[Eric72]

...I don't get the crazy pricing and valuations for these cards...

You're not alone.


...What happens if a player with lots of potential pans out to be a star but not a super star. Does that rookie card or "1 of 1" start to diminish in price?

Yes. Most of the time, the prices will drop regardless of player performance. Newer, shinier, "more extra super special-er" things will come out and capture the short attention span of modern collectors.


...Trout...what happens if he suffers a debilitating injury? Do his rookie cards and "1 of 1" cards start dropping...

Some people (not me) have been saying Trout's already washed up and won't make the Hall of Fame. Possibly because of this, his cards seemed to drop more than others in 2022.


...Does anybody believe there is market manipulation going on in these modern cards?

Yes. I believe it's rampant, especially on modern football and basketball cards. Lucky for us pre-war collectors, there are far fewer "influencers" hyping up (for example) T206 commons.


...Does anybody know how these cards are "randomly" distributed?

In theory, the card manufacturers do. Maybe some of the breakers and hard-core modern collectors, too.