Board Thread:LOC General Discussion/@comment-108.35.154.66-20130911165857/@comment-5616072-20130912040348

I'll agree that continued inflation at the rate that the PP devalues suggests that the market is still being flooded with excess PP at a rate not previously seen before several months ago.

I don't agree that removal of cards by suspention or banning of players has significant impact on card prices. I'll acknowledge that I could be wrong with regards to how much impact that I think this does or doesn't have... but fundamental economic principles really don't need this angle at all.

I also do not agree that 10 or so players set the price and control the market. There are some very active ppl trading on the MB. There are guilds that concentrate on trading cards at profit and working the market rather than participating in events. Many of these people spend as much or more time trading (or at least studying the MB and various trading chats on MSG apps) than the many players spend grinding away in events. Do they 'set' prices? Not really. If you and/or your transaction partner are impatient then they are more likely to influence the price of your trade.

This market is bigger and more complicated than (I think) you give it credit for.

I believe that the most simple single reason that cards are inflating versus pp is because pp are markedly less scarce than they used to be.

The best theory for this is ilicit PP production. I can't personally afirm this because I haven't done it nor do I know anyone that admits to producing them... but I've seen emails from LOC that acknowledge illegal counterfeit items including cards so I think it's pretty reasonable to assume or acknowledge that the practice is occurring fairly extensively. I'm trying to be as objective as possible here. I'll also acknowledge that noone really buys PP for 100 gems and that card packs with PP bonuses very well may also increase the number of PP available in the market for trading to some degree.

My point (I guess) is really just to say that the progressive inflation of cards with respect to PP can be explained alone by the continued reduction in value of the PP.

If you're watching it all closely and regarding whats going on you don't need my advice... I could probably benefit more from advice from you. But if not, the best policy is to trade cards (with proper knowledge of card value) when possible, and to otherwise sell and buy with pp when a simple card trade isnt possible.... but dont amass and hold pp over time.