The business of collecting rare game cards, such as Magic: The Gathering, is booming with sales reaching seven-figure totals and celebrity purchases driving up market interest.
Record-breaking purchase: Pop star Post Malone recently bought a unique Magic
* This marked the first time a card from Magic: The Gathering crossed the million-dollar mark, raising the profile for collectors of this fantasy tabletop card game.
* Shop owner Ken Goldin compares this milestone to the first time a baseball card sold for a million dollars and declares it a sign of “serious business.”
Growing market conditions: The trading card games sector is gaining strength, partly thanks to nostalgic Gen Z and Millennials.
* During the pandemic lockdown, people discovered the value of their old Pokémon, Yu-gi-oh!, and Magic cards, leading to a surge in demand for card authentication and grading services.
* The release of new card sets featuring rare items and high-profile purchases by celebrities have further fueled market excitement.
By the numbers: Card grading activity is now at its highest level.
* In July, Professional Sports Authenticator saw more than 514,000 game cards graded, compared to around 528,000 sports cards, according to GemRate.
* This number is five times higher than the number of game cards graded two years ago.
Old and new risks: There are concerns that the current hype could lead to inflated pricing and potentially lower overall card values.
* Game card companies introducing artificial scarcity through the release of rare cards could trigger an oversupply.
* A rapid release of new cards could also upset some fans and disrupt the gameplay that they initially enjoyed.
What’s next: Despite the concerns, it appears likely that the release of rare cards will continue, especially given the success of Magic’s collaboration with Lord of the Rings, which reportedly earned Hasbro $100 million in product sales.
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