Where do you see this hobby in 12 years? (aka Monday Morning Thought of the Day)

[Hedge Collector]

Like many here, I've been collecting since I was about 5 years old. I took a long hiatus (12 years, hence the title) in college because of all the usual stuff - needed money, friends & girls took precedent, etc. - and it was a good time because alot of drek was being put out there by the industry.

 

When I got back into collecting last year, and even more heavily this year, I was amazed at the changes. All my LCS's were gone! What is this thing called CGC. The San Diego Comic Con had become the Soon to be Las Vegas because we can taste each other's BO Media Con. Holy rusted metal, Batman!

 

But I love the hobby even more today, brings back so many great childhood memories among other things. And these boards are awesome - the knowledge, the general courteousness extended to all.

 

So it got me thinking...

 

(I'm not keen enough to spot trends or be in the know. And I don't care to talk about book prices. So to all you long time collectors & dealers...)

 

...where do you see this hobby be in another 12 years? New concepts (ie. CGC), trends, etc.

[the blob]

The hobby will be exploding. All of the yuppie three and four year olds who are clogging the preschools and the streets in their strollers (which they shouldn't be riding in anymore at that age) will be 15 and buying comics after having been brainwashed by the endless stream of Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Spiderman, Batman, Justice League and Krypto the Superdog cartoons on now. The expanding Hispanic pre-teen population will also held push, as sequential art is very popular in the Hispanic community. Amazing Spiderman will have a circulation of 990K. My 100 Thor 339s will be worth $5 each as all those 15 year olds will want to discover the greatness of Walt's Thor run by starting with the third issue of the run!

[dekeuk]

 

 

 

...where do you see this hobby be in another 12 years? New concepts (ie. CGC), trends, etc.

 

 

People paying a lot more for the slabs I am buying now

[kidcolt]

I think that motion comics could become very popular especially since stuff like iphones and blackberries being so popular. I don't think there will be much change in printed comics. Wiht Marvel, DC and some of the other companies pumping out popular comic related movies it will only expand and make people more interested in comic characters. I think trades and HC will remain popular.

 

I don't see a lot of big changes in a 10 year span.

[Paratrooper]

Like many here, I've been collecting since I was about 5 years old. I took a long hiatus (12 years, hence the title) in college because of all the usual stuff - needed money, friends & girls took precedent, etc. - and it was a good time because alot of drek was being put out there by the industry.

 

When I got back into collecting last year, and even more heavily this year, I was amazed at the changes. All my LCS's were gone! What is this thing called CGC. The San Diego Comic Con had become the Soon to be Las Vegas because we can taste each other's BO Media Con. Holy rusted metal, Batman!

 

But I love the hobby even more today, brings back so many great childhood memories among other things. And these boards are awesome - the knowledge, the general courteousness extended to all.

 

So it got me thinking...

 

(I'm not keen enough to spot trends or be in the know. And I don't care to talk about book prices. So to all you long time collectors & dealers...)

 

...where do you see this hobby be in another 12 years? New concepts (ie. CGC), trends, etc.

 

Damn, took you 12 years to graduate college!!! Hope your parents weren't paying.

[Hedge Collector]

Like many here, I've been collecting since I was about 5 years old. I took a long hiatus (12 years, hence the title) in college because of all the usual stuff - needed money, friends & girls took precedent, etc. - and it was a good time because alot of drek was being put out there by the industry.

 

When I got back into collecting last year, and even more heavily this year, I was amazed at the changes. All my LCS's were gone! What is this thing called CGC. The San Diego Comic Con had become the Soon to be Las Vegas because we can taste each other's BO Media Con. Holy rusted metal, Batman!

 

But I love the hobby even more today, brings back so many great childhood memories among other things. And these boards are awesome - the knowledge, the general courteousness extended to all.

 

So it got me thinking...

 

(I'm not keen enough to spot trends or be in the know. And I don't care to talk about book prices. So to all you long time collectors & dealers...)

 

...where do you see this hobby be in another 12 years? New concepts (ie. CGC), trends, etc.

 

Damn, took you 12 years to graduate college!!! Hope your parents weren't paying.

 

Oh...then I was busy finding work, got married, had kids...you know how that goes!

[joeypost]

I expect all the superheroes to be wearing mouse ears.

[Scrooge]

Damn, took you 12 years to graduate college!!! Hope your parents weren't paying.

 

It did take me 12 years to graduate college

 

Thankfully my parents weren't paying

[Theagenes]

Damn, took you 12 years to graduate college!!! Hope your parents weren't paying.

 

It did take me 12 years to graduate college

 

Thankfully my parents weren't paying

 

I only took 11!!

[Hedge Collector]

Damn, took you 12 years to graduate college!!! Hope your parents weren't paying.

 

It did take me 12 years to graduate college

 

Thankfully my parents weren't paying

 

I only took 11!!

 

I think it's possible that in 12 years this hobby will become further divided.

