With technology scattering pop culture like never before... 1 1

[NinjaSealed]

Message boards are actually on the decline, social media is where it's at for the younger collector to share and communicate. You often see people posting their most recent acquisitions in twitter.

 

I also think the modern are indie collectors versus superhero collectors are a fairly different crowd. While the Scott Pilgrim guy may not be interested in vintage art, the Jock Batman guys grail still may be a DKR page.

[delekkerste]

This group of people who read paper sequential art as a kid runs all the way to about 1995 when the digital age really started to kick into gear. Those born in 1982(my age) were 10 years old when X-Men #1, The Death of Superman and some of these other major events hit the stand. I can actually remember buying books off of newsstand racks. Still children of a pre digital world. Those born in 1985 were hitting 10 years old at when the internet took off, and I would bet on the top end this is where collectors per capita starts to tail off on the top end.(It is incredibly difficult to find people born after 1990 who read comics as a child, have yet to meet one.)

 

That gives you a group of collectors born from 1955-1985(30 years) who will find the hobby by standard means. The group today ranges from 32-62 years old. The bottom end getting ready for retirement, the top entering into their aggressive collecting periods, done with college, started a family and now have some extra coin in their pocket and need a hobby. The amount of new collectors that will be entering the hobby will now be shrinking(and quickly!) My gut tells me in about 15 years, when the youngest of those group are approaching 50 and the bulk of the group over 60 is where we may start to see some real issues develop in the market.

 

I think this timeline is bang on. There are some collectors, including a couple/few BSDs, who I think may just be a bit past the top end of the range, but, generally speaking, that's the hobby there. Also, while the lower end of the age range is coming into their prime now, conditions to generate income/wealth are probably not going to be a bountiful as they were in the '80s-'00s when today's 45-up crowd were hitting their stride. And, OA prices have appreciated so much more than incomes that, even if this cohort is just as motivated and nostalgic as the 45-up crowd were at a similar age, they simply won't be able to buy as much art. This is what I mean when I say that it's going to get tougher and tougher to clear the market at ever-escalating prices going forward, and it will be even more so when we get to people who grew up post-1995 hitting their primes.

[SquareChaos]

This group of people who read paper sequential art as a kid runs all the way to about 1995 when the digital age really started to kick into gear. Those born in 1982(my age) were 10 years old when X-Men #1, The Death of Superman and some of these other major events hit the stand. I can actually remember buying books off of newsstand racks. Still children of a pre digital world. Those born in 1985 were hitting 10 years old at when the internet took off, and I would bet on the top end this is where collectors per capita starts to tail off on the top end.(It is incredibly difficult to find people born after 1990 who read comics as a child, have yet to meet one.)

 

That gives you a group of collectors born from 1955-1985(30 years) who will find the hobby by standard means. The group today ranges from 32-62 years old. The bottom end getting ready for retirement, the top entering into their aggressive collecting periods, done with college, started a family and now have some extra coin in their pocket and need a hobby. The amount of new collectors that will be entering the hobby will now be shrinking(and quickly!) My gut tells me in about 15 years, when the youngest of those group are approaching 50 and the bulk of the group over 60 is where we may start to see some real issues develop in the market.

 

I think this timeline is bang on. There are some collectors, including a couple/few BSDs, who I think may just be a bit past the top end of the range, but, generally speaking, that's the hobby there. Also, while the lower end of the age range is coming into their prime now, conditions to generate income/wealth are probably not going to be a bountiful as they were in the '80s-'00s when today's 45-up crowd were hitting their stride. And, OA prices have appreciated so much more than incomes that, even if this cohort is just as motivated and nostalgic as the 45-up crowd were at a similar age, they simply won't be able to buy as much art. This is what I mean when I say that it's going to get tougher and tougher to clear the market at ever-escalating prices going forward, and it will be even more so when we get to people who grew up post-1995 hitting their primes.

 

So... something people don't like to talk about, but what happens if the bottom falls out of prices? Those that are looking to liquidate before retirement probably need to do that regardless of what the market looks like, at least to some extent... does an adjustment actually help the hobby long term by affording more people a more satisfying experience due to being able to potentially afford pieces that might be out of reach right now?

