I'm a Black girl turning 22 this summer, I've been reading comics for 15 years now and collecting since I was 11. I have followed your channel for the last few years. You're one of the kinder comic book creators on this platform, certainly my favourite of the ones I follow, and your videos are always entertaining. Happy birthday!! :)
Just turned 67. Ive been collecting comics for 59 years. All started sitting in the Barber Shop waiting chair where the Barber had a stack of books to look at before getting a haircut. My 1st book I looked at was Gorgo #1. I remember reading Tales of Suspense #39. So my demographic at 67 is 4.5%. Well the other 95.5% doesnt know what they were missing. Im a cover collector. Will pass them all down to my son. Owned two stores from 1988 to 1998.
From experience (I'm 27, started 2 years ago) another thing for the younger audience is the financial commitment to comic book collecting. I've gotten to a stage where I've had to cut it down to just a few comics I can commit to buying a month or even every couple months. It's gotten much harder to keep up with the amount of content being released + back tracking to comics I want to add to my collection in the midst of cost of living, trying to build a family, etc. So getting into it feels a bit off putting at the start.
I remember convincing my parents that 2 bucks for 10 comics was a great deal that would keep me occupied for days. Still collecting, still spending, but the convincing of my wife is a whole different level of schmoozing
I feel for you I’m 55 and have the money to buy things I work in IT with 2030-year-olds they can’t even afford rent with a good salary totally feel for the people
You’ve touched on something that’s been discussed for twenty years or more. Some of us started noticing the lack of kids at conventions. The publishers do nothing to get kids into books.
I’m 58! I think your focus on pre-2000s collecting is not where the mainstream “comic fans” are. I once asked an Emerald City Comic Con employee where to find the “dealers with golden age” and she had no idea what I was talking about. 😂
38 years old, although as a guy with a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters in Materials Science I would add there are quite a few input variables that determine your audience analytics. Consider that the average age of a homebuyer has increased drastically in the past decade yet that is not representative of the number of people who would like to own a home...in other words, there are a lot of younger folks who would love to own nice comics but are currently priced out due to lower expendable incomes, higher costs of living, and the content you produce typically appealing to people who have larger net worths. The awareness and appeal of Marvel and DC characters is as high as ever yet entering into this hobby can be quite daunting but the bright side is that downward pressure continues to be exerted on comic prices which should allow younger collectors to jump onboard over time. Just unfortunate that younger generations are saddled with higher costs of tuition, housing, groceries, and delayed ability to enjoy hobbies like comic collecting.
Interesting thought into the equation but what about the decline of new issue sales especially marvel and DC and the rise in popularity of manga among young people? There are a lot cheaper options when collecting Marvel and DC back issues but are younger generations getting into it?
I’m 29 years old and I don’t know anyone my age who collects comic books where I live. Luckily I inherited my uncles collection and had an older neighbor in his 70s who helped invigorate my interest in collecting.
I going to be 70 this November, been collecting since I was a kid in the early 1960’s. I still have all my books except for a box my mom threw out around 1963.. Happy Birthday!
The last major surge of kids into the American comic market was in the early 90s, which causes the audience to skew in the 40+ category. In the mid 90s, most of that kid audience was lost to the lure of video games… and the market never really recovered.
Lol, and a good percentage of them getting zonked on the Valiant craze. They bought 30, 40, 50 copies of mid numbered Valiant books and found them later to be worth Fireplace kindling......
@@jeffschmitt6977 Heh, as it happens, I am actually a big fan of the Valiant books of that era. But one copy (maybe sometimes two) were good enough for me. To be fair though, the kids of that era weren’t buying 30-50 copies of anything… that was the adults.
I'm 49 and been reading for 44 years. At my peak in the early 90s, aside from what I didn't know was speculative purchasing, I was actively buying and reading 16 titles per month and grabbing back issues of all those titles as well. Also keep in mind that old books that could be bought for $20 in the 90s are now $200 and so that keeps most younger people from being able to get into serious collecting. I've gotten back into collecting after about 20 years out (life, house, kids,.....life), and it costs now for good stuff, but I'm in a different place financially than I was at 20.
