"If you've got a disposable income and are a collector of pretty cardboard, times are great. Those able to afford scalpers' fees or the booming second-hand market can pick up some all-time best-looking cards in both series, with Pokémon's ever-more beautiful full-art cards routinely fetching $500 in resales and Magic's waterfall of tie-in expansion sets from some of the most popular properties in entertainment. You know who this isn't helping? People who actually play Pokémon TCG or Magic: The Gathering."
"You know who this isn't helping? People who actually play Pokémon TCG or Magic: The Gathering. Right now, where I live in the UK, the only way I can get a pack of Pokémon cards released in the last 12 months is by making it my job to write about them and having them sent to me directly by The Pokémon Company."
Two major trading card game franchises are experiencing unprecedented demand and deliberate scarcity. Both Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering are selling out new releases so routinely that retail availability is minimal. Companies appear to be capitalizing on this by under-producing highly desirable sets, which fuels a booming secondary market and benefits collectors and scalpers. Regular players face difficulty finding recent packs and building decks, reducing access for newcomers and younger players. The emphasis on short-term profit and hype risks damaging the long-term health of both player communities and sustained game participation.
Read at Kotaku
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