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

[Mister_Comics]

Why 12 years? I think it will go the way of baseball cards and stamps and coin collecting in a few years. A lot less people are collecting then before. Money is a big reason, but younger people are not interested in collecting as before. Older diehard collectors will die off. And a paperless society will change the way we do everyday things. Sure there will be people that collect things, there always will be. But the comic hobby will change. I see comic collectors as a dieing breed in 12 years. Comics will be something you will purchase on your digital reader. Less desire for collecting something thats digital. And then there will be the people that will still want paper comics. But believe me they will be paying big bucks for a new printed comic in the future. Paper products will be a premeum in the future. Save the trees and all that. I just don't see comic collecting being what it was like in the past. Even todays collectors faced with "manufactured collectibles". Do people really want something that is purposly made "limited quanity". After a while that gets old and collectors soon get away from that. Sorry to say but I believe the hobby is dieing a slow death.

[Aman619]

Im thinking that since yesterday, Marvel key books have become even more valuable longterm. Unless Disney jettisons Marvel down the road as an AOL type disaster, they have ensured continued media/licensing life for these seminal characters for many generations to come.

[Aman619]

Im not saying ALL comics will benefit.... or that the comics (print) industry will benefit either. But the public awareness factor that fuels interest in and prices of first appearances and key comics got a shot in the arm of youth serum.

[kimik]

Why 12 years? I think it will go the way of baseball cards and stamps and coin collecting in a few years. A lot less people are collecting then before. Money is a big reason, but younger people are not interested in collecting as before. Older diehard collectors will die off. And a paperless society will change the way we do everyday things. Sure there will be people that collect things, there always will be. But the comic hobby will change. I see comic collectors as a dieing breed in 12 years. Comics will be something you will purchase on your digital reader. Less desire for collecting something thats digital. And then there will be the people that will still want paper comics. But believe me they will be paying big bucks for a new printed comic in the future. Paper products will be a premeum in the future. Save the trees and all that. I just don't see comic collecting being what it was like in the past. Even todays collectors faced with "manufactured collectibles". Do people really want something that is purposly made "limited quanity". After a while that gets old and collectors soon get away from that. Sorry to say but I believe the hobby is dieing a slow death.

 

I think that cards are a bad comparison, to be honest. How many of us used to collect cards and no longer do? All of the local dealers I know mention that there is no young blood in the card game any longer. From what I can see, there are still enough younger comic collectors in the game to keep the hobby going for a bit longer (we are probably younger than card collectors on average as well).

 

As far as the 20 year+ future, my guess is that we will see further segmentation in the market where keys and classic covers appreciate but common issues do not.