 

The division mainly being between the high end collector and the rest. Like socio-economic status in society, I see the division expanding as more people view certain books as unique artwork. Whereas before "NM"s could be found for every book, now we have books that truly have only 1 9.9, or 1 9.8, or 1 9.6. They become truly unique, and only the high end collector will be able to afford and chase them.

 

I don't know about prices, just that the gap between these books will continue to further increase.

 

At the same time, I can't shake the feeling that I could be wrong. When I was collecting more than 12 years ago, I thought the mid to high grade GA would be for the high end, but there seems to be less interest now in GA than compared to when I was collecting. I hope this SA interest doesn't fade, but maybe it's inevitable at some point?

[That Ron Dude]

Wives and children of baby boomers will flood the market with the crapola of their deceased husbands and fathers. Prices will drop. Chuck will croak. Seven million comics will be put on the market for pennies each. Low grade stuff will deteriorate into lower grade stuff. Comic book stores will become toy stores or head shops that stock books related to comics. Everyone who wants it will have everything on CD-ROM. San Diego will be bigger but it won't be called a comic convention (sort of like Marvel Entertainment). I will still be trying to sell my Cerebus the Aarvark comics at 3 for a dollar.

[Silver Surfer]

I expect it to be as strong as ever and hopefully the GA books I buy today will have a serious increase in value.

[Scrooge]

Damn, took you 12 years to graduate college!!! Hope your parents weren't paying.

 

It did take me 12 years to graduate college

 

Thankfully my parents weren't paying

 

I only took 11!!

 

Over-achiever

[nearmint]

When I was collecting more than 12 years ago, I thought the mid to high grade GA would be for the high end, but there seems to be less interest now in GA than compared to when I was collecting.

 

Really? Seems to me that if you compare prices of high grade Golden Age to 12 years ago, you're looking at about a 1000% increase.

[COI]

When I was collecting more than 12 years ago, I thought the mid to high grade GA would be for the high end, but there seems to be less interest now in GA than compared to when I was collecting.

 

Really? Seems to me that if you compare prices of high grade Golden Age to 12 years ago, you're looking at about a 1000% increase.

 

I think he's looking at GA prices compared to high grade silver, which has seen a 1 zillion percent increase.

[Hedge Collector]

When I was collecting more than 12 years ago, I thought the mid to high grade GA would be for the high end, but there seems to be less interest now in GA than compared to when I was collecting.

 

Really? Seems to me that if you compare prices of high grade Golden Age to 12 years ago, you're looking at about a 1000% increase.

 

I think he's looking at GA prices compared to high grade silver, which has seen a 1 zillion percent increase.

 

Yes. Maybe I saw it wrong, but it was my impression at the time, that most serious high end collectors hung out in the GA market. Now the SA market is getting hit big time by high end collectors who could just as easily afford the GA books.

[lizards2]

It will only take Disney about five years to drive Marvel into the ground - the hobby will be dead by then.

[Subliminal]

It will only take Disney about five years to drive Marvel into the ground - the hobby will be dead by then.

 

It may drive the comic portion of Marvel Entertainment into an earlier grave but , like a vampire , it will feed on Marvels character base, making lots of cash and granting immortality to some of the more worthy members the Marvel Universe.

 

I don't think we can fight the future, only try to preserve the past

[MR.COMICBOOK]

Damn, took you 12 years to graduate college!!! Hope your parents weren't paying.

 

It did take me 12 years to graduate college

 

Thankfully my parents weren't paying

 

I only took 11!!

 

I think it's possible that in 12 years this hobby will become further divided.

 

The division mainly being between the high end collector and the rest. Like socio-economic status in society, I see the division expanding as more people view certain books as unique artwork. Whereas before "NM"s could be found for every book, now we have books that truly have only 1 9.9, or 1 9.8, or 1 9.6. They become truly unique, and only the high end collector will be able to afford and chase them.

 

I don't know about prices, just that the gap between these books will continue to further increase.

 

At the same time, I can't shake the feeling that I could be wrong. When I was collecting more than 12 years ago, I thought the mid to high grade GA would be for the high end, but there seems to be less interest now in GA than compared to when I was collecting. I hope this SA interest doesn't fade, but maybe it's inevitable at some point?

It could fade, you got to think when the Ironman 2,Captain America,Avengers,Green Lantern and Thor movies come out in the next two years that at least one will be a clunker and two will be mediocre thus stalling interest.My money would be Green Lantern will be the hit while the Marvel movies canabalize each other.

[dikran]

Wives and children of baby boomers will flood the market with the crapola of their deceased husbands and fathers. Prices will drop. Chuck will croak. Seven million comics will be put on the market for pennies each. Low grade stuff will deteriorate into lower grade stuff. Comic book stores will become toy stores or head shops that stock books related to comics. Everyone who wants it will have everything on CD-ROM. San Diego will be bigger but it won't be called a comic convention (sort of like Marvel Entertainment). I will still be trying to sell my Cerebus the Aarvark comics at 3 for a dollar.

 

Ha, CD-ROMS are like sooo 12 years ago