As an art historian and academic in museum studies, but someone who just returned from vacation where I played the tourist taking photos of me and my friend amongst the ruins and pictographs (see below), I say that people taking and posting selfies or whatever with or of the Mona Lisa is awesome, and if they're having fun that's great. Talking about, sharing one's thoughts and feelings about such things is a good thing. I was on vacation to have fun.
However, I have long thought about modern digital art and all the issues there, including 'manufactured rarity.' I do note that, other than the 1800 lithographs, most baseball cards you collect use reproductive, though not digital, printing methods. The T206s and Goudeys, to name just two, reproduce photos or other artworks.
I do appreciate collecting and that items have financial value, but I agree with the article quoters that the commoditization of items and the singular focus/fetish on financial value is a total turnoff. I have long felt this way about the sports memorabilia and card hobby too.
It's all an interesting topic for discussion and musing. I sort of view the article as an opinion piece, and there's nothing wrong with publishing an opinion on the topic-- that's where discussions start and continue.