@@paulshores8166 The prices on the old comics might prevent some younger people from doing serious collecting but one thing that they benefit from (that we didn’t) is the easy ability to read almost anything from the 60s to now. Between digital services and reprint material, there are tens of thousands of comics from 1960 to present available for reading. Collected volumes were really just beginning to pick up steam in the 90s (with a fairly small selection) and digital stuff was almost non-existent.
@@ryebaldy8479 It was normal to see kids move in and out of comics for various reasons (and women was a REALLY common one). Any time a customer had a new girlfriend, or told you they were getting married or divorced, you knew that you probably would not see them for a year or two. The trouble with video games is that they pulled kids in before they even started reading comics, so comics never really became part of their lives.
I'm 72. Started collecting as a teen but later was out of the hobby for about 20 years. I purchased some expensive books in those early years and avoided the temptation of selling them as time went on. I am glad I held on to them because I could have never afforded them today. My total collection totals only about 60 books and includes a Marvel 1 (October copy), proving that being older isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Just turned 62 in January. Funny, I don't feel like I'm in my sixties. Anyway, I started buying comics as a youth back in the 1970s and then stopped for many years but kept my collection. Started collecting again around 2019 and have been going pretty hard at it since then. Love this hobby!
This is almost EXACTLY my experience (though I just turned 60 in January). I collected in the 70s, stopped, but kept my collection. The main difference is that I sold nearly everything between 2020 and 2022. But I started going to comic shops again, and started buying. Finally, I just couldn't get the old feeling back and now just watch the occasional YT channels. But I sure wish I could get excited about it, as it is indeed a fun hobby.
@@TT-fq7pl Well, we are even more similar than you thought. Although I didn't put it in my original comment, I also sold a bunch of my original books around 2016, mainly big boy books, because I needed money for some financial issues that came up. I've been trying for a couple of years to get some of those bigger books back in my collection and I've been successful, but several of them are now out of reach for me.
Shout out to the 25-34 year olds, I'm 27...I think in general there is an extreme lack of marketing in comic books. IG is starting to figure it out, but websites and marketing for regular comic cons do not do a good job of marketing to and attracting a younger audience.
I just turned 69 this month. I started to learn to read in the early 1960's and my Dad used comic books to encourage my brother and me to read. I didn't get to save any of the books from the 60's but did buy some of them again on eBay. My collecting years were 1978-88 after which I started a family then again in 2005 at the advent of slabs and more disposable income. I retired in 2018 and slowed collecting considerably but not before getting quite a few slabbed Silver and Bronze Age grails including some Golden Age. I'm passing my collection on for my grandkids' college education.
Happy birthday Mickey! Just turned 65 last month and like a few other commenters in my 4.5% viewer bracket, I've been collecting off and on since the 60's. It was a great day as an 8 year old when my chores got me a quarter, which allowed me to buy 2 12 cent comics with the penny paying the tax. Still my passion!
16 years old, been collecting since I was 8, I love silver age DC and bronze age horror! I don't go to cons often but frequent a few lcs's in my area and sell sometimes in order to afford bigger books. Love the hobby but the hardest part for me is finding people to talk about it with. I've never met somebody my age who's interested in the actual collecting part of comics and is as well versed in the market and culture surrounding it as I am and kind of doubt I ever will due to the lack of people my age I see at these places. I love collecting and don't ever plan to stop though despite my age!
My man! I’m 16 and into silver age marvel :) been collecting since 10! It is definitely a pretty niche hobby among our age but when we out live all the other old guys we will be able to buy books for cover price from their relatives.
@@comiccollector3225 cover price is crazy! I just hope there’s enough of us to keep the hobby alive in 40-50 years, price doesn’t matter if there’s no one tos share it with
Happy birthday, my 43rd is right around the corner on Saturday! With all your monthly subscriber riches you can almost buy yourself a mid-grade 1st Spider Boy. Send it!!!
Happy birthday Swag. Man thats crazy what you shared about your RU-vid income. You deserve to be sustained for your good work, best of luck with SANITY. Im 43 and have been collecting since a kid, I think there will always be a market for comics to an extent, but I hear that kids these days don't really read books. Ive shifted my buying to more low grade historical comics with lots of significance, they feel like artifacts.
