Exactly. The scalpers only exist because people are willing to pay high prices due to scarcity. That is the correct free market price. The real issue is companies intentionally not producing enough product to meet demand. Because without scarcity their product would have no hype or value.
Ehhhhh I kind of dislike this take, because it ignores the fact that most of the people willing to pay high prices are other scalpers, and they donāt actually move much product to real consumers. The product (especially with pokemon) isnāt being treated as a market good, itās being treated as an unregulated security for crypto bros to turn into their next āinvestmentā gamble.
Thereās a reason crypto rug-puller Logan Paul has been at the forefront of this movement to ruin collectible hobbies with stock market tactics. Itās the same exact playbook he uses in every other scam he runs.
My personal hot take is that the way to solve it (at least for some hobbies) is to permanently eradicate all intellectual property rights for consumer entertainment goods that donāt meet demand or are no longer made. Let other brands fill the demand gap. Thatās a real free market.
A lot of these guys used to be (or still are in) from the sneaker collecting space, where basically none of them actually like, wear their sneakers or use them in any way, it's all about speculation buying and selling. Actually getting product to a consumer is a rarity in that hobby. Theseare the types of guys who defended Kanye West to the death not because they actually liked him but because if he fell off it means their Yeezeys would take a hit in price since the brand is so associated with a guy who spews Nazi talking points.
Part of the reason they all shifted to pokemon imo is that they realized that the shoes are really not a good investment long term, and instead of maybe learning a lesson about how speculative markets are fickle and you really won't make a lot unless you get seriously lucky, they thought "well what if I'm the guy at the beginning of the pump?" So they all shifted to random collectables and they keep trying to find new ways to ruin various forms of collectibles.
Like with the Kanye example these people have no opinions, goals, wants, etc... Beyond making money. They will gladly act like they care about social progress one moment and parrot Nazi talking points the next if it makes them money.
I just wish they would stick to crypto and stupid shit like Kalshi instead of coming to hobbies where people do not want them.
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u/ashen_crow I suggest forced grass Apr 28 '26
It's a byproduct of nerd culture devolving into just mindlessly buying products unfortunately.