Interesting article about what the next generation will collect

[AtlasFan]

As long as comic book characters like Batman, Spider-man, Supeman, Hulk, etc. are popular, there will always be a demand for comics as collectiles.

 

I do think that the future collectors will not be motivated by the nostalgia from the books they have read in their youth, but rather by the movies and other media that featured those characters.

 

An alternative theory I have is that the collectors of tomorrow may discover comics (or "graphic novels") in their young adult years rather than the pre-teen period -- since modern comics (as I understand) are geared to an adult audiance...and that may spark their interest in collecting GA, SA, BA, etc. books.

 

Who knows what the future may bring...maybe unused candy wrappers or newspapers will become the next hot collectible in the next 20 years?

[Mr. Zipper]

As long as comic book characters like Batman, Spider-man, Supeman, Hulk, etc. are popular, there will always be a demand for comics as collectiles.

 

I do think that the future collectors will not be motivated by the nostalgia from the books they have read in their youth, but rather by the movies and other media that featured those characters.

 

I don't buy this theory. While it may be true for **some,** to the vast majority of teens now, Spider-Man and Batman are movie/videogame characters and will always be movie/videogame characters. I just can't see a mass migration in 20 years with these folks suddenly ascribing great value to the paper books of the 60s.

 

"Hey, it's 2025 and I've never bought a comic in my life... but I like Spider-Man movies. I think I'll pay $14,757 for a CGC 9.6 copy of Spider-Man 43!"

 

It strains logic to think this will develop en masse. And to take up the slack for all the aging boomers and Gen Xers, it will have to happen in mass numbers.

 

To draw an analogy...

 

How many people here are fans of James Bond and enjoy the movies? Probably a lot.

 

Next question: Because you like the movies, how many have been inspired to collected the Ian Flemming first editions from the 50s? A lot less.

[scottish]

Paperless...what about signatures? I realize one can sign digitally these days, but sorry, not the same.

 

Besides comics I collect limited edition hardbound books (like George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire). He signs these just like CGC SS. I would not be even remotely interested of getting a digitally signed kindle copy of said books or any book for that matter.

 

I agree that paper as a media conveyance will greatly diminish, but I don't think we'll see it go away completely.

 

I don't think I'll see cheap keys in my lifetime. And here's a thought. If the use of paper goes away wouldn't that make paper items even MORE collectible?

[awe4one]

I don't think I'll see cheap keys in my lifetime. And here's a thought. If the use of paper goes away wouldn't that make paper items even MORE collectible?

 

Some items maybe but I doubt they'd be comics. Collecting comics can be a pain in the azz. Long and short boxes in numbers take up alot of room and the constant care they need, i.e. changing bags and boards, keeping them organized, etc, isn't something I see others who aren't used to collecting paper collectibles diving into.

 

And I agree with Zip, there may be some nostalga associated with these characters but they won't be via comics thus no great need to collect them. The nostalga angle drives a huge part of the current hobby and shouldn't be disregarded as a factor in maintaining current numbers of collectors. They are dwindling though and I don't see anything that's occurring which makes me think the decline won't continue...

 

Jim

[MR.COMICBOOK]

Videogames sales have surpassed movie sales, videogames are not just a niche anymore but a way of life. similar to when 20 years ago when people considered cable tv,air conditioners and cellphones a luxury, those same people would now consider those things necessities, times,people and ideals change.

[AtlasFan]

As long as comic book characters like Batman, Spider-man, Supeman, Hulk, etc. are popular, there will always be a demand for comics as collectiles.

 

I do think that the future collectors will not be motivated by the nostalgia from the books they have read in their youth, but rather by the movies and other media that featured those characters.

 

I don't buy this theory. While it may be true for **some,** to the vast majority of teens now, Spider-Man and Batman are movie/videogame characters and will always be movie/videogame characters. I just can't see a mass migration in 20 years with these folks suddenly ascribing great value to the paper books of the 60s.