 

[delekkerste]

Here's something else about that guy I just mentioned. He showed me yet another piece recently. It was a Kim Jung Gi Marvel cover that he bought for $20K. It's a gorgeous cover, but...$20K!

 

Wasn't that the ginormous Civil War II piece that was literally used for 8 covers? I'm not saying that it's not impressive that someone spent $20K for a piece of Modern OA, but, it's not like we're talking about a one cover done on an 11x17" board, right? I mean, a single Kim Jung Gi cover sold at Heritage for more than $10K last year. When I first heard about the $20K sale a while back, my first reaction was, "TOO CHEAP!!!" :whatthe:

 

Plus, I think KJG is a unique animal and is not wholly comparable to other modern comic artists. I know a couple of big vintage guys who have strong examples of his work, and I know the piece at Heritage was sold out of a major vintage BSD's collection. I recall one of his pieces did pretty well at a Christie's European auction within the past couple of years as well. Lots of transcendent appeal with that guy's work I think, not just limited to guys who collect modern OA.

[SquareChaos]

Here's something else about that guy I just mentioned. He showed me yet another piece recently. It was a Kim Jung Gi Marvel cover that he bought for $20K. It's a gorgeous cover, but...$20K!

[...]

Wasn't that the ginormous Civil War II piece that was literally used for 8 covers?

 

I looked this up after replying to Felix's comment, and that does seem to be the case, and does change things. Still a lot of cash, but definitely something you can consider a trophy.

[Nexus]

When I read things like this, it goes into the same category as the (often argued about ... like, right now in General, and always in Modern) ridiculously high priced modern variants.

 

What rich people (or irresponsible people who spend like they're rich) can buy on a whim has to be a red herring for these type of conversations. But yeah, I'm certain these guys exist in some number.

 

And Kim Jung Gi... not a name I've heard for a few years, that's interesting.

 

Yeah, I definitely didn't bring this guy up to explain or justify anything. Just an example of something that still stuns me. As in a mouth agape, "WTF?", sort of reaction.

 

By now, it really shouldn't anymore. For one, I don't know his situation. Maybe he's on his way to spending himself into the poorhouse. Or maybe he's like the new BSD I mentioned recently, who came into the hobby expecting to buy every DKR page in existence. Well, he got educated on that particular situation, and has now apparently set his sights on...an NFL team.

 

We can all speculate on the future but for now...this is a nutty, nutty place.

 

 

[Nexus]

...who the hell these people are and where they are.

And why aren't they on this Board? Assuming they skew younger...shouldn't they be even more plugged in than older, stodgier generations? Or are they not younger? Or is this Board "lame" to them for some reason (too many "old" guys around?!)

 

Additional question (if Felix is answering any of these): are the majority "one order buyers" (of whatever size) or repeat customers returning again and again at approximately the same spend in each instance, over time?

 

I've had this conversation with Felix several times, and I've spent enough time hanging out at his booth at conventions to recognize what his clientele looks like. They're not on the Boards because they are just very different from us. Younger, yes, for the most part. Not nearly as male-dominated as what we see in the vintage world. Not so interested in what we read and collect - Felix will readily admit that the people who are obsessed with Scott Pilgrim will probably never get into Jack Kirby. Also, while they've made the leap to justifying $250 and $600 purchases (which separates them from most of the general population), my sense is that few are willing and even fewer are able to shell out the kind of sums needed to buy good/great mainstream vintage art. All of which is why me and Felix largely agree on the long-term future of the vintage side of the hobby. If you're holding your breath for the people buying Paper Girls to be Ditko Spidey OA buyers 10 years from now, you will pass out and go unconscious long before then.

 

Also, I get the sense that they're less obsessive than the vintage guys. Maybe it's because we grew up with fewer things, found something that we really loved, and just went full bore with it, while those in their 20s and 30s nowadays have had their interest scattered in more directions. Maybe they're just not as into hoarding and material accumulation as we are; it's often said that Millennials seem to be favoring experiences more than objects.

