Trading Plants

What follows is an idea which my friend Max came up with. I have written it up properly, and expanded it a bit.

You have all probably seen those annoying trading cards everywhere. Like a very slow tide they come and go, in various guises. The premise is always the same. Children (usually) spend ridiculous amounts of money on packs of cards. These cards belong to a set, of varying complexity, games can be played with them, and the can (as the name suggests) be traded with others for more cards. Examples abound: Pokémon, Yu-gi-Oh, Magic, Top Trumps etc..

What about an idea which takes the natural desire of people to fritter their money into essentially useless thin objects which can be used against and for other peoples essentially useless thin objects, and uses this for a (slightly better) purpose?

My idea is this: Trading Plants. They are small, thin packets of seeds. On the outside of the packet, in card style, is a picture of the grown plant. There are also statistics about the plant, information about its history and uses, and other relevant information. The set of packets comes with instructions for some games that can be played with them. Players can trade them and play games with them.

But not only this: they can also (wonder of wonders) grow them! They will be able to buy special Trading Plants-themed pots and compost, and even a little watering can. They will grow their plants, and then they can harvest the seeds. They can make their own packets for them, and trade them anew. They can also trade the grown plants with each other, and the most splendiferous plants can win prizes of some sort.

Thus this scheme will distract from the growing televised apathy to life in general, help teach children (and adults) about plant-growing, and maybe even create some oxygen while their at it! Everyone wins.

So, whadaya think?