I think the price of vintage books keeps younger folks out of the market. My son loves comics as much as anyone and he says he doesnt have much interest in keys because the prices feel unobtainable
I just turned 56 Sunday. New goal this year going back to purist: no grading comixs support whatsoever anymore. No more liking posts and cracking all my slabs.
Thanks for your efforts Mickey. I appreciate your perspective. I have always viewed my comic book collection as entertainment. So, if I am unable to sell them (to break even or make a profit), I will still have enjoyed them for what they were worth at the time.✌️
I'll be 45 on Sunday. I rarely read new books. That stopped for me in 2007. I pick up tpb of newer stuff when a story interests me. But I'm collecting copper, bronze, and silver more these days. Also reprints of classic stuff. Recently hunted down some Old Avengers for Squadron Sinister and Squadron Supreme 1st appearances. I'm a fan of the Squadron. Last year I was rounding out my Marvel GI Joe collection. But I've been at it on and off since 1989, Batman Death in the Family TPB and old Marvel GI Joe started it.
Happy birthday. Money and time are clearly factors influencing the interest in comic book videos Younger people finishing their education, or establishing their careers/families have less funds and time available to spend on hobbies. Hobby vs hobby is an interesting comparison. I think something like Pokemon has a lower barrier to entry, and it has a more obvious social element. These likely contribute to its higher popularity in general and among younger people.
Im 58, started working in a comic book store at 12 years of age in Salt Lake City. Owned a store from 88 to 01, have approximately 35000 books in my collection the 3rd time around (sold a majority of it in the early 00's). Discovered you because of dave at collector's comics.
56 years old but stopped collecting around the early 90's and didn't open my comic book trunk again until around 2020 to see what I had and what I could do with them. I initially thought there was little interest these days with the digital online marketplace so I was happy to see that CGC had changed the game and that there in fact was still interest. I have since learned to clean & press and I primarily sell CGC slabs on eBay now. Found your channel via Bry's Comics but I now watch yours almost exclusively.
Happy Birthday Swag! I am 45 here. I am thinking the younger generations will still be interested in these comic book characters as they will be growing up with the movies. As long as theres a connection to these characters there will always be a demand for their books. Thanks for all your work, even if its only 34 bucks ! Appreciate you.
Hello.Do not regret growing old...for many never get the chance. Yeah, I'm old enough (67) and I do have have a small collection of comic books that started in the mid sixties. Happy Birthday!
LOl Happy Birthday Appreciate the information I think its a Dying Genre. When I was a Kid going to the Newstand near the train station to buy my comics of the rack costed a couple of dollars for 8 -10 Books . Now with the cost of books today no kid is going to be able to buy that many books a week instead they will buy a Video game that lets them be Spiderman or Batman as a example which to there generation is much more exciting then acually reading a story about them, and much more cost effective. The Comic Book Industry has Priced Out the Children and thats one of the Biggest reasons why there wont be Fans and Collectors in the future sadly.
43 here, I’ve been collecting and investing because comics were a part of my childhood in the early 90s. Nostalgia has a lot to do with collecting. Gotta wonder about the kids today, what will be their nostalgia collecting in 20-30 from now. We have seen today Pokemon become so hot because it’s the nostalgia of the kids from 20 years ago. Comics are definitely a risk in that in 20-30 years I don’t think that generation it would be something they remember from their childhood and nostalgia.
41 as well. This is more geared towards investing in comic books than comic books. When I was 25 my investing was 5% of pay to 401k. I don't imagine the game has changed much in 16 years. 30 and younger don't worry about investing or for the most part have extra cheese to invest.
Happy Birthday Swag! Great topic, I have actually been thinking about this same issue myself. I’m 48 years old and almost have many complete runs from silver age up. My daughter will be getting my collection when I move on. However I’m not sure if I should just let them go before hand. Basically based on everything you bought up. Keep doing what you’re doing and thank you
Going to be 50 near the end of the year. Been reading since 7 and collecting since 10. Stopped buying new comics during the COVID shutdown of stores. I tried to get my kids into comics and even though they liked the MCU movies, I think that might have been more FOMO than being major fans of it. They never caught on with comic readings and would rather focus on their sports, playing video games, and watching RU-vid. Honestly, none of them are into collecting anything at all so all my old GI Joes, Transformers, Star Wars, etc. toys are all just sitting in my basement because they have no desire to inherit them.
