>>57886036It's a combo of things.
Pocket brough people new and old people into the hobby by way of gacha crack that would convert to cardboard crack. SSP had the Pikachu SIR, so all the Genwunners who came back for Pocket had a new target. TPCI have been on the uptick with their marketing on social media, and then you have content creators who kept producing viral videos of people opening them at raves, parachuting, etc. and shills saying that they have to buy the latest set in order to make thousands of dollars in investments.
It's been like the perfect storm of marketing, virality, and invester hustle culture all aligning and screwing the hobby
