Digital Cards ???

[Mattman1234]

growing popularity in the use of topps/panini mobile apps where you can buy/trade digital cards. Topps came out last week saying they plan on spending the same if not more time on digital/nfts as on physical cards. no doubt they have some advantages over physical ( dont have to send to psa and wait 3 years / cant be damaged / traded instantly no delivery costs/ can see off anyones collection by searching someones username / no storage problems).
i know the nba topshot site has had huge popularity. maybe dont see it replacing the big physical cards but could be a good alternative for younger people in the hobby who are growing up surrounded by new technology ,
food for thought

[Raj3sh]

Pyramid scheme

[Patrick Hamill]

If the cards actually physically existed and you could store and trade them online (similar to the way a lot of Gold exchanges now operate) then fine - but why would you want to pay big money for a card that doesn't actually physically exist? I know gamers pay big money for in-game items, just cant see the appeal of having a virtual card collection.

[Mattman1234]

i know what your saying theres loads of things loads of things that 'dont actually exist' bitcoin and ether and all other crypto currencies dont actually exist , have a few friends who poured money into fifa ultimate team again doesnt exist , dont really see that being something that would hold it back for me if its guarenteed that i own it and can see it on my profile etc id be happy to own digital things , have a look at recent ebay sales of topps kick digital cards some selling for 1000$...

[Paderborn1907]

Originally Posted by Mattman1234

growing popularity in the use of topps/panini mobile apps where you can buy/trade digital cards. Topps came out last week saying they plan on spending the same if not more time on digital/nfts as on physical cards. no doubt they have some advantages over physical ( dont have to send to psa and wait 3 years / cant be damaged / traded instantly no delivery costs/ can see off anyones collection by searching someones username / no storage problems).
i know the nba topshot site has had huge popularity. maybe dont see it replacing the big physical cards but could be a good alternative for younger people in the hobby who are growing up surrounded by new technology ,
food for thought

NFTs will stop soon the growth of physical cards and put them into their place one day, because of all the obvious reasons you mentioned above.

Nevertheless this is IMO still a "and" not "or" discussion and both will co-exist, it also gives the physical card market a chance to adjust from it's current craziness, so we can start enjoing both again one day.

[Mattman1234]

ye the physical cards going nowhere but certainly something that they should be aware of , clearly topps agree ...

[Zankyman17]

Digital cards/NFTs are here to stay. We're about to see Wall Street's influence with Topps where they start driving initiatives that satisfy the investment world and digital will be key.

We recently got involved with Topps Kick and I surprisingly felt the "scarcity" aspect of the digital cards immediately. This is the same feeling that drives me to spend $$ on physical cards.

If you take a look at ebay, the amount of Topps Kick auctions have exploded (relatively speaking).

I agree with one of the other posts where they stated that this is an "and" concept, not an "or".

With any hobby or investment, you'll look to diversify and I believe digital will have to have a place for all of us long term.

I also expect a wild ride over the first few years where there will be a heavily disjointed secondary market until the technology on the backend (crypto, distributed ledger, etc.) matures.

Buckle up!

[Raj3sh]

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26530024

[Zankyman17]

There's a lot of great conversation going on within that thread!

Of course this is going to be a battleground conversation.

Ultimately, this will come down to the same premise as fiat currency. The dollar bill you physically hold right now is worth a dollar because you believe in that value. There is zero intrinsic value there. You cannot eat it, you cannot live in it, you cannot wear it, etc.

If there is a belief (overall) that there is some value of a digital asset, then you can decide if you'd like to collect or invest in it.

It will certainly NOT be for everyone, especially right now.

I personally will be getting some exposure and grabbing some popcorn!

We still believe any and all US Men's National Team players are incredible investments now and it's a blast watching them all play every week. We've been going after a lot of their digital rookies which is a thrill.

[Raj3sh]

I collect mainly due to nostalgia and the way i can hold, stack and display the cards i own. It also reflects differently under different lights. Digital cards will never be able to replicate that. Also the card is once held by the athlete if its an oncard auto, so there is a connection.

