From "Childhood Collection" to "Live Gambling": The benefits and risks behind the star card boom

. But in today's market, most participants do not have this patience. For example, some people dismantle rare cards and resell them directly before they even get them. "Mr. Wang said.

Cultural values ​​have been replaced by a profit-seeking mentality. The "explosive cards" and "added bonuses" in online platforms and live broadcast rooms have continuously amplified this stimulation, which has changed the star card from the fun of collecting a small circle to a large-scale speculative carnival.

"The reason why the domestic star card market has evolved into this is that many people only have a primary understanding of sports culture. "Liang Jun said that many people in China still have the main understanding of sports at the competitive level, and they lack understanding of the social and cultural functions of sports.

"As we said, the value of star cards in European and American countries is closely linked to sports stories, and the rise and fall of cards is highly related to the players' performance on the field and major events, which provides the star cards with continuous vitality. At present, in China, the league has limited influence and surrounding culture has not yet been formed. The cultural significance of collection has been severely weakened and it is easy to become a simple commodity or gambling product. "Liang Jun said.

Supervision and culture help star cards return to their essence

In fact, star cards, as a natural sports derivative, have high value. Liang Jun pointed out that what really supports the price of star cards should be scarcity and sports events themselves, rather than the "rules" designed by merchants. "Like the star cards in the 1998 World Cup, now a single or full set can be sold at a high price, because it witnesses the sports memory of an era. ”

Mr. Wang also gave an example that after Kobe's death, his star card price rose several times in the short term. "These value changes are directly related to the players' performance and life trajectory. This is the unique vitality of the star card."

Faced with the phenomenon that many participants in the domestic star card market are eager for short-term arbitrage and lack the patience of long-term collection, how should the star card return to the essence of culture and collection? Liang Jun believes that law and supervision are a key step. "Once the star card enters the commercial market, it involves many aspects such as player portrait rights protection, sales qualification specifications, and transparent card dismantling process, but the relevant domestic supervision is not in place. ”

Mr. Feng, the founder of a card culture company, has also said that the star card market should also refer to blind boxes as soon as possible, standardize regulations, formulate special rules, and restrict card issuance, probability announcement, trading channels, etc. "The problem now is that the market is expanding too fast, and the industry lacks a transparent rating and appraisal system, so players can only be led by merchants. This is not conducive to the long-term development of the industry and card culture. "Mr. Feng said.

In addition to supervision, platforms and consumers involved in improper transactions of star cards should also bear responsibility. Nowadays, gambling is not uncommon to use live broadcasts to "play the edge ball". Major platforms need to strengthen probability publicity and protection of minors to avoid the continued spread of gambling and speculative gameplay. At the same time, consumers should remain rational and not be induced by the so-called "stable profit but no loss".

In the long run, the development of China's star card market cannot be separated from the cultivation of sports culture. Liang Jun believes that domestic leagues and clubs should cultivate more surrounding cultures, so that fans have the opportunity to extend the game experience and continue the fans' memory through cards. "If the foundation of sports culture is not solid, no matter how high the popularity is, it is only temporary. ”

" Star card collection and trading should be driven by interest, not by gambling mentality. "Mr. Feng said that the industry generally believes that star card has the potential to become an important part of sports consumption in China, but the premise is to get out of the vicious circle of speculation and carnival and truly integrate into the sports industry ecosystem.

"We always believe that the domestic star card market will mature soon. "Mr. Feng said, "In any field, its early market must be chaotic and mixed. It always requires a process of development and trial and error in order to mature and standardize. At present, there are many relevant rules in the field of blind boxes and other toys. We believe that relevant terms and laws will appear in the field of sports cards to help practitioners and consumers regulate the market, so that everyone can truly enjoy the most original pure charm of star cards and other cards. ”

This newspaper, Beijing, September 22,