 

At the end of the day, a small part of modern OA has a thriving niche. But, I think there are a lot of built-in limitations with both the material itself and its audience that will prevent it both from blowing up as big as vintage as well as from being the savior of the vintage market in time.

 

Yup.

 

My feeling is that, so long as comics are a thing, there will be an audience for (correctly priced) new art. I don't expect that to necessarily have any impact on anything older.

 

Beyond that, I've made my peace with any eventual outcome. What I definitely won't do, is panic sell. Hell, it may even be a relief if values tank, as that'll be one less thing I have to think about. I may still buy, if prices fall far enough, even with knowing by then that there's zero chance I'll ever recoup. If Miller DD covers are $100 a pop? I'll take them all! It's like I said, I buy those Absolute editions at $100-200 each, and I KNOW I'm never seeing that money again.

 

This is all barring some larger, real world doomsday scenario, in which case, it's been great BS'ing here with you all!

[Nexus]

Here's something else about that guy I just mentioned. He showed me yet another piece recently. It was a Kim Jung Gi Marvel cover that he bought for $20K. It's a gorgeous cover, but...$20K!

 

Wasn't that the ginormous Civil War II piece that was literally used for 8 covers? I'm not saying that it's not impressive that someone spent $20K for a piece of Modern OA, but, it's not like we're talking about a one cover done on an 11x17" board, right? I mean, a single Kim Jung Gi cover sold at Heritage for more than $10K last year. When I first heard about the $20K sale a while back, my first reaction was, "TOO CHEAP!!!" \

 

Yes! I remember you said that!

 

My reaction was less about the piece, than being surprised to see a newbie come in and immediately drop $20K on *anything*, especially anything new. And right around the same time as spending nearly as much on those other five covers.

 

But as I said, I have no idea if that's just his "buffalo wing money" (per voudou!).

[Nexus]

So... something people don't like to talk about, but what happens if the bottom falls out of prices? Those that are looking to liquidate before retirement probably need to do that regardless of what the market looks like, at least to some extent... does an adjustment actually help the hobby long term by affording more people a more satisfying experience due to being able to potentially afford pieces that might be out of reach right now?

 

I think it depends on if prices drop, and by how much.

 

A major attraction of vintage, as Gene mentioned, has been that prices go up. That buyers can at least recoup their outlay from a brisk secondary market. Take that away, and what likely happens is a race to the exits.

 

If you're a buyer who's currently on the sidelines, how far do prices have to fall before it's affordable? And by then, is it still a satisfying experience if you know you're buying a depreciating asset? And that there isn't the same demand, that there are fewer of you now than before?

 

I'd like to see the brakes pumped on the market, but if a crash results, if the bottom falls out of prices, then it's over. Dead hobby.

[Dick O.]

Excellent discourse all! Here's my 10-year outlook:

 

GA/SA/BA OA - Static/shrinking buyer pool. Prices plateau/gently decline. Prices increase for A/A+ level pieces.

 

CA/'90s OA - Expanding buyer pool. Prices gradually increase. Prices exponentially increase for A/A+ level pieces.

 

2000's OA - Expanding buyer pool. Prices remain static. Prices increase for A/A+ level pieces.

 

I've also discussed it in this article:

http://comicbookinvest.com/2017/01/13/artist-spotlight-jim-lee/

 

 

I like reading modern Marvel comics on Marvel Unlimited (because I read so many that the average cost is basically nothing), but it's a lot like eating Chinese food - it goes down tasty but then it's quickly forgotten and you're hungry again after a couple of hours.

 

You need to patronize better Chinese restaurants.

[vodou]

If Miller DD covers are $100 a pop? I'll take them all! It's like I said, I buy those Absolute editions at $100-200 each, and I KNOW I'm never seeing that money again.

 

This is all barring some larger, real world doomsday scenario, in which case, it's been great BS'ing here with you all!

