Value Has a Price

Well, it happened to me again. I went to my local Target, hoping to treat myself to a single pack of Pokémon cards, and guess what? They were all gone.

Trading card games have exploded in popularity, especially within the last few years, with Pokémon cards leading the way. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love me some TCG fun. I am an avid Magic: The Gathering player, and I have a small Pokémon card collection myself. I love the strategy of the games, and when it boils right down to it, I have a few favorite Pokémon that I love collecting with Squirtle, Wartortle, and Blastoise leading the way in my collection.

So I, too, have found myself wandering into the Pokémon aisle only to find a bare wall and a sign that says something to the effect of “Only two items per person,” or possibly even worse, “Out of stock.” Here’s what is becoming more and more true: trading cards aren’t just for kids anymore. 

There are adults who have devoted their full-time income to the buying and selling of trading cards. The cards themselves have become collectible icons or key pieces of strategic value for those who engage with the competitive side of trading card games. 

Here’s the thing about value. Oftentimes, the value of something is more than just what it is made of.

Some people don’t even open the boxes they buy! They resell them still fully sealed at a higher price, and you know what? People buy them anyway. This happens all the time and affirms the age-old sales concept that an item is always worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it.

The cards are disappearing for several reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is the potential to turn a $5.99 purchase into an extreme profit. Nostalgia and dopamine are just a few other reasons that people are willing to clean out an entire shelf of product. Others are willing to pay any amount of money to acquire their favorite card, and often refer to them as their “chase card.” The monetary value of this card is often decided on popularity and then confirmed with numbers from recent sales or closed listings.

Some of the numbers from trading card sales might surprise you. “The One Ring” — a rare one-of-one printing of the popular Lord of the Rings item included in a Magic: The Gathering set — sold for $2.64 million. Brook Trafton in Ontario, Canada, was shaking as he recorded the first time he held this card in his hands. He went on to sell the item to well-known trading card collector Post Malone (yes, even Posty is a nerd like you and me). Brook’s life is forever changed simply for pulling the right card at the right time.

Logan Paul recently sold his “PSA 10 Grade Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card” for millions of dollars. Why? Because, as we have previously said, something is always worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Here’s the thing about value. Oftentimes, the value of something is more than just what it is made of. Let’s face it, these items are printed pieces of cardstock, and only some of them are shiny. The materials rarely determine the value, though, because it is in fact the buyer who determines it instead.

Let’s zoom out for a second.

Too often in life, we let outside factors determine our value. We base it on what we do, what we accomplish, or perhaps even our popularity. 

We attach our value to our level of success, or to our accomplishments. Even that often leaves us feeling empty and desiring something more.

Anybody can simply say that something has a specific value, but it actually requires payment to confirm that assumption.

We find ourselves in a position where we still don’t feel like enough despite all we have accomplished. There is always more money to be made or another promotion to get. We want more likes, more views, and more status than last time, even if our last time was something we considered successful.

If value is determined based on what someone is willing to pay, then what is the amount someone is willing to pay for us?

The teachings of Jesus offer an answer. In John 15:13, He sets up our value with these words:

“Greater love has no one than this: that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

The idea here is that the biggest act of love comes through the biggest act of sacrifice. Giving up one’s life for somebody else is the greatest, most practical example of love. Anybody can simply say that something has a specific value, but it actually requires payment to confirm that assumption.

One of my favorite cards I own is a Blastoise card. I think somebody would have to pay me a whole lot of money for the card if they wanted to buy it. Is it worth a whole lot of money? Well, this card on TCGplayer (an online marketplace for TCGs) only goes for about $10. So chances are nobody is willing to sacrifice thousands for the card I treasure. Just because I say something has a specific value does not mean that it actually does unless somebody else makes the sacrifice to prove it. The biggest demonstration of value only happens when somebody is actually willing to pay the cost for it.

So what is our cost? How can we find out if there are no receipts? How can we find out what our value is if nobody has paid a price for it?

What if I told you we do have an account of that payment? What if I could show you the receipt that confirms our value? What if our lives were already bought with a price?

The Gospel of Jesus claims that our lives are so valuable that He was willing to pay an ultimate price. He gave up His life for us in an act of self-sacrifice. He died to take on the punishment we deserve. 

Why? Because He sees the value in us and understands the price needed to provide an opportunity to be in relationship with Him.

If the payment amount is what we need to help determine value, then the price Jesus paid on the cross should be the reference point that helps us understand exactly what we are worth to Him.

Jesus already told us how valuable we are to Him. Every single one of us is worth His life.

So many of us nerds wrestle with our value. Where do we fit in? We go to local game stores, comic book shops, conventions, and even the chats of our favorite streamers looking for something. We are often looking for  places that we can go where other people accept us for who we are. We go to places where we feel like we have value.

Jesus already told us how valuable we are to Him. Every single one of us is worth His life.

When He looks at us, He doesn’t see an empty shelf. He sees all of the passions and qualities He purposely gave us when we were made by Him. Jesus sees us at our best and even at our worst and still chose to make the ultimate gesture of love to prove how much He cares.

The value of trading cards is determined by the price people are willing to pay for them.

The value of our lives was determined by the last breath Jesus gave for us on the cross.

According to Him, we are worth His life—far more than any “chase card” ever printed.

Even the really shiny ones.