The Future of Comic Book Collecting & Investing

[SquareChaos]

When people talk about what young people will or will not get in to... I'm always reminded of the fact that some of them still collect vinyl. It doesn't seem too far of a stretch to me to compare collecting vinyl to collecting comic books, not in this day and age anyway.

 

Sifting through milk crates of $2 records at yard sales is a far cry from supporting the market for mega-keys. Besides, they're not buying Beatles or Elvis, they think the 90's is vintage.

 

The ones I know are actually buying older records. More expensive records. Rare records. :shrug:

 

 

But yes, they're not buying $75k records, nor is your average comic collector. Even your average slabbed comic collector. The hobby only needs a few of those collectors, it needs an army of the rest.

[BlowUpTheMoon]

 

I took this photo last weekend in Buffalo.

 

She those two kids digging through the inexpensive Marvel long boxes?

 

 

[SquareChaos]

I think the majority of Millenials (not all, but a majority), are into the more compact, downloadable, disposable mindset. They show very little interest in the print medium, unless it's graphic novels. Sure they go to the movies, play the video games, with a lot of them dressing up in their cosplay and going to shows. But how many do you see at your Conventions actively buying Gold/Silver/Bronze age comic books?

 

How many are you seeing at your LCS picking up new releases?

 

This is still a Boomer and Gen X'er dominated hobby. How about these boards? Many Millenials here?

 

 

Will the Millenials be there with wads of cash ready to buy you/me out when we are at Shady Acres Assisted Living Facility? Tick Tock.....Tick Tock....

 

When people talk about what young people will or will not get in to... I'm always reminded of the fact that some of them still collect vinyl. It doesn't seem too far of a stretch to me to compare collecting vinyl to collecting comic books, not in this day and age anyway.

 

I think this a bad example. The number of baby boomer collectors of vintage records is a pretty big group. The number of gen x record collectors is I think is a lot less comparatively. And if you look at the number of millennial record collectors it has to be crazy low numbers. The price of classic collectible records would be expected to drop drastically once the baby boomers die off and the gen-x group is looking to downsize with no buyers. No collectible completely dies out since there will always be hardcore fringe new buyers but those guys tend to be buying for pennies on the dollars since there is very little competition and a lot of sellers.

 

I don't know, where are you getting your feelings from? Numbers or really just feelings based on numbers? Because I do feel like you could make the same age-based declarations for our hobbies... that's the problem many perceive isn't it?

 

Anyway, I wasn't tossing it out there on a numbers involved basis, just a "goofy archaic thing that doesn't make much sense, yet they still do it" angle... like collecting comics.

[SquareChaos]

 

I took this photo last weekend in Buffalo.

 

She those two kids digging through the inexpensive Marvel long boxes?

 

 

I always want to know how many teens show up. Kids as young as those in that picture... yeah, I don't know. I just immediately think their parents took them. I immediately think that those kids are still interested in what their parents think is cool, because they still think their parents are cool

 

It's a good thing to me every time I run into a 20 year old collector, I figure they're into it because they're into it, if you understand my meaning.

 

 

[1Cool]

 

I took this photo last weekend in Buffalo.

 

She those two kids digging through the inexpensive Marvel long boxes?

 

 

I always want to know how many teens show up. Kids as young as those in that picture... yeah, I don't know. I just immediately think their parents took them. I immediately think that those kids are still interested in what their parents think is cool, because they still think their parents are cool

 

It's a good thing to me every time I run into a 20 year old collector, I figure they're into it because they're into it, if you understand my meaning.

 

I'd feel even better about the long term future of comics if the teen was caring a bag full of $2 books and had a collection at home rather then looking at a video on his phone.

[islandmisfittoys]

Comic books are doing much better in terms of diversity and youth than other popular collecting venues. You want to see middle aged white guy convention, go to a baseball card or coin show.

[FlyingDonut]

Comic books are doing much better in terms of diversity and youth than other popular collecting venues. You want to see a collection of 60-80 year old middle aged white guys at a convention, go to a baseball card or coin show.

 

Fixed that for you.

[SquareChaos]

I don't know, I've had this demographics discussion before, and all I can go by is what I see at the relatively small regional cons I still bother with. It's wall to wall 30+ white guys with a smattering of other folks.