Miller DD @ $100...begs the question of what conditions create no buyers at $1000 or even $250, pick any modestly higher number. I think that's your doomsday right there, where daily 'at the margin' priced food or water (LA, Dallas, etc) trumps stupid comic art all day long.

[Hekla]

Interesting thread. Rather than quote specific statements here are a few thoughts:

 

I agree that the Millennial generation will likely be less interested in OA. Anecdotally, my kids (currently 2 in college, 1 in HS) read comics and manga when younger and like going to cons, but I see them one day being nostalgic over video games or Nickelodeon cartoons or Harry Potter more so than superheroes. Ironically (to me, but may to not to Felix) my daughter continues to read indie graphic novels and recently expressed surprise when she found out I had a page from Y, The Last Man - a series she's currently reading. Overall, my kids express very little interest in my comic art collection.

 

Regarding modern art, I buy covers and splashes that stand on their own as works of art. I realize that there is little to no chance I'll recoup my money, but I've bought plenty of 'art fair' paintings (to use the term broadly) and even gallery-purchased fine art that I probably will never realize my money on if I decide to sell.

 

I can definitely see the thought process of liquidating a collection for retirement or funds for better quality of life, but in my experience it's rare for collectors to completely give up collecting habits cold turkey. I can see the 'slowing down' or 'keep a core collection' process happening for most collectors regardless of price increases or decreases. I've been slowly selling my comic collection to fund OA, but there are a number of books I can't quite let go of even tho I know empirically 'NOW is the time to sell because movie news makes this book HOT'. Granted it's often due to nostalgia but I don't think I'm alone in this thinking and I feel the same about a number of my OA pieces (and based on the 'trade your collection for grail' thread, many on here feel similarly).

 

As fun as the hobby is and all the sentiment of 'buy what you love', it is hard to separate the fun parts of the hobby from potential value/investment thoughts when the costs of OA is not insignificant to most collectors.

 

Anyways, great thread

[MyNameIsLegion]

Excellent discourse all! Here's my 10-year outlook:

 

GA/SA/BA OA - Static/shrinking buyer pool. Prices plateau/gently decline. Prices increase for A/A+ level pieces.

 

CA/'90s OA - Expanding buyer pool. Prices gradually increase. Prices exponentially increase for A/A+ level pieces.

 

2000's OA - Expanding buyer pool. Prices remain static. Prices increase for A/A+ level pieces.

 

I've also discussed it in this article:

http://comicbookinvest.com/2017/01/13/artist-spotlight-jim-lee/

 

 

I like reading modern Marvel comics on Marvel Unlimited (because I read so many that the average cost is basically nothing), but it's a lot like eating Chinese food - it goes down tasty but then it's quickly forgotten and you're hungry again after a couple of hours.

 

You need to patronize better Chinese restaurants.

 

 

I"m going to have to disagree with your forecast here- namely because modern art is inherently an inferior object compared to GA/SA/BA/CA art- because of:

 

1. Lack of word balloons, digital effects, computer generated titles, etc...

2. inks over blue lines, and pencils without inks dilute the one of a kind-ness of the OA

3. decompression of storytelling= decompression of price appreciation potential.

 

If modern OA did not have the 3 factors above working against it, I would be willing to consider your outlook as possible. The changes from large art to modern did not fundamentally alter the content.

 

Basically, older art has a larger "middle class" of good art. You don't have to have Kirby or Ditko LA. You could have an iconic Sal Buscema Captain America or Spidey panel page, or a Cockrum second run X-Men page and have it easily clear 3-4K. why? because the art is "iconic" (hate that the word has gotten diluted, but it remains true) Beyond simple sale auction price performance, just consider the individual pages of art themselves. I bet any one of us that have read a title over the years, when presented with a random panel page from 1965-1993 could ID the exactly issue, or at least within a 5 issues span the exact issue number just by looking at the art without needing to know the artist or inker. Pick a modern decompressed page, even with the artists as a clue, and odds are you will struggle to pin it down. Modern art is BORING, and bereft of context. Outside of the cover, a splash, a pin-up, there simply isn't that much substance to take in. It could be well rendered, and there are some fine modern artists, but they will never be the BWS or Wrightson's of the future, with the same exponential price page growth, because there will be very few pages that stand out.

