Imo MTG has written the rules of card treatment for at least western made card games. Full art, Alternate art, Foiling. These make cards collectible and therefore push packs. Lorcana and Flesh and blood have coopted these concepts and made them more special and less moneyhungry over the top fomo BS. Stick with the basics, dont make the cards look cheap, and make the game fun. Easier said than done I know but still.
Pokemon's cards are crazy beautiful too. It's a major reason that collectors of that card game vastly outnumber players (which is why the competitive formats are so cheap, since far more people open packs than play with cards).
the collectors outnumber players not because the cards are pretty (they are not, the basic mons with the huge textboxes for a single attack look stupid as f**k) but because of price increase speculation and just generel pokemon nostalgic factor which is why even the most ugly charizard card fetches a good price
Collectors have outnumbered players since before the speculation boom of a few years ago. "Collecting pokemon cards" without playing has been a thing for a very long time.
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