Thanks for the SPS!
I think in a year, it will be so hard for new players to get a foothold that it will have plateaued. Consolidation of power will continue to consolidate with the players who have been around a long time or have the finances to buy lots of cards early on. It's structured to be a similar rich stat rich model as much of the rest of society. Although, somehow is a rare generosity with many of the well endowed players supporting newbies. Which I'm grateful for. I'm curious about that cultural norm and how we translate that to larger society. Thanks for your stewardship of the community.
Also, thanks for the advice. I came to that conclusion yesterday, was about to rent, and decided to buy. I'll probably need to take some time off with a new baby coming soon and I figure I can put a bunch of my cards up for rent in the meantime.