[Mattman1234]

no 'intrinsic value' to physical cards ultimately either , when i tell people i try to make money and buy sports cards they scoff and say they arent actually people who spend real money on them are there? , and yet here we are , i dont own many digital assets at all but am convinced they will be here in 3 years time , topps release a physical card for example , we buy it / grade it (pay +wiating time) / ship it to a seller with delviery costs , now topps release a digital card, we buy and then sell it when we want instantly , oh and the best bit , SCARCITY , instead of checking pop reports of cards digital cards have scarcity built in we know only 500 / 1000 / 50000 exist etc no matter how many times they are traded

[Paderborn1907]

Originally Posted by Mattman1234

ye the physical cards going nowhere but certainly something that they should be aware of , clearly topps agree ...

Yeah, but Panini is on it's way too, BC cards are increasing rapidly in value and their CEO mentioned recently that they'll also bring packs to Blockchain soon.

Pedri BC 1/1 Prizm sold for 1k today (NFT only not the printed version).

[Paderborn1907]

Originally Posted by Raj3sh

I collect mainly due to nostalgia and the way i can hold, stack and display the cards i own. It also reflects differently under different lights. Digital cards will never be able to replicate that. Also the card is once held by the athlete if its an oncard auto, so there is a connection.

That's valid reasons for physical cards and that's why this shouldn't be a fight club IMO.
For collecting both have very strong points for argumentation and I love my physical cards and always will. As you mentioned an "on card" auto will always be the best, same for game worn memorabilia and even holo effects on card. That's good stuff no doubt!
Nevertheless as a collector I also like to quickly browse through my digital collection on my phone or tablet, all these cards (which I own, so they're not just gifs) are extremely scarce, I also have a history behind them and I don't have to worry about their condition. Also the sky is the limit for additional features here, provide statistics of that player, use them for fantasy sports (like Sorare) etc.

In terms of investing though and that's driving the market right now, physical cards just have too many weaknesses. 3rd party grading is IMO a scam, as an international collector I'm confronted by packaging, distribution, customs, consigning etc. it's just no fun anymore. This market isn't regulated at all and I'm pretty frustrated with it.
For NFTs the rules are all set, selling/trading is easy, condition doesn't matter since all cards are pristine, the markets are usually very transparent. So as an investor that's what I'm actually looking for.

[Gridiron Bob]

Is there any way to enjoy a digital collection without the use of a computer or electronics?

[mwheeler27]

Originally Posted by Gridiron Bob

Is there any way to enjoy a digital collection without the use of a computer or electronics?

Yes. Screen shots and physically printing the picture.

Other than that...I don't think so.

[Mattman1234]

Originally Posted by Paderborn1907

Yeah, but Panini is on it's way too, BC cards are increasing rapidly in value and their CEO mentioned recently that they'll also bring packs to Blockchain soon.

Pedri BC 1/1 Prizm sold for 1k today (NFT only not the printed version).

ye i saw that , not 100% sure what the whole 'blockchain set is to be honest' , is there a physical card that accompanies the digital ?

[anshulp]

Collectability is very important along with utility when it comes to digital/nft's .

[mwheeler27]

There is intrinsic value to physical dollar bills just like physical cardboard cards.

You can burn them for heat if need be, and that's been done before in the past with money. You can cook food from the heat. So an argument can be made that paper money can help you survive where digital money might not.

[BiggNuttz]

Originally Posted by mwheeler27

There is intrinsic value to physical dollar bills just like physical cardboard cards.

You can burn them for heat if need be, and that's been done before in the past with money. You can cook food from the heat. So an argument can be made that paper money can help you survive where digital money might not.

And of course mwheeler........Topps Now cards produce heat more efficiently than regular cards, right?

[psumac]

Originally Posted by Gridiron Bob

Is there any way to enjoy a digital collection without the use of a computer or electronics?

the same argument can be made for physical books vs ebooks, yet ebooks are still a billion dollar industry. different strokes for different folks

[mwheeler27]

Originally Posted by BiggNuttz

And of course mwheeler........Topps Now cards produce heat more efficiently than regular cards, right?

They sure are on fire right now!

[Paderborn1907]

Originally Posted by Mattman1234

ye i saw that , not 100% sure what the whole 'blockchain set is to be honest' , is there a physical card that accompanies the digital ?

Yes, but only the Friday releases, it’s a physical card plus NFT.

[jackscards888]

Originally Posted by Paderborn1907

Yes, but only the Friday releases, it’s a physical card plus NFT.

Just my two cents - I have enjoyed digital collecting. No hassles with grading and having to sleeve everything. I also do see ebay auctions going up so there may be something there...

[Anish]

Not for me...i like to have things physically connected to the players and game (signed, match worn).

But I’m sure there’s a market for it