The Card Collab – Issue #22
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how much happens around the TCG community that we don’t always stop to notice. This past week gave me a small glimpse of that.
Between ordering singles to upgrade my Goblin Storm deck, confirming the next Matcha & Mana, and putting together the new event flyer, there’s been plenty happening. I’ve also been working on our upcoming Duval Squirtle Squad feature and getting familiar with the new DJI Pocket 3, which we’re hoping to use for more video coverage of the community.
We also made it out to the Cardichu Card Show, where we finally got to meet some of the vendors we’ve featured in The Card Collab. It was a chance to connect in person and put the new camera to the test.
Looking back, none of these things seemed particularly unusual. They were simply part of being involved in the hobby. But seeing them all come together over the course of a week got me thinking about the people and effort behind the things we often take for granted.
The Work Behind the Cards
Take ordering a few singles for a deck or collection.
I recently ordered some cards for my Goblin Storm deck because I wanted to make a few upgrades and have it ready to play. From my perspective, it’s pretty simple. I find the cards I need, place the order, and wait for them to arrive.
But on the other side of that order, someone has to make it happen.
A seller has to maintain an inventory, locate the cards I ordered, make sure everything is correct, package the order, and get it on its way. A few days later, those cards arrive at my door, ready for me to sleeve up and play.
And that’s just one order.
Multiply that by all the singles, sealed products, accessories, and other items being bought and sold every week, and you start to get a sense of how much work happens in the background.
The same goes for a local game store. We walk in, browse the shelves, sit down for an event, trade some cards, or pick up a new product. What we don’t always see is everything that happened before we walked through the door.