanie or wrong isn’t very productive or conducive for your mental health.
1 Like
It’s discouraging not being able to find product in stores, but singles are really affordable, probably more so than ever. You can go on TCGPlayer right now and buy half of the shiny vault for the price of one ETB. There are avenues to continue collecting and they’re probably more affordable than before with all the product being cracked.
5 Likes
I think the main issue is seeing this as a collector, someone more “educated” in collection, analyzing, waiting, etc. There are thousands of people who just wanna go x place, buy 10 packs and open them with their families, alone and such. I wouldn’t know which % do they represent of the community but for certain it is not a “minority”.
Sure, for some of us who are balls deep into this it’s almost “obvious” which route to take, which actions to take and where to search but if for the longest of times you aren’t able to find product because shortage of product, massive influx of people, scalpers then it is really discouraging.
It’s not about being negative, just exposing one angle of a huge group, it isn’t nice but it is what it is.
1 Like
I agree and always emphasize to serious collectors how many casually people just buy something in the store. That is definitely a market in itself. But the internet is older than Pokémon. Amazon prime is ubiquitous. Every boomer in my family uses ebay, Amazon, online shopping. That is why I don’t subscribe to the outrage, because most of this stuff is a google/ebay search away.
I also think everyone from serious to casual collector wants product back on the shelf. Which Pokémon is trying to rectify. It just won’t happen overnight.
Most of the toxicity comes from the gatekeepers complaining about scalpers, prices, etc. It’s why I enjoy this board so much. E4 understands what is happening, removes much of the emotion, and delivers rational thinking.
I ended up watching more of that video, and the creator just comes off as salty that they aren’t as big and popular as the leonhart types. Also hate that disclaimer about the video not being directed at anyone in particular, but then proceeds to call out Leonhart and other “rich” creators. Man, and the video portrays it as if this is only happening to Pokemon cards. Have they tried to buy any football, basketball or baseball in stores recently? Those are even harder to find
4 Likes
Just imagine if kids and adults in the 80s or 90s were making these kind of videos crying about the prices of comic books or their favorite basketball/baseball/hockey players on cards becoming too expensive because of evil rich ppl. "All I want to do is enjoy my Mickey Mantle card and Action Comic #1 ;(
1 Like
The outrage is just a natural reaction, some people in the hobby might have never experimented such thing in their lifetime/collection years. So for someone who is young or a father, i would guess is kinda infuriating seeing people in Walmart camping for product to later resell it 2x or 3x on the internet.
And in the US there might be other options, for folks in other countries with much more limited supply (yes even more than the US) it’s even worse. That’s why i think is very fair to expose things like this even if it rustles jimmies from other people, creates awareness of an issue (we all know even pokemon is “well aware”) but it helps also to tell people “hey dont buy from scalpers”, sadly something as obvious like that is not that obvious for your average joe.
1 Like
Outrage is they can’t find it at retail prices…not that they can’t find it anywhere.
I mean anyone could find hand sanitizer online during the height of the pandemic. But you had to pay $25 for a bottle vs $1 in stores. And scalpers would buy crates full of sanitizer to sell back.
That’s the outrage. Has nothing to do with not being able to find it on eBay. Least that’s how I see it.
10 Likes
Definitely this. The outrage is that they can’t find product “organically” as Pokemon intended. There’s a shit load of product out there online though
Yeah I think it’s more that it’s completely wiped out, and you have to pay 2-3x online. Though I don’t really see why anyone defends the people who camp out at target to buy all the product and immediately put it online, seriously
No one is defending people who camp out at target, but claiming the reason they are doing so is because of collectors and investor youtubers who have emphasized the pricepoints of rare cards is misguided at best. Do you think this is a new phenomenon? You don’t think people had to deal with this stuff with Marvel and DC comics or baseball cards or MTG but now that youtube is a thing that’s the cause?
Imagine if sneakerheads started blaming media outlets like hypbeast, or if people who casually play video games and couldn’t get a PS5 around christmas started pointing the finger at twitch streamers. It’s nonsense.