 

Comic art collecting is a mixture of nostalgia and aesthetics - modern art has diluted both dimensions for the reasons outlined above. Unless you start producing books exactly the way they were done 30 years ago, they will never follow the same market trajectory as they have in the past. This is not merely grumpy old man talk, and we haven't even factored in stratification of entertainment mediums and changes to consumption via technology that will take a bite out regardless.

 

The only "hope" for the future, like with the vinyl resurgence, is that a younger audience will tap into the longing for more genuine, substantive, tactile objects, but the fact remains, as Gene has pointed out - the next generation will have less time, space or money to really accumulate and curate the sorts of collections older guys have now. So that reduces the market to an even smaller niche, with less velocity, I suspect the oldest art, pre compression will retain much more value but Modern art will never break out in a similar fashion at any point in the future.

[DeadpoolJr.]

...who the hell these people are and where they are.

And why aren't they on this Board? Assuming they skew younger...shouldn't they be even more plugged in than older, stodgier generations? Or are they not younger? Or is this Board "lame" to them for some reason (too many "old" guys around?!)

 

Additional question (if Felix is answering any of these): are the majority "one order buyers" (of whatever size) or repeat customers returning again and again at approximately the same spend in each instance, over time?

 

I've had this conversation with Felix several times, and I've spent enough time hanging out at his booth at conventions to recognize what his clientele looks like. They're not on the Boards because they are just very different from us. Younger, yes, for the most part. Not nearly as male-dominated as what we see in the vintage world. Not so interested in what we read and collect - Felix will readily admit that the people who are obsessed with Scott Pilgrim will probably never get into Jack Kirby. Also, while they've made the leap to justifying $250 and $600 purchases (which separates them from most of the general population), my sense is that few are willing and even fewer are able to shell out the kind of sums needed to buy good/great mainstream vintage art. All of which is why me and Felix largely agree on the long-term future of the vintage side of the hobby. If you're holding your breath for the people buying Paper Girls to be Ditko Spidey OA buyers 10 years from now, you will pass out and go unconscious long before then.

 

Also, I get the sense that they're less obsessive than the vintage guys. Maybe it's because we grew up with fewer things, found something that we really loved, and just went full bore with it, while those in their 20s and 30s nowadays have had their interest scattered in more directions. Maybe they're just not as into hoarding and material accumulation as we are; it's often said that Millennials seem to be favoring experiences more than objects.

 

At the end of the day, a small part of modern OA has a thriving niche. But, I think there are a lot of built-in limitations with both the material itself and its audience that will prevent it both from blowing up as big as vintage as well as from being the savior of the vintage market in time.

I bet they go online, just not a niche board like this one where things can get very technical, where we talk about paper qualities of 60's marvel books, or talk about the stories from industry insiders about art that went "missing". They go to sites like Reddit or the /co/ board on 4chan, with older stuff rarily mentioned. From people my age (22) I found that they enjoy talking more about the latest book of the week, or showing some image from a certain scene of a book. Some people will say how nice it is, talking about how much they like the artist/ writer but, wouldn't have an urge to buy the OA the image came from. If not that many will still know who an artist is, and what famous work they did, but still not have an example to buy an example from it. From what I've seen many people don't even know what OA is, but at least are familiar with CGC, and even some comic dealers.

 

From collecting habits it also seems people stick to buying cheaper stuff on the spectrum which can cause a lot of hesitation when looking at art prices even modern stuff in comparison can seem expensive. By this I mean instead of individual comics I notice a lot of people buy more trades, and other collective volumes. Not just for older stuff, but newer also. With things like digital comics also becoming a thing, I also think it can cause separation from the product which is important to things like nostalgia, which you claim to be the biggest collecting factor. If you own something digitally, it just doesn't have the same feeling as holding the physical copy in your hand, or saying you still have the copy you bought off the newsstand from when you were a kid.