 

"Hey, it's 2025 and I've never bought a comic in my life... but I like Spider-Man movies. I think I'll pay $14,757 for a CGC 9.6 copy of Spider-Man 43!"

 

It strains logic to think this will develop en masse. And to take up the slack for all the aging boomers and Gen Xers, it will have to happen in mass numbers.

 

To draw an analogy...

 

How many people here are fans of James Bond and enjoy the movies? Probably a lot.

 

Next question: Because you like the movies, how many have been inspired to collected the Ian Flemming first editions from the 50s? A lot less.

 

I never said that the majority of the people who enjoy superhero movies/video games will suddenly start collecting comics. As we all know, only a "special breed", such as ourselves, have the genes for collecting funny books. I did say that, in the future, some other form of media other than comics would be their trigger to collecting.

 

Now, as for your question about James Bond, I am sure there are very few on this board who like James Bond movies AND collect 1st edition Ian Flemming books...ask that question on a James Bond message board, and your answer may be very different.

 

 

[dekeuk]

 

Comic collecting as we know it will last until 2040 when it will start to die a sudden death.

 

Think about it ...........

 

Kids that were 10 in 1990 just before the comic companies started over-printing everything will be 60 in 2040. That is about the time they will have to sell their collections to raise cash for retirement costs.

 

I plan to sell all my comics in 2039

 

 

[joe_collector]

So you might as well all sell me your SA keys at 10% guide NOW, before it's too late!

 

Why do people type this stupidity (even in jest) when the real demographic meltdown is 20+ years away? Why sell for 10% now when you can get 10,000%?

 

The *right* way to be a Pollyanna is to say "I pledge to buy all your comics in 50 years, at 10% of current Guide". Then at least, you're within the realms of reality.

[joe_collector]

Regardless of what the next generation is going to collect, it WON'T be hardcopy comics. The trend towards a paperless society is well on it's way and the next generation will see comics as an archaic artifact that is interesting but not an item to collect.

 

This is actually the biggest challenge for video game collecting as well - the lack of a physical item to stack, box and admire.

 

Services like STEAM and GameTap are growing like mad, and games-demand from XBOX Live are very compelling - I wanted to play Jade Empire (as well as KOTOR 1 and 2), but instead of searching for a used copy, I just paid for the download to my 360 HD. Same with STEAM - I have a comp account and I've been downloading lots of stuff like Monkey Island and Sam & Max, and having a hoot playing them.

 

If this digital gaming trend continues to grow, there won't be any more "boxes" or "cases" to collect.

[dekeuk]

 

 

If this digital gaming trend continues to grow, there won't be any more "boxes" or "cases" to collect.

 

 

Maybe someone should start selling video game memorabilia to complement the digital games

[Bronty]

Regardless of what the next generation is going to collect, it WON'T be hardcopy comics. The trend towards a paperless society is well on it's way and the next generation will see comics as an archaic artifact that is interesting but not an item to collect.

 

This is actually the biggest challenge for video game collecting as well - the lack of a physical item to stack, box and admire.

 

Services like STEAM and GameTap are growing like mad, and games-demand from XBOX Live are very compelling - I wanted to play Jade Empire (as well as KOTOR 1 and 2), but instead of searching for a used copy, I just paid for the download to my 360 HD. Same with STEAM - I have a comp account and I've been downloading lots of stuff like Monkey Island and Sam & Max, and having a hoot playing them.

 

If this digital gaming trend continues to grow, there won't be any more "boxes" or "cases" to collect.

 

agree 100%. biggest risk/challenge by far.

 

I tend to think that publishers will keep wanting to make massive games which will just be flat out too big for convenient digital download, but its the biggest risk for sure.

[scottish]

Regardless of what the next generation is going to collect, it WON'T be hardcopy comics. The trend towards a paperless society is well on it's way and the next generation will see comics as an archaic artifact that is interesting but not an item to collect.

