Circulation numbers work the same on all cards, but sometimes it’s not as simple as the printed numbers. The bartering price of a card might vary for several reasons beyond circulation numbers.
1) The circulation numbers on the back of the card might not reflect the actual number in circulation. Users come and go. Over time one account might collect several inserts and then life inevitably happens and they never log on again. And so a wonderful card is lost in the proverbial washing machine of “On to the next app”. So even if the numbers between two cards match, an older card will almost surely be more “expensive” than a newer card.
2) There’s the “coolness” factor. Cards that look awesome are less likely to be traded than cards that don’t look awesome. Popular characters are also more likely to be hoarded. (Some players not only want one of every card but they also want 1000 white 4-LOMs and no one knows why. BTDubs if you find me on the app send me your Dormes.)
3) Then there is the “newness” of the app. Did your heart just skip a beat because you found this really awesome green parallel of an elite soldier only to see that there’s only 300 in circulation?? Well, unfortunately for you there was a “transmission” (its the in-app news feed, be sure to read those) and it told everyone that there will eventually be 8000 of that card you just found. So most players in the know won’t trade you their really awesome Vintage Han Solo for it. Once an insert says “sold out” on the card the circulation number will reflect it’s actual value. But the heat of excitement from a new card is usually the best time to be trading. Everyone catches “I need that” fever.
Keep those three notes in mind and it will go a long way to learning the value of a card. Inserts usually have the highest “cool” factor. Cards like golds and greens usually are far more rare than most inserts but there seems to be a lack of demand for those cards right now, which decreases their bartering value. A good rule of thumb is: if it’s a card you’d like to have then it’s a card someone else wants to have. If a card looks dull to you then don’t accept the trade. If you wind up with a card you like and no one else wants it, at least you ended up with a card you like.
One final note is the in-app messaging system. It’s clunky. The only way to message another use directly is to offer a trade and leave a comment. Most players trade spare whites in order to talk about cards. (For example, you can lock cards you don’t want to receive offers on. But someone might want to message you anyway and make an exceptionally tempting offer.) This process is sometimes prompted on the fan feed by saying “1:1 me”. It goes without saying that these trades can be accepted so don’t offer anything you don’t mind losing.
There’s so much more I could write about but I’ll leave some mysteries to discovered. If I’ve made any major omissions to the gameplay let me know and I’ll update this guide. I will be updating the guide with any major app changes so be sure to check back on occasion. You can post in the forum thread linked below if you have questions, comments, or you want to discuss the app in general. Be sure to look me up on the app. I go by “YodaBauer” and I’ll be happy to help where I can with your base sets. Just 1:1 me and let me know you saw this article.