Just turned 48, and have only been collecting for 2 years, so there is still hope that people after 40 will pick up the hobby. Also, happy birthday! 😀😀😀
I just got back into comics at the age of 52. I never was a serious comic collector but now that I make more money now I can purchase some nicer books. Happy Birthday Swag.
I'm 54. What I find bizarre and sad is the focus on investing and making money more than actually liking comics. You don't see fans of movies or music so focused on how much stuff is worth. They actually discuss the art. It's very sad to me. I think many of these old comics are way overvalued and I hope the prices do come crashing down so true fans can own them instead of greedy investors.
You don't know DVD collectors? Or vinyl record collectors? A vast number of comic readers could care less about the daily price changes, but we all put our books in bags, boards, and boxes to keep our comics as pristine for future generations as possible. We're all enjoying those books, and all trying to justify why we spend hundreds of dollars on these things.
Hey love the channel - easiest question ever - to collect key comics and silver/golden you need money - young people can’t even afford rent - old people like me at 55 been collecting my whole life and I’m in decent shape - nobody and I mean nobody - and i work with tons of 20/30 year olds in IT - nobody reads comics - sad but true they play magic and D&D that’s is sir and gaming - good stuff
Happy Bday Mickey! Just hit the 50's here. Love me some comic books. I think maybe you're right lol. Older peeps. Wonder what we could do to get the younger generation excited about comics. Maybe lower the price. Comics for 1.99. Lower quality comics. Maybe. Would also add to collectability portion. Hard to score low quality comic in high grade.
I’ll say this , I watch all the comic content and for people are speaking like mono tone it’s very hard to watch , but between you and comic Tom, Reggie collects, stick goose , I tend to watch, I enjoy your videos mr swagglebro 🙏
Whats amazing is that your demographic of 18 to 24 is only at 3.7%. Loosing the comic book youth! Most older guys I believe are investors at this point.
36 last week. Definitely enjoy the channel and the more financial/intellectual input on the market from your channel. I can see why younger collectors may shy away from those videos but it's a good indicator of the hobby and definitely helps while navigating through collecting.
Going on 59. I quit collecting in the mid nineties and got back into it 10 years back. Divorce was the major cause for pause for comics in that time, child support ain't cheap. Happy to be back in it and am still catching up on my main titles.
Happy birthday young man! 50 years old and collected most of my life. At times more investor than collector. I think the younger generations will continue to collect comics, but I don’t expect the floors to remain as high as they are now.
Just had a flick through the comments ,,,,and I seem to be winning at 73 ,,,,,and viewing from the UK too ,,,,love your channel ,,keep up the good work ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
51. Collector since 1985. Got my 1st comic in 1978 from a family member. A box of 1950s books. Then found a bunch of 1940s coverless books in an old 1930s barn. Bought my 1st comics October 1984 (Nov 1984 Superman 401) from the 7-11. 1985, I bought sooooo many books until 1994. Now most my books sit in long boxes.
Started collecting DC in 1960 (When U.S. comics were first allowed to flood British shops post WWII). Soon began grabbing other publishers' comics too and was an experienced comics geek by the time the Marvel Universe began (I was 9). I would have loved to keep every comic I bought but there was no nice dry cellar at my home and my collection would have soon grown massive. So, like many kids of limited means I got my weekly fix by exchanging 2 for 1 at my local comic stall in the market. Consequently I read almost everything worth reading in the Silver Age but didn't keep many for long. I would happily take, say a set of early Avengers including all the Kirby issues and trade for anything that I'd not read such as the latest dumb Batman title "Illustrated" by Sheldon Moldoff! Course we all dream of the old time machine and a few trips back to 1938, 56, 61 etc. but I collect Omnibus volumes these days. Trouble is I'm 72 now and not in the best of health (Cue violins). Those books are mostly heavy and just lifting them of the shelves is sometimes quite tricky! So - There are a few thoughts from the POV of a Silver Age collector. Hope I didn't bore you guys too much,
Well i am 56 and started collecting in 1985 but gave up buying comics in 2015. When Titan's Conan started last year that finally brought me back to the comic stores. I have no interest in modern Marvel and DC anymore, just back issues that i missed. Don't really like some of the changes in the industry, too many covers for every comic and i have no interest in slabs.