 

This is actually the biggest challenge for video game collecting as well - the lack of a physical item to stack, box and admire.

 

Services like STEAM and GameTap are growing like mad, and games-demand from XBOX Live are very compelling - I wanted to play Jade Empire (as well as KOTOR 1 and 2), but instead of searching for a used copy, I just paid for the download to my 360 HD. Same with STEAM - I have a comp account and I've been downloading lots of stuff like Monkey Island and Sam & Max, and having a hoot playing them.

 

If this digital gaming trend continues to grow, there won't be any more "boxes" or "cases" to collect.

 

agree 100%. biggest risk/challenge by far.

 

I tend to think that publishers will keep wanting to make massive games which will just be flat out too big for convenient digital download, but its the biggest risk for sure.

 

I much prefer downloads to buying some fancy box...to me it's just packaging.

[Bronty]

Regardless of what the next generation is going to collect, it WON'T be hardcopy comics. The trend towards a paperless society is well on it's way and the next generation will see comics as an archaic artifact that is interesting but not an item to collect.

 

This is actually the biggest challenge for video game collecting as well - the lack of a physical item to stack, box and admire.

 

Services like STEAM and GameTap are growing like mad, and games-demand from XBOX Live are very compelling - I wanted to play Jade Empire (as well as KOTOR 1 and 2), but instead of searching for a used copy, I just paid for the download to my 360 HD. Same with STEAM - I have a comp account and I've been downloading lots of stuff like Monkey Island and Sam & Max, and having a hoot playing them.

 

If this digital gaming trend continues to grow, there won't be any more "boxes" or "cases" to collect.

 

agree 100%. biggest risk/challenge by far.

 

I tend to think that publishers will keep wanting to make massive games which will just be flat out too big for convenient digital download, but its the biggest risk for sure.

 

I much prefer downloads to buying some fancy box...to me it's just packaging.

 

Yeah but what about the grandma factor? Does 75 year old grams really want to figure out how to download SFIV from the Capcom website for little jimmy for christmas or does she want to go to EB Games and just buy a disk for the little tyke to stick under the tree? I can see mixed digital / traditional distribution for a while but I don't think the populace at large is ready to go all digital for quite some time.

[Bronty]

 

 

If this digital gaming trend continues to grow, there won't be any more "boxes" or "cases" to collect.

 

 

Maybe someone should start selling video game memorabilia to complement the digital games

 

Capcom is ahead of you. http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/capcom-creates-retro-mazing-mega-man-9-packaging/

 

They did a new old style, download only mega man (MM9) recently. They solicited 200 copies for sale of some extras (NOT the game, just extras) in a brand new old-style box. I guess they weren't anticipating the demand because there were 300+ pre-order @$40ea in the first 15 minutes (they hadn't even put a capper on pre-orders other than one per person so more pre-orders snuck in than they had copies to sell). The first 200 people got their copies and were getting $500+ on ebay for a little while. Then the other 150? pre-orders got filled after like four months (they didn't want to disappoint anybody and had to make more of them) and the prices started going down on ebay (down to around 125 now). I did buy one for $40 and ended up selling it around 125. (I got mine in the second wave).

 

Given the success of this one, I suspect you will see more of this. They could have sold a lot more than 350 of them.

[dekeuk]

 

 

If this digital gaming trend continues to grow, there won't be any more "boxes" or "cases" to collect.

 

 

Maybe someone should start selling video game memorabilia to complement the digital games

 

Capcom is ahead of you. http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/capcom-creates-retro-mazing-mega-man-9-packaging/

 

They did a new old style, download only mega man (MM9) recently. They solicited 200 copies for sale of some extras (NOT the game, just extras) in a brand new old-style box. I guess they weren't anticipating the demand because there were 300+ pre-order @$40ea in the first 15 minutes (they hadn't even put a capper on pre-orders other than one per person so more pre-orders snuck in than they had copies to sell). The first 200 people got their copies and were getting $500+ on ebay for a little while. Then the other 150? pre-orders got filled after like four months (they didn't want to disappoint anybody and had to make more of them) and the prices started going down on ebay (down to around 125 now). I did buy one for $40 and ended up selling it around 125. (I got mine in the second wave).

