Lets travel back to 2013. Back to a simpler time when inserts were all in the same pack, and contests didnt exist. To trade, you had to pull up someone’s user profile, click on their sheet, and offer a trade. In the user profile, you saw the 9 cards they were playing for points at that time. During games, this was a way to see how the best scoring players got their points. During down times, it was something that the apps have been missing for the last 2 years – a way to show off your best cards.

Im not someone that reminisces about those days and misses a lot of what was going on. I very much enjoy the apps and I very much enjoy collecting on all 3 of the ones I play. However, I do get upset with each new year, because I know my best or favorite cards are no longer going to be in the default filter for 95% of the people out there. Because I have been playing Bunt and Huddle since the beginning, I have a lot of cards that are awesome, but also a lot of cards that never see the light of day.

Not only does this lead to my perception of those cards changing, but it also takes away the desire to buy during the offseason or other times where I know the cards will practically disappear come the beginning of the next season.

We all can understand how bringing up a user profile every time someone wants to offer a trade isnt the most efficient way to do it. However, that doesnt mean the trophy case needs to go away. In fact, I would say that this is one of the things that would make an app like SWCT much more interesting.

Back when the 9 card display was active, people used it many different ways. Sometimes it was to showcase their wares, other times it was shown as a trade list, or sale depot. It was frequent that people said “trading cards in my profile” and used that as a way to help people understand what they wanted to deal.

Suggestions on Implementing This Feature

Even if we cant have a 9 card display any more due to screen space it would take up, or lack of space in any spot in the app, 3-4 cards would still make a world of difference. Here are some of the ways I would think about this, and how much value it could create in cards from previous years.

• Add it when selecting a user to trade with on the fan feed – when you bring up someone’s profile display 3-4 thumbnails right below their name. It could be a spot where everyone needs to look.
• Add it on the home screen – not only is it important to make the cards prominent for others to see, but also for the users themselves to see.
• Update year filters so locked cards are visible no matter what – this is a more interesting way of doing it, where users can use their locks to add a section to their sheet that makes locked cards visible regardless of what year they belong to.
• Add more locks – Bunt has 100, kick has 100. SWCT and Huddle have 30 and 25. We need a lot more to make due.

Residual Value

As it stands, many of the users leave the sports apps during the offseason. Its a natural exodus, and adding the trophy case might not prevent that. However, it can provide additional value during the season and during that timeframe – especially if people can continually show off everything they have collected.

I will not be ashamed to admit that my spending all but concludes when the offseason hits, mainly because of the phenomenon in play here. I know that any card I buy will not fall into the next season’s filter, so the prestige of owning that card will only come into play for people who still look for previous years when they dive into trading. That is a more limited group with each passing year, especially with turnover and new user acquisition.

At least if the cards arent going to score past the end of the year, give us a way to show them off.

Trading Impact

Right now, the fan feed must take up a ton of server space. A constantly scrolling feed of people who post the same request over and over again. Many of the requests can get pretty intricate, and this feature might be able to simplify that exchange, or even add a way to build in a way to tag something for trade or not for trade.

Going back to the way people have used the display in the past, it has shown cards that are off limits, it has shown cards that are on the table, or it has added simplicity to the fan feed blurb that is posted again and again. Its easier to say – check my display than list out the 9 cards you want to deal.

Convenience is the name of the game, especially in an app like Star Wars, where many users have taken to hoarding specific cards. This is a way to show off their hoard, add to their hoard or just give a glimpse of what they like. That is quite helpful for many fan feed noobs who have trouble deciphering the codes and vernacular.

I understand I might be too late, as Bunt 2016 could be too far into development to incorporate this. Hopefully this is something that can be worked in, as I see it as a game changer. I dont say that often, but I am using it here for a reason.