*  *  *  Introduction Ladies and gentlemen, It is a pleasure for me to participate in the EFMA conference once again. The market for cards reminds me of ancient Greece. Why?
In ancient Greece there was a strong military state called Sparta where trade was forbidden for free citizens and the currency consisted of huge iron bars, making money circulation very difficult, creating a barrier to transactions. Sparta concentrated on warfare and was outlived by a more creative people, namely the people of Athens.