Hey Swag, happy birthday. I started collecting maybe 6-9 months before the death of Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man. I was 12 years of age. I’ve collected seriously ever since with a decade long gap starting in 1980 and going until 1991. When I got back in I went nuts catching up on what I missed. Looking at the value of books today, I am glad I caught up in the early 90s as opposed to today!
I remember being 15 going to comic conventions and remembering even back then that it seemed like most of the people at the shows were in their late 20s thirties or older so I feel that it's just that 30 plus year old people have money to spend on books to invest in, and most people that are going to watch your videos are people that are investing in books that are expensive and again most people would be older that have money to spend on collectibles I'm sure if you look at even video games which kids are very into if you look at the analytics of not a new game but old sealed collectible video games I'm sure the demographics are also 30 and 40 year olds that are purchasing those high-dollar games so the collectible Market doesn't matter what it is when it becomes expensive it's an older person's collectible Market so I don't think there's anything to worry about but you know since I started collecting when I was 10 years old I've been always hearing about all the Doom and Gloom about collecting comics from the start my mother telling me they'd be worthless to currently cgc is going to ruin comic books values so take all the info with a grain of salt and enjoy what you like
Swag, happy birthday! I really appreciate your transparency in terms of comic collecting. Honestly, I think that comics are a linear market and yes, eventually the demographics will catch up, investors will move on to other opportunities, and this will be a collectors only market in the future (20-30 yrs).
great stuff - I think the greatest threat to the near term to comic collecting is the lack of new entrants. I'm supposing this next fact, but I think that most, perhaps almost all current collectors, both super-collectors and those who dabble, got into collecting by reading comics when they were young. Today, with $4 comics, which are only sold at comic book stores (which, in 90% of the cases, are not accessible to those too young to drive, nor are they even accessible to half of the USA's population that can drive, because they don't live within a reasonable distance to the LCS) 90% of "kids" can't buy comics because they can't afford them and can't get to where they're sold. I think that the $4 comic is a result of all glossy paper, no ads to help offset costs, and the belief that someone who writes or draws one comic book a month "deserves" to be able to make a full-time living at it, so the talent cost is a big part of the $4. Pre 1980... it was different - healthcare was far cheaper, a "house" was 2 or 3 bedrooms and perhaps 1 bath, and people wouldn't be stupid enough to pay $4 for a cup of coffee and $2.50 for a choc chip cookie at a Starbucks. Today, people who work in the industry want to be paid a living wage that will let them purchase whatever they want, which a lot of fans say is a good thing - that writers and artists are "getting paid a fair wage", and everyone loves the all-glossy paper. This is short sighted... "new" comic books are quickly dying off. Without new kids entering to replace the people who are aging out, it's a just matter of time before there aren't enough collectors remaining to support prices. I think where we're going to see it first will be in the modern comics - you see it at all the shows... millions of NMT copies in dollar bins that no one wants to pay even a $1 for. I think the best thing that could happen to comics right now, is if Marvel and DC figured out some way to get comics into local stores at a $2 price point - Comics that kept to continuity, and built up fan loyalty... problem is, I don't know how that is even possible... Drugstores are gone, just big chains, and the publishers have gotten used to not taking returns... and every Bookstore, CVS and Walgreens can't eat $1000 worth of unsold comics every month.
