homerwannabee Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 While at the flea market yesterday I was talking to a 76 year old man who claimed that he had been collecting stuff for over 50 years. He then unloaded a theory on me. He told me that in order for a collectible market to really start to explode you have to wait about 35 years. At this time all the people who had stuff when they were kids will start to get nostalgic once again for their stuff. I asked him how long does the boom last. He then told me until your generation dies. Then a whole bunch of stuff comes out of the woodwork that you never expect and the next generation will not care as much for that stuff. He also said this is why some stuff in the seventies is really starting to become big. I sort of had a similar theory but I never knew that there was actually a number attached to it. I was wondering if anyone else has heard of the 35 year rule of thumb in regards to collecting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipster Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 It's a similar thing with classic cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Sounds reasonable. Except with computers, new generations come much more quickly. You could almost say a quarter of that time for some things. Stuff like orignal 3DFX Voodoo cards, and games like Doom are starting to become collectables. Although, they're probably well under their original price. But, you could safely say that as they became "redundant" people would have been getting rid of them for a couple of bucks - so they would be profitable for someone with the right timing. I had an old Hercules graphics card from the mid-1980s. Kinda displeased now that I chucked it out a couple of years ago during a cleanup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemoncurry Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Yep, when people hit their mid-life crisis age of around 45, they get nostalgic for the toys they had when they were around 10. 45-10=35, there you go! The guy was talking about human generations, not technology generations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rom Hunter Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 I firmly believe in this theory. It makes perfect sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SINGLE TOOTH Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 I agree as well. I would have to say it starts a little earlier though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mezrabad Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 I think that his 35-year theory holds well with explaining demand, but it can also explain supply. Parents who kept the consoles that their families didn't play (for whatever reason) will find those items in their attics 30 years later when they move out of their homes to retirement residences. Those items then find their way into yard sales and eBay auctions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemoncurry Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 I agree as well. I would have to say it starts a little earlier though. Great, since 1980+35=2015, I'd love to see my collection's value skyrocket sooner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldgames Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 I think that old man has it pegged. My Dad and I have been talking about the same thing. He has also been buying and selling collectibles, antiques, and vintage stuff for about 40 years or so and has plenty of examples of stuff that has 'crested'. Sometimes the value drops rapidly after this, and other times it is a gradual decrease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tillenterprises Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 I've noticed that pop culture usually comes back in style in 20 year increments. In the 70's, music and icons of the 50's were real popular- American Graffitti, Happy Days, Grease, etc.. The in 80's, the 60's became popular again- Vietnam movies, tie-dye t shirts, Monkees reunion, etc., and of course the 90's gave us "that 70's show. I noticed in the early 2000's, I was able to sell my Atari stuff and Pac-Man stuff at a premium. Now I'm lucky if I get a fraction of that. Insofar as age goes, I do think that 35ish is the time that you start reminscing about the stuff you had as a kid, now that you're grown, have bills and a mortgage to worry about, and the pressures of raising a family, it's nice to be a kid again for a few minutes and play Atari! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zwackery Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 I'm "around" 35 and definitely collectible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSA Starfire Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 It's pretty much the case with my business witch is Classic motorcycles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godslabrat Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 I've heard of this, but I always factored in 20 years instead of 35... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitshabba Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Here I was thinking that the "35 year theory" of recapturing one's youth included a baseball cap atop a semi-bald head driving along in a convertible pseudo-sportscar.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemoncurry Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 20 for retro-popularity, 35 for hard-core collecting. At least I hope so, if I'm sitting on this pile seven years too late, I'm screwed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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