Improve Card Collection from Memory Alpha using Sociolinguistics and Japanese Puzzles

Research examining the role of species bias in the Memory Alpha card market has been an emerging area of inquiry. However, empirical knowledge on the question: “Does the specie of the personage’s role on a series affect the value of the card?” remains inconclusive. This chapter analyzes one of the first studies on this topic. Data were derived for 787 Alpha, Beta. Gamma & Delta species from Memory Alpha which were elected by a vote of the users in this Web Community conformed by fans. Data for each species’ society, technology performance registers, design card price, and card availability with a range from common to extremely rare were obtained from secondary sources associated with Memory Alpha. Findings indicate that card availability and, to a lesser extent, technology performance is the most important factor affecting the value of a species ́ card, while importantly, a society’s species is not a significant contributor to card value. Suggestions for future research are outlined. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-0297-7.ch012