The Cooper Flagg obsession and chase is a healthy reminder of how the vast majority of booming interest in The Hobby the past few years is totally predicated on gambling and the absurd idea cards are a “great investment.”

Almost all the people I see in card aisles are gamblers who barely know anything about what they are spending money on. “Any luck?” is the frequent question I get when I have a blaster or packs in my hand. I’m buying cards because I like sports and cards. This era is so incredibly different from when I collected as a kid in the booming junk wax era. People then actually liked cards for the fun of it.

95% of all high value chase cards will be worth considerably less in five years. Bank on it. Collect for fun.