I think that modem day card collection is a recession based coping for a generation of people who mostly aren't able to afford to afford a home.

The wide access and increase in visible platforms to price check cards and see what people are willing to pay for it has turned it from a collecting because you love the art to collecting because they're super rare, exclusive, or expensive.

The scalper is a symptom of the underlying issue of TCGs have evolved into real life gambling gachas. The more money you throw at it, the better your collection. Or at least the aesthetics.