FOMO in Pokémon Collecting
FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is a psychological and social phenomenon characterized by the anxiety of feeling that others are experiencing rewarding experiences from which one is absent. Whether in events, trends, or product launches, this feeling has been drastically intensified by the immediacy of social media.
In the field of Pokémon card collecting, this fear manifests in various ways, pushing collectors to make impulsive decisions and early purchases due to the constant fear that prices will rise or stock will disappear forever.
FOMO in Obtaining "Chase Cards"
“Chase Cards” are those cards with alternate art, gold versions, or iconic characters that have a low appearance ratio, making them the most desired pieces of each expansion. When a new set is launched, social media is flooded with influencers obtaining these cards, which generates a sensation in the viewer that they can also get them or, at least, an imperative desire to possess them. To obtain these pieces, many collectors choose to buy packs massively until they appear, which entails a large extra cost due to the statistical difficulty of finding them. On the other hand, those who decide to buy them directly on the secondary market also usually pay an excessive price, since during the launch of an expansion, values are usually inflated by the novelty.
FOMO in the Lack of Stock
Given the current situation of the hobby, every time a new product from an expansion hits the market, a feeling of FOMO arises, caused by the fear that stock will run out quickly. This fear drives many collectors to make hasty purchases to secure their material, given the concern of running out of stock and being forced to pay significantly inflated prices on the resale market later on.
FOMO in the Life Cycle of Cards
Sets or expansions have a limited printing period, which generates constant pressure to complete collections before the next launch arrives or before the current set stops being manufactured permanently. The fear that prices in the secondary market will begin to rise once production ends is a difficult factor to manage, especially because there is no public information on the printing volume of sets or on when possible reprints will take place.
FOMO in Promotional and Event Cards
In the case of promotional or event cards, whose distribution is restricted to a specific geographic area or a limited period of time, FOMO manifests in a very acute way. The fear of being left without these exclusive pieces pushes many collectors to pay exorbitant prices prematurely, moved by the uncertainty that their value will increase drastically in the future given the impossibility of obtaining them through official channels once the event has concluded.
Risks and Consequences
The main consequence of FOMO is the negative financial impact derived from the impulsive purchase of cards at inflated prices. However, beyond the economic, there is a significant risk of mental exhaustion caused by the incessant pursuit of the novelty and the exclusive. For many people, what began as a relaxing hobby ends up transforming into an overwhelming list of pending tasks or mandatory objectives, which completely distorts the essence of collecting.
How to Avoid It
To avoid falling into the FOMO trap, it is fundamental to define a clear strategy on what and how we want to collect. We must be strict with our budget and honest regarding which cards truly add value to our personal collection. If we decide to acquire a card right at the time of its release, we must do so under the premise that we are willing to assume an extra cost for a piece that we deeply desire. Otherwise, the most advisable thing is to exercise patience and wait some time after the launch of the expansion, allowing the market to calm down and prices to stabilize at more reasonable levels.