The Cost Of Validation
In today’s hobby economy, eBay has become more than just a marketplace—it’s a mirror. A reflection of our egos, insecurities, and the distorted sense of value that collecting can sometimes create. On one side, you have sellers “highballing”—shamelessly listing cards or other hot-ticket items at inflated prices, not because they intend to sell, but to satisfy a quiet and perhaps subconscious need for recognition. It’s a subtle form of showing off, a digital flex that