Pete,

I agree that Santa has probably become harder to get. But perhaps it started off not because the first player had more difficulty getting it, but because that was the only differentiated (i.e. non-reindeer) strike, so it was the most likely dup to be kept. That then made it more difficult to acquire which spread the rumors which ultimately made it a defacto chaser.

Now here's what I think is interesting. People are hoarding the Santas and returning the reindeers. You can see some of the same folks winning multiple Santa auctions on eBay. The leftover reindeers will be destroyed, while close to 1,000 Santas will be out in the public's hands. At that point, there will be many more Santas available than any individual reindeer. In fact, many more Santas than there are serious collectors. Which strike becomes most valuable at that point?

BTW, I've heard that the smart money thinks it's silly to pay a premium for a Santa that will be worth less later. They are hoarding Dasher - it's the sleeper. ;)

--Norm