The analytics is interesting but its just one lens to view it through. I think a lot more “collectors” today are focused on investing/speculating on comics, for them its as much a business as a hobby. Its a really good question tho. I know some older people who are active postage stamp/coin collectors, but as those things become obsolete who will be left to appreciate the rarity or value of them? I collected comics for fun, not profit. While I’d love them to be valuable if they aren’t I feel like I still got my moneys worth
Hey, I am 69 years old and I was into comic books since I was 13. I was always in the restaurant business. Nobody really thought they were going to be worth the money. They are now.. I have not worked in over 10 years I was a bartender restaurant manager I do absolutely nothing but I don’t want to sell my remaining big boys if you know what I mean and I don’t have any money. Yes I still have my Superman. 1 5.0 moderate professional restoration no trimming I paid $12,500. Thank God I kept that.. I still have both of my copies of amazing fantasy 15. One of them is totally gorgeous no marvel chipping.6.0 the other one is 8.0 no Marvel chipping no trimming but restored.. I’m not a bartender anymore, so I cannot buy a big boy I would really love a 9.6 amazing Spider-Man 14.. I think the one that just sold the other day set the record on Comic Link it’s sold for $50,000 plus. Amazing fantasy 15 6.5 just sold for $100,000 about two days ago on Comic Link..
To some degree "older" collectors have more money to spend, so you can't just look purely at the average age of collectors, but it will shift slowly over time what comics are consider "classics" and therefore more collectible.
I guess I'm old will be 61 in April but I have been collecting since the late 80's and I just can't stop and I'll probably be collecting until the day I'm gone
I’m very new to the comic scene. Maybe a month old. But yeah most people I see in the shops are older men. I’ve seen maybe 2 kids with their parent coming in comic book stores but other than that, they’re either men in their late 20’s to older men for the most part. Comic book collecting is expensive like any hobby that focuses on collecting. It makes sense as to why there is a skew but once they’re all gone, what then? The only shop I’ve seen with younger demographic with a mix of men and women are stores that also sell other collectibles like card games, anime figures, manga, etc. in the mall. And the traffic in stores like this is much higher than a store primarily selling comic books in my experience. I got into the comic scene because of such stores so maybe if Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, etc start selling more comics in stores like that or in stores like Target, Walmart, etc the younger generation can see them and take interest like I did. It took me a while to even buy a comic because I was in the store for other stuff until I notice the small section and saw the facsimile of the Amazing Spider-Man issue with the black suit in foil. For $10 dollars I was interested due to the cover and then I read it and wanted more. It actually took me a while to find a proper comic book store since the store in the mall was the only one I knew about. I realized I had a store so close to me I’ve passed by many times but it’s such an obscure location that you’d never notice. In summary, publishers need to sell their product in big retail stores. Manga and anime collectibles used to to be obscure but they’ve grown to the point where I see them in Target, Walmart, bookstores, comic book, Best Buy, etc. It would also help if comic stories were translated into animation the way they are depicted in the comic instead of using the characters and making a movie or show out of it. It’s fine to create new stories but I’d love to see the comic story come to life in animation the way how manga translates to anime.
49 year old here. I think very few Gen Z collect like Gen X or older Millineals. I think one day, the high grade popular books will still be collectable, however, there are a lot of mid grade minor keys that will not continue to climb in value. If you are a collector who just loves to collect then do your thing. If you collect as an investment then you better invest in the right books.
Go to any comic shop or convention.... what do you see? Stout middle-aged guys with beards wearing baseball caps, black Green Lantern T-shirts, shorts and backpacks. Absolute ladies' men.
Your point is a very good one and not often addressed. At 57, during the pandemic, I tried to get back into comic collecting. But I soon felt that same embarrassment about it that caused me to leave the hobby as a teenager in 1978. It's harmless fun, yes, but there really are a lot of sad and immature men involved. Mainly, though, try as hard as I could, I just couldn't find the nostalgia to be powerful enough to justify spending money on comics. Also, while I'm no longer trying to be a ladies' man, it is true that women, in general, aren't collectors of anything. But you'll certainly find more of them at art exhibitions!
My experience is similar. I was always a bit embarrassed about reading comics even as a teenager, so i quit and 'grew up' when I was 21. I eventually came back to it but I've never felt 'cool' about it. @@TT-fq7pl
Older.males are the people with disposable income for comic books. Combine that with the move to direct sales only, how many youths are going to wander into a comic shop and drop $4-6 on a single issue?
My two kids both collect manga. They don't collect Marvel/ DC/ DarkHorse/ Image, etc. Manga has its act together- and their storylines and diff books are growing like mad.