 

I live in the Midwest, so your experience may vary.

[RockMyAmadeus]

While coins have had their ups and downs, they have been collected for centuries. That's not going away until physical money goes away.

[Mercury Man]

 

I took this photo last weekend in Buffalo.

 

She those two kids digging through the inexpensive Marvel long boxes?

 

 

 

To be clear, I never said there were ZERO Millenials collecting. Showing us a picture of 4 kids at a convention is great. Point being, this represents a small percentage and in no way validates that the younger collector is going to be contributing to a healthy comics market in another 15-25 years. This isn't gloom and doom. Just trying to figure out if the kids today have a vested interest in the print medium like we all did when we were kids. When I was their age, I rode my bike to a 7-11 to buy comics (and a Slurpee), and I read them over and over and over. Are kids today, who have whole stores dedicated to comics now, doing the same thing?

[jools&jim]

 

And if you look at the number of millennial record collectors it has to be crazy low numbers...

Most of the young people I see buying old records (and I see quite a few in my quest for vinyl) are not--and probably would not identify themselves as--"collectors". They're listeners. Big difference...

 

 

 

[jsilverjanet]

I always give kids free comics at every show.

[MetalPSI]

I always give kids free comics at every show.

 

Oh how I wish I had photoshop skills, free comics on the side of a van would work so well

[Lazyboy]

Given the thread title and the OP's user name, I'm tremendously disappointed that this isn't someone taking another swing at ComicCoin, the world's favorite crypto currency based on buying up all Avengers Annuals with other people's money.

 

If you had been paying attention, you would have realized this is was going to be yet another thread asking for "investment" advice, just like all his other threads!

[Broke as a Joke]

In 25 years the Millennial crowd will be collecting vintage Iphone's.

[FutureFlash]

When people talk about what young people will or will not get in to... I'm always reminded of the fact that some of them still collect vinyl. It doesn't seem too far of a stretch to me to compare collecting vinyl to collecting comic books, not in this day and age anyway.

 

Sifting through milk crates of $2 records at yard sales is a far cry from supporting the market for mega-keys. Besides, they're not buying Beatles or Elvis, they think the 90's is vintage.

 

This reminds me I was in a Half Price Books a few months ago and there was small group of teenage girls going through the records. One of them pulls out the Beatles Rubber Soul album and asks an employee who was nearby, "I've heard the Beatles have some goods songs, are they good singers?" The employee answered a little dryly "yeah they are pretty good." She did end up buying it, so I guess there is some hope.

 

 

 

 

[500Club]

I always give kids free comics at every show.

 

Oh how I wish I had photoshop skills, free comics on the side of a van would work so well

You better hope your Parole Officer doesn't read that.

[MetalPSI]

I always give kids free comics at every show.

 

Oh how I wish I had photoshop skills, free comics on the side of a van would work so well

You better hope your Parole Officer doesn't read that.

 

We don't have those in Canada. Once a week a beaver comes to my door and leaves a note for me to sign

[fifties]

Comic books are doing much better in terms of diversity and youth than other popular collecting venues. You want to see a collection of 60-80 year old middle aged white guys at a convention,go to a baseball card or coin show.go to an antique radio swap meet

 

Fixed that for you.

Fixed that for you.

 

I have to laugh, since I belong to an antique radio forum, and this same subject comes up every other month, with the same thoughts about no one younger ever wanting to collect antique radios...

[lizards2]

When people talk about what young people will or will not get in to... I'm always reminded of the fact that some of them still collect vinyl. It doesn't seem too far of a stretch to me to compare collecting vinyl to collecting comic books, not in this day and age anyway.

 

Sifting through milk crates of $2 records at yard sales is a far cry from supporting the market for mega-keys. Besides, they're not buying Beatles or Elvis, they think the 90's is vintage.

 

This reminds me I was in a Half Price Books a few months ago and there was small group of teenage girls going through the records. One of them pulls out the Beatles Rubber Soul album and asks an employee who was nearby, "I've heard the Beatles have some goods songs, are they good singers?" The employee answered a little dryly "yeah they are pretty good." She did end up buying it, so I guess there is some hope.

 

 

 

Too bad he had to lie to make the sale....,