[schnevets]

I liked the idea of NBA Top Shot, but it is clearly a victim of its own success. I wasn't a card collector growing up, but I knew baseball cards would become more in demand if a player broke out, won an award, or became famous by some other means. Smarter fans were able to forecast that, and were able flaunt their collection or sell for a profit.

But for the most part this was playground stuff or convention centers. Now you have one centralized marketplace where all fans from anywhere in the world compete, so the most lucrative approach is to court "whales" who can spend extravagantly. I just wish there were a way for them to set up "minor leagues" so it can become an approachable hobby again.