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In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “Sad Guys on Trading Floors” is a common card of the Memes World series 73, number 21724 of the collection, and the 120th best-known meme of its 300 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “Sad Guys on Trading Floors” meme mean?
This meme transforms the real distress of finance professionals into a visual satirical object. It expresses the tragic absurdity of the 2008 economic crisis, where professional despair becomes a photogenic and shareable spectacle. The dominant emotion is irony towards market crashes.
Where does the “Sad Guys on Trading Floors” meme come from?
The phenomenon emerges in October 2008, at the heart of the global financial crisis. The most documented source is a Gawker article titled "The Best of Sad Floor Traders," published on October 9, 2008. This article presents a gallery of photographs showing traders with sad or overwhelmed faces on exchange floors. Users from Fark.com then relay these images with humorous captions. These visuals are finally taken up and compiled by a Tumblr blog created during this period. The site's archives attest to its existence as early as October 7, 2008. The creator of the blog remains unknown in the consulted sources. The Tumblr platform thus serves as the main vector for distributing these captures of professional defeat.
- 2008Publication of the Gawker article presenting sad traders and their spread via Fark.com.
How to use the “Sad Guys on Trading Floors” meme
- Post a photo of a colleague looking discouraged after a difficult meeting to illustrate a minor failure.
- Caption a stock market drop image with a sarcastic text about losing money.
- Share a screenshot of a stressed trader to comment on a catastrophic personal situation.
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The “Sad Guys on Trading Floors” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 21724 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Common |
| Collection | Memes World series 73 |
| Fame | 65/100 · #120 of 300 |
| Recycle value | 5 MemeCoins (15 in Shiny) |
How to get the “Sad Guys on Trading Floors” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; Sad Guys on Trading Floors comes out of the Memes World series 73 as a common card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 5 MemeCoins.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “Sad Guys on Trading Floors”
More cards of the Memes World series 73
Frequently asked questions
What is Sad Guys on Trading Floors?
It is a Tumblr blog that compiles photos of stockbrokers appearing desperate, born during the 2008 financial crisis.
Who created the Sad Guys on Trading Floors blog?
The identity of the Tumblr blog creator is not known in available sources.
Where do the sad trader photos come from?
They primarily come from a gallery published by Gawker in October 2008, relayed by Fark before being hosted on Tumblr.
How do I get the Sad Guys on Trading Floors meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “Sad Guys on Trading Floors” is a common card of the Memes World series 73. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the Sad Guys on Trading Floors card?
It is a Common card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: Pictured: Traders at the New York Stock Exchange reacting to stocks plummeting as a result of Donald Trump’s tariffs (April 3, 2025). · Sad Guys on Trading Floors: Image Gallery | Know Your Meme · Sad Guys on Trading Floors | TIME · checked on October 15, 2026.
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