Collection Age and Collector Age - Any Correlation?

[BarryAllen]

After a number of conversations across multiple forums I am curious who really collects what and the correlation between that and when they grew up.

 

So...pick one and post!

 

For Simplictiy, here are the generation definitions we will use for purposes of the poll:

Silent ("Greatest Generation"): Born 1927-1945

Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964

Gen X: Born 1965-1980

Gen Y/Millenials: Born 1981-2000

 

 

[VintageComics]

1970 - bought Bronze from the newsstand, went back into SA when I found comic shops, after I found this place I went back into the GA. Still collect all 3.

 

I also buy the odd modern, like if it's a story or art I like.

[oakman29]

Wait a second! You don't have baby boomers who collect Silver,Bronze,Copper and Modern.

 

 

1964 baby-the year the Beatles broke out.

[jaybuck43]

1985- Collect everything, though most of my collection is Gold and Silver

[jaeldubyoo]

Wait a second! You don't have baby boomers who collect Silver,Bronze,Copper and Modern.

 

 

1964 baby-the year the Beatles broke out.

 

Baby Boomers - Multiple

[Brandon Shepherd]

1982 - like Bronze the most but over half my CGCs are Copper as is most of my raws. I also have a few Silvers here and there.

[oakman29]

Wait a second! You don't have baby boomers who collect Silver,Bronze,Copper and Modern.

 

 

1964 baby-the year the Beatles broke out.

 

Baby Boomers - Multiple

 

Oops. Can I have my vote back?

[rjpb]

Mid late Boomer, Most of what I buy in back issues is Atom Age, but still buy a few new books every month and still have most of what I've bought since the mid 80s, and have a decent underground collection from the 1960s onward. I have collected war era Gold, Silver and some early Bronze in the past, but not these days.

 

For reading, the last 30 years is where I'd put most of my favorites, though less so for mainstream superhero stuff ( with some exceptions). For covers, Gold and Atom Age are my favorite eras, not that there aren't great covers from every era, but the historical and cultural angle gives them the edge for me. Silver Age Marvel would be my personal nostalgia era, as buying them as back issues in the early 70s as a kid was what made me a collector.

 

For me the least interesting era is late Bronze. I didn't buy comics then, except for undergrounds, and they were infrequently published until Weirdo and Raw ushered in the second wave in the 80s. I did retroactively discover and appreciate Millers DD run, but otherwise the era eludes me.

[vaillant]

I am from 1969. I started to seriously collect comics when I was about 14-15, and they were Disney comics from the 1950s, then the 1930s.

I think there is a correlation, but in my case, I just fell in love with things published when my parents were kids, or earlier and ancient things (aside from comics) – appreciating at the same time the most accomplished new things – having had an italian school of Disney authors bringing forth the legacy and developing a strong sense of meaning and continuity, where the american authors more or less left in the 1970s, was a privilege. When I "rediscovered" Marvels and started to read them in english, I was quickly as much fascinated by other countries' historical productions which I wasn’t so familiar with (some largely unpublished in the West, like Japanese).

 

In the end, what I love most is very varied, starting from the Marvel age, to quintessential Disney, to european masterpieces like Jacobs' Blake & Mortimer or Breccia's Mort Cinder, and also the italian authors of the wartime years.

 

But I do not belong to "Generation X" – that is for punk rock fans!

[MediumLover]

Late boomer, offended by the combining of the Bronze and Copper ages.

[vaillant]

Late boomer, offended by the combining of the Bronze and Copper ages.

 

Yes, they have really little in common, aside from the necessary exceptions. It all happened there.

[media_junkie]

Gen X - Silver and bronze with a few gold and copper thrown in.

[Shadow]

Born in 1966 and focus on Silver and Bronze Age. There is clearly nostalgia involved for me

[gino2paulus2]

Born in 1983...my collection contains books from all ages but my main and only focus right now is rarities from the GA especially the classic covers...somewhat of a challenge...historically significant...great art IMO..hard to top...plus the people in the GA section are so interesting and passionate about the hobby...very knowledgeable and fun to interact with...I may have been born in the wrong time I'm somewhat of an old soul...I do appreciate everyone's collector focus...whatever brings them joy!!

[FineCollector]

Late Gen X.

 

Silver is my focus. In the 80's, I was too young for Super Friends, it was Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends on tv, so I played with Secret Wars action figures and I read Marvel. They always referenced older material in their stories, so why not go back to where it started? When I started having trouble finding books I wanted to pay for, that's when I started with DC.

 

I like buying cheap copper drek for finishing runs, and I'm also actively collecting Captain Marvel Adventures.

[vaillant]

Born in 1983...my collection contains books from all ages but my main and only focus right now is rarities from the GA especially the classic covers...somewhat of a challenge...historically significant...great art IMO..hard to top...plus the people in the GA section are so interesting and passionate about the hobby...very knowledgeable and fun to interact with...I may have been born in the wrong time I'm somewhat of an old soul...I do appreciate everyone's collector focus...whatever brings them joy!!

 

You know you are awesome – a friend of mine whose father was born in 1900 but married quite at an advanced age (he was born in 1957) always said he was like he was born in 1923… He is a big pre-war/1940s italian books collector, and wrote several essays.

[Vikingreed]

Gen X - Multiple here.

 

Slabs from Bronze up.

Silver comes after my want list for Bronze up is completed.

[WEBHEAD]

Boomer started late fifties......

 

 

 

Still collect today

[BarryAllen]

So far, not as many Baby Boomers as I would have thought and there seems to only be a slight correlation between when someone grew up and what they collect...

 

Hopefully some others will participate to ensure we get a solid sampling numbers.

 

Great stories so far, keep sharing!

[Shadow]

Reminds me of when I started collecting in 1978 at age 12. One of my first Silver Age books was JLA #76 from 1968. I thought it was so old at the time... I wonder if today's 12 year old collectors view a book from 2000 as old?

 

BTW, I often think about some of my first visits to a Comic Shop back in the late 70's and imagine "what if" I had the money I spend on back issues now at that time? Where's that time travel machine?