Disclaimer: ClockOneDrawTwo is not a financial advisor by any means. Everything posted here is based on pure opinion. ClockOneDrawTwo takes zero responsibility for your actions following your reading of this article. The below references an opinion and is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice.
Although this site is mainly for the promotion of the game of Weiss Schwarz and offering opinions on aspects of the game, I think it would be nice to shed a little light on understanding the marketplace for the game, especially to new players. Though a lot of this information may seem obvious, if you believe this to be a useful asset of some kind, I hope it helps.
Market value. This word always shows up when it comes to financial discussions of the game. Card games have two different pricing points. Cards are worth the value they are made in the primary market, the basic value of the cardboard and ink used to print them. However, cards are also carrying a value that’s dependent of the secondary market.
What is a secondary market for say? Well, secondary market are the prices decided by players and shops for the purpose of evaluating and trading cards amongst each other. Although the cards’ physical value is worth a mere few cents, the rarities and scarcity of cards change their inherent value to the players and collectors. To the foreign eye outside of the game, it could be nothing more than decorated cardboard. But to the players, the cardboard represents a valuable playable asset, a game piece.
So how are secondary market prices decided? Well, there are a numerous amount of factors that I won’t discuss here just due to the length and circulating opinions about it, but at the end of the day, it boils down to the basic supply and demand. Simply, if the card is in high demand and low in supply, the price will go up. If the card is in low demand and the stock is high, the price will go down. Basic economics.
“Okay, but I see some stores have a card sold out at this price, yet a card has full stock of a card and the price is different?” Well, like I said before, prices are decided by players and shops. The secondary market doesn’t necessarily have to always agree on a set price. Also because the secondary market is an open market, players can ultimately decide how much they want to price their own cards regardless of how others opinions are.
“Okay, but say the price values are varied over all the place, how do I know the exact market value of a card?” Generally speaking, players usually have some sort of pricing median, maybe in the form of another shop that they use as the general decider for the values of their cards. Now, whether or not that pricing median is globally accepted by players is another story. But generally, groups of players can come to agreements on what the general value on cards are.
“Okay, but I don’t agree with this price and that person wants another price.” That’s the beauty of the open market; players have full agency to decide how and what value they want to put up their cards. There is no true global pricing for how cards are valued on the secondary market. Sure, groups can collaborate and have a floating standard they use, but at the end of the day, the pricing depends fully on you and your business trading partner. If you disagree on a pricing point, then discuss upon it. That is a personal matter between you and that other person.
Good luck in your trading ventures.