Which is another gripe I have. Who are they to decide what the “organic” way Pokemon intended is? Since when is buying online over antiquated in store considered inorganic?
“Antiquated” in store? Geez. Always hard to see that people view it that way. I never want to live in a world where we don’t venture out into the world for most if not all goods/services. It is good to have both options.
Let us hope that our paradigm never becomes one in which we are scarcely ever leaving our homes, reducing our already limited interaction with the outside world. There is a serious, unappreciated quality in going out and keeping brick and mortar alive. This cannot be overstated.
7 Likes
Well, you totally missed the point because as people have stated in the thread, multiple times, is the fact of having to pay 2x,4x for a freshly released set online, not the fact of having to buy online…
2 Likes
You don’t “have” to pay anything.
8 Likes
In 1999 we had to pay 2x,4x on the secondary market too. We just decided not to snivel about it cause stuff cost what it cost. After all, it serves no purpose. Crying won’t affect the prices. Hit piece videos will accomplish nothing. In fact, it can make things worse. That young lady caribou actually hurt the hobby we all love. Now was that her intention? Of course not. She was simply clueless. Just so I don’t appear completely negative like her I must say, her video was very well done and put together. It’s just too bad she didn’t understand markets. She could have educated her followers on WHY it was happening and not on pointing fingers at some of the greatest advocates our hobby has.
9 Likes
Going to a B&M is antiquated now-a-days. Outside of groceries (and even then, I still go support local markets), I see no reason to have the want or need to go into a big box like walmart and dealing with it.
That is a conversation for another time and place since it strays from this topic of discussion.
I agree it is off topic. And I wasn’t going to answer. But I must say one significant thing. I mean no intent to support Walmart. They should NOT be supported. But there are many, many other B&M’s I’m referring to when I say this. LGS… (Plus Walmart does not lose anything with online shopping paradigm, like most mega corps)
And since I did respond, it is not antiquated. There is so much it offers that online shopping does not. And it is a mindset that relegates it to that perception, not a fact of reality, where to shop online you must do it at the expense of other benefits. But I can leave it at that to not derail the thread. Just wanted to make my stance against Walmart clear, and for stores that sell MSRP such as the businesses that started out doing this whole thing since the beginning. I.E. the whole east coasts local game stores I and millions visited for their Pokemon cards in the day.
Your numbers are fictitious. Like I said in my first post, over 3,500 shining fates etbs, Numerous between $70-80. Which isn’t even 2x, and nowhere near 4x…
The MSRP for Booster boxes is $143. Battle Styles just dropped today, and with only early supply available, there are multiple listings at and below actual MSRP.
Also Pokemon has consistently dripped product for awhile. Which is why Hidden Fates is cheaper today than before logan paul, covid, or whatever excuse comes next. Thats the biggest problem with the video. It creates false villain’s out of ignorance. Rather than understanding its simply demand grossly exceeding supply. Which isn’t unique at all to pokemon. There are numerous markets and industries experiencing the exact same thing.
6 Likes
Well times have changed, we have social media now and people voice their opinions, which might be the same as previous years but now we get to read all the angles. Also, that you did it back then doesn’t mean people will do it now. Is it bad? Is it useless? Useful? That’s for each to decide.
Plus i don’t feel it is addressing as “all content creators = villains” more like there are people that might be interested in the monetary aspect of the cards and their personal interests, but that applies to everything, bad apples and good apples. Even then, i dont think that in any part someone is claiming “we are all messed up ONLY cause evil manipulators”, as i’ve said before, it is ONE of the multiples issues we are having right now.
About the prices they are all over the place,CP etb on release was 100-120 (thankfully it is now hovering at $70-80) vivid voltage BB is 220-260 for a set that is only 3 months old (soon 4). SF etb, draga/crobat boxes were 2x (those are dropping tho). Battle styles seems to be the first set to be not as inflated as previous sets.
And i haven’t been affected by these prices because i simply don’t pay and i focus more on Wotc but i totally understand where do that people come from.
1 Like