 

Given the success of this one, I suspect you will see more of this. They could have sold a lot more than 350 of them.

 

 

This is the kind of stuff people will collect, the promo stuff that is released to promote the games, or complement the games. Collectors will especially want anything that is very limited edition, the stuff that was never intended to be released to the jeneral public. That includes t-shirts, hats, keychains, posters, toys, jackets, demo versions, press kits, promo photos, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scottish]

Regardless of what the next generation is going to collect, it WON'T be hardcopy comics. The trend towards a paperless society is well on it's way and the next generation will see comics as an archaic artifact that is interesting but not an item to collect.

 

This is actually the biggest challenge for video game collecting as well - the lack of a physical item to stack, box and admire.

 

Services like STEAM and GameTap are growing like mad, and games-demand from XBOX Live are very compelling - I wanted to play Jade Empire (as well as KOTOR 1 and 2), but instead of searching for a used copy, I just paid for the download to my 360 HD. Same with STEAM - I have a comp account and I've been downloading lots of stuff like Monkey Island and Sam & Max, and having a hoot playing them.

 

If this digital gaming trend continues to grow, there won't be any more "boxes" or "cases" to collect.

 

agree 100%. biggest risk/challenge by far.

 

I tend to think that publishers will keep wanting to make massive games which will just be flat out too big for convenient digital download, but its the biggest risk for sure.

 

I much prefer downloads to buying some fancy box...to me it's just packaging.

 

Yeah but what about the grandma factor? Does 75 year old grams really want to figure out how to download SFIV from the Capcom website for little jimmy for christmas or does she want to go to EB Games and just buy a disk for the little tyke to stick under the tree? I can see mixed digital / traditional distribution for a while but I don't think the populace at large is ready to go all digital for quite some time.

 

Grandma can buy little jimmy a 25.00 gift card and voila! She doesn't have to know squat about downloading.

[Bronty]

mehh you're probably right. Grandma should just write him a cheque

[COI]

There is speculation that this generation of consoles (360, PS3) are going to be the last disc-based systems.

 

Digital distribution is inevitable, but 100% dd is still at least 10+ years away, IMO. A significant portion of the population still doesn't have high speed internet access, and the high speed that most of us do have is barely adequate for larger games. And remember that with every passing year, games are getting bigger and bigger. That means that memory would also have to get cheaper.

 

It will happen, but not for a while. The infrastructure isn't there yet. As you said, there will be a combo of disc-based offerings and downloads for a long time.

 

 

[joe_collector]

Yeah but what about the grandma factor? Does 75 year old grams really want to figure out how to download SFIV from the Capcom website for little jimmy for christmas or does she want to go to EB Games and just buy a disk for the little tyke to stick under the tree?

 

That's the beauty of these "Points" cards - just buy a few of those and "Little Jimmy" can get anything he wants.

[Warlord]

As for future pop culture collectibles I can only go by what my 2 and 4 YOs enjoy and the one "brand" that stands out most prominently is Thomas the Train.

 

Here's my case...train collecting transcends age and this series helps further that case by appealing to kids, young kids. The artwork and variation of the pieces themselves is really well done. They produce some items in very limited quantity and collectors are already searching out "retired" models. In fact, I was shocked to see some the prices for early pieces. Lastly, I've noticed with my kids that they actually take care of them and enjoy getting new trains and want duplicates of their favorite models. All tell tale traits of collecting OCD. Just sayin' (thumbs u

 

When my kids outgrew their Thomas stuff we sold most of the stuff on ebay for great prices. Some of the train cars and engines and buildings brought prices well above original retail. It helped, I'm sure, that we had kept all the original boxes. (thumbs u