 

A lot of these people I think are a type of a "Jack of all Trades" in my opinion. Only you apply it to pop culture, and what society thinks of as nerdy/geeky. They like comics yea, but they also like others stuff like Doctor Who, Star Wars, and various cartoon shows. They'll know the basics of these things, but won't really be as interested in any particular one where they might start buying back issues, or Kenner figures. After all if they don't bother buying back issues what will make them want the art it came from?

 

Ending on a more hopeful note, I think we still have to wait, and see how younger people will react since the biggest factor that keeps a number of them from being active is income, with a lot of millennials like me still being in college. After how many people here talk about how they were poor broke college kids who could barely afford comics or art when they got into collecting? Keep in mind this was when a lot of it was much cheaper even with inflation when you account for how high the prices have become. Not having many assets we can't all afford luxury items like collectibles, and if we do its in small volumes. The fact that many younger people will still own a large amount of trades, action figures, or cheaper back issues though I think shows that a number do have some interest in getting in the market, but stick to what they find affordable; waiting for that push to get more involved. Once a bigger segment becomes older, and have less debt with more income I think its possible for a faction of them to become more involved with the hobby. In fact a lot of the more knowledgeable fans who are young I've seen would love to own things like a Kirby, but simply can't afford them. Again for all we know a lot of them could be on this site now, since only a a small amount of users actually post.

[Dick O.]

Excellent discourse all! Here's my 10-year outlook:

 

GA/SA/BA OA - Static/shrinking buyer pool. Prices plateau/gently decline. Prices increase for A/A+ level pieces.

 

CA/'90s OA - Expanding buyer pool. Prices gradually increase. Prices exponentially increase for A/A+ level pieces.

 

2000's OA - Expanding buyer pool. Prices remain static. Prices increase for A/A+ level pieces.

 

I've also discussed it in this article:

http://comicbookinvest.com/2017/01/13/artist-spotlight-jim-lee/

 

 

I like reading modern Marvel comics on Marvel Unlimited (because I read so many that the average cost is basically nothing), but it's a lot like eating Chinese food - it goes down tasty but then it's quickly forgotten and you're hungry again after a couple of hours.

 

You need to patronize better Chinese restaurants.

 

 

I"m going to have to disagree with your forecast here- namely because modern art is inherently an inferior object compared to GA/SA/BA/CA art- because of:

 

1. Lack of word balloons, digital effects, computer generated titles, etc...

2. inks over blue lines, and pencils without inks dilute the one of a kind-ness of the OA

3. decompression of storytelling= decompression of price appreciation potential.

 

If modern OA did not have the 3 factors above working against it, I would be willing to consider your outlook as possible. The changes from large art to modern did not fundamentally alter the content.

 

Basically, older art has a larger "middle class" of good art. You don't have to have Kirby or Ditko LA. You could have an iconic Sal Buscema Captain America or Spidey panel page, or a Cockrum second run X-Men page and have it easily clear 3-4K. why? because the art is "iconic" (hate that the word has gotten diluted, but it remains true) Beyond simple sale auction price performance, just consider the individual pages of art themselves. I bet any one of us that have read a title over the years, when presented with a random panel page from 1965-1993 could ID the exactly issue, or at least within a 5 issues span the exact issue number just by looking at the art without needing to know the artist or inker. Pick a modern decompressed page, even with the artists as a clue, and odds are you will struggle to pin it down. Modern art is BORING, and bereft of context. Outside of the cover, a splash, a pin-up, there simply isn't that much substance to take in. It could be well rendered, and there are some fine modern artists, but they will never be the BWS or Wrightson's of the future, with the same exponential price page growth, because there will be very few pages that stand out.

 

Comic art collecting is a mixture of nostalgia and aesthetics - modern art has diluted both dimensions for the reasons outlined above. Unless you start producing books exactly the way they were done 30 years ago, they will never follow the same market trajectory as they have in the past. This is not merely grumpy old man talk, and we haven't even factored in stratification of entertainment mediums and changes to consumption via technology that will take a bite out regardless.

