Is there a younger generation collecting comics? 3 3

[Erndog]

1 minute ago, Noble52 said:

I'm a few years older and just started working on a SA collection this past year (mostly ASM books). While most of my friends have moved on from collecting, I do agree that our generation (early millennial) will keep the hobby relevant for many more years.

Yeah, that's sort of all I was getting at.  The end of the hobby is nowhere near in site.  There's a whole new generation of "big purchasing power" on the horizon (if not already here!)

50-60 years from now?  Who knows.

Not for the lifetime of these 30 something year olds though.

[WolverineX]

1 hour ago, Erndog said:

Yeah, that's sort of all I was getting at.  The end of the hobby is nowhere near in site.  There's a whole new generation of "big purchasing power" on the horizon (if not already here!)

50-60 years from now?  Who knows.

Not for the lifetime of these 30 something year olds though.

What decade is prime purchasing power.. 30s, 40s or 50s?  

[the blob]

My son likes comics so long as I am buying them for him. Unclear if he will spend his own money on them when he is 30. One of my main shops is near a high school. Frankly, not that many kids come in. But it is not really in a very residential area. Very few actually. With that said, more "neighborhood" shops where I live in Brooklyn certainly have the parent/child combinations coming in and buying stuff.

At $4 a pop, as we have all said, it is expensive for a kid to keep up, but those same kids blow money on pokeman cards.

[Beyonder123]

I  can't speak for every person my age, but I am 16 years old and I spend a sizable amount of my personal income on comics and maintaining my comic collection. I even have some smaller keys like Secret Wars 8, Amazing Spider Man 316, Hulk #5, and Ms. Marvel (1977) #1. I pay for all my stuff myself from my own job. I don't see myself stopping anytime soon, 

[celluloidbuff]

My nephew is 19 now, but he's been collecting since he was 11 or so. He's got a small pull list at our LCS, limited only by his income, not his interests. He spends too much of his disposable income on comics and figures right now, and his girlfriend is trying to reign him in. 

[PunisherPunisherPunisher]

40 is the new 18

[Xenosmilus]

I think part of the lack of interest in comics with kids (besides streaming video's and video games) is that they are priced out (as people have mentioned) and also,  in part , it is the adult comic fans fault!  New comics are expensive now because (I think?) the quality of the paper is so much more superior to the old days and that they are geared toward more young adults/adults.  The classic GA/SA/BA etc were written for 10 year-ish old boys with parents who didn't mind the mild violence in comics (i.e. fighting and guns).....

[SuperGrover]

6 hours ago, Wolverinex said:

What decade is prime purchasing power.. 30s, 40s or 50s?  

40's is when "household" spending peaks on disposables (example: most Dorito's purchased by household, stuff like that), then in the 50's kids start to leave the house and the need for a hobby many at this time rediscover comics and ramp up spending...

that's the way I see it.

[WolverineX]

6 hours ago, Beyonder123 said:

I  can't speak for every person my age, but I am 16 years old and I spend a sizable amount of my personal income on comics and maintaining my comic collection. I even have some smaller keys like Secret Wars 8, Amazing Spider Man 316, Hulk #5, and Ms. Marvel (1977) #1. I pay for all my stuff myself from my own job. I don't see myself stopping anytime soon, 

Sweet!  How about your friends?  How common is this hobby among your peer group?  Most of my friends collected comics when I was a kid. 

[WolverineX]

54 minutes ago, SuperGrover said:

40's is when "household" spending peaks on disposables (example: most Dorito's purchased by household, stuff like that), then in the 50's kids start to leave the house and the need for a hobby many at this time rediscover comics and ramp up spending...

that's the way I see it.

I was thinking 50/60s is when purchasing power is highest because your kids are married off or finished with schooling

[Xenosmilus]

1 minute ago, Wolverinex said:

Sweet!  How about your friends?  How common is this hobby among your peer group?  Most of my friends collected comics when I was a kid. 

 I was "in the closet" collecting as a kid.  I think it's more acceptable nowadays haha!

[Beyonder123]

16 hours ago, Wolverinex said:

Sweet!  How about your friends?  How common is this hobby among your peer group?  Most of my friends collected comics when I was a kid. 

None of my friends really collect comics. However the Marvel movies are extremely popular and I have seen a handful of people reading TPB's and graphic novels. 

[Robot Man]

Collecting comics seem to fall into two areas. Modern and Vintage. Being pretty much a GA guy (although, I own a substantial collection of SA comics as well), I can only speak to this market. I see this market VERY strong right now. I deal with many people in their 20's-40's. Most started out with current books, graduated to BA/SA books, found them too easy to aquire and moved on to GA. GA is vast and can be a real challenge. These collectors have no problem paying big money for the cool books. Seems like a lot more collectors moving into GA every day. I can't speak for the long term future of the GA market but know I have had no problem or probably no problem in my lifetime finding new owners for my collection. 

[1950's war comics]

i foresee comics going the way of stamp collecting someday ... but not for at least another 30 years........

[1950's war comics]

4 minutes ago, CheekyMonkey said:

Do new stamps come out every week?

Maybe every other week... i think a new collectors edition or different type of stamp comes out all the time it seems

[Robot Man]

21 minutes ago, CheekyMonkey said:

GA books benefited greatly from the rise of stabbing. New collectors aren't really aware that behind the flashy covers is usually horrible art and terrible stories. 

Really? That is probably true to a small extent but some of the best artists in comics were in the GA. Ever read an original EC?  A Carl Barks Duck book?  Just about any Fiction House or Quality book has beautiful art. The list goes on...

[fett]

Do you know when EC started publishing comics? And my 17 year old nephew loves the Barks stories. As for the art in general every age has it Giants and every age  has it's stinkers. GA has a ton of great art. I'll let you do more research and compile your own list. Maybe GA isn't to your tastes.  

[Xenosmilus]

For what it's worth. I started collecting, again....for the fun of it.  The "fun" of it is unique to everyyone. I like the chase of finding the rare cgc WP 9.8's of my youth (i.e. average $100 per slab even the unpopular comics!). It's fun! That being said, there are a few copies I always wanted and could never find even as a kid in the mid 80's. Spiderman 238 which I WILL get and TMNT WP 9.8 1st Print which I will never afford :-)

[Xenosmilus]

These internet auctions makes collecting too easy at some level!....

[Jeffro.]

13 hours ago, CheekyMonkey said:

GA books benefited greatly from the rise of stabbing. New collectors aren't really aware that behind the flashy covers is usually horrible art and terrible stories. 

You should never stab comics. That doesn't benefit anyone