 

The only "hope" for the future, like with the vinyl resurgence, is that a younger audience will tap into the longing for more genuine, substantive, tactile objects, but the fact remains, as Gene has pointed out - the next generation will have less time, space or money to really accumulate and curate the sorts of collections older guys have now. So that reduces the market to an even smaller niche, with less velocity, I suspect the oldest art, pre compression will retain much more value but Modern art will never break out in a similar fashion at any point in the future.

 

We must remember that appreciation of art is subjective, and collectors will individually assess the merits of Modern versus older art. Some may enjoy the larger, less cluttered panels of decompressed storytelling; or like that word balloons no longer obscure or distract from the art; or prefer the varied styles of Modern artists versus the sometimes homogenized look of older art.

 

Why and what art a person finds memorable, is a uniquely personal affair.

 

Do note, I'm not predicting that Modern OA will have the reach or appeal of '90s-and-older OA. What I am saying is that demand for Modern OA will naturally increase as new comics attract fans. I expect BA-and-older OA collectors to dwindle, as those with an emotional connection to the source material step away from the hobby. There will definitely be some younger collectors who step in to collect based on artistic and historic appreciation, but I don't expect them to fully replace those stepping away.

 

My forecast is based on readership, age demographics and expected nostalgia. As noted in my article, "Present day 30-something year old collectors who were in their formative childhood/adolescent years when they read these comic books in the early-‘90s, are now hitting their prime income-earning years. As nostalgia for childhood pursuits kicks in and their spending power grows, this group of collectors will spend increasing amounts on OA (and other collectibles) from the 1990’s. This demographic also represents the last time that there was a critical mass of young comic book readers. From the late-‘90s onwards, youths tended to favour electronic forms of entertainment, and comic books increasingly targeted adolescents and adults."

 

 

@DeadPoolJr. - Great insight into the younger generation!

[vodou]

If the younger generation is mostly into online and tpb reading...they aren't accumulating things that can/will go up in value down the road (right?) How much of a (further) effect will that have on the next generation not being able to slab 'em and trade up to art (assuming they would care to anyway)...as the last two generations have?

[Eric Seffinga]

I've never slabbed a comic... or traded any up, to buy art.

Just sayin'.

[vodou]

I've never slabbed a comic... or traded any up, to buy art.

Just sayin'.

Me neither. But I'm thinking about it. And many around here didn't get in twenty years ago like you and I when pocket money bought OA. Selling to buy is a way of life around here now (prices in general being what they are). The last fifteen years...I wonder what the ratio of "new money in" to "cashing out one collectible category to buy another" is re: aggregate OA activity?

[Eric Seffinga]

Well to be fair, I have sold "other things" to buy art in the past. Stocks, vintage guitars and amps, toys. And vice versa, really. Depending on what I was chasing, or hole I was filling at the time.

 

I suppose the hunt for liquidity and a certain personal parity in possessions is at play for most at different times of our lives, to be sure.

[vodou]

Good, hope I wasn't coming off argumentative! Non-comics swap up, hard to quantify that in the context of my point. Will these millennial/post-millenials acquire other things (since it may not be comics!) that can be laddered up to buy art later, again even assuming they would want art in a significant way? A generation or two of general non-ownership approach to life (let's say) would create an interesting situation. Perhaps a new 1950s euphoria of gluttony third generation to replace the Depression/War era of struggle? (Our post-2007 version of that anyway, or maybe trying too hard here!) Would any of us over 40 even be around to 'cash out' to those folks?

 

I'm personally almost all new money into OA over twenty-five years of collecting. My records show I've sold around 250 pieces (mostly early 2000s) with a basis of approximately $40k for a gross of $70k, rotated that all back in as it came in (thank God!), along with a number many multiples higher "out of income".

 

I do not believe this is how the typical OA collection as it stands today was built. Outliers would be Ethan Roberts (similar method to me, as far as I know) and some BSDs (I think?) Goes back to how many black hole collections there are out there. But maybe this is a good poll question or at least informal survey for those that don't vocalize publicly what they're up to as much?