Something else occured that makes me lean toward the generational thing: Back in the early 80s there was a backlask against D&D by the Christian right.

I don't know how much impact it had in other parts of the country, but here in the south it was fairly profound.

There were extreme cases -- groups burning D&D books -- and other, less drastic episodes that I remember vividly.  I had friends at school who simply quit playing the game, and knew of parents who wouldn't allow their kids to play the game.

These incidents may have taken a number of copies of OD&D and 1E material out of circulation, and had an impact on the availability of material now.

Just a thought ...
Keith

red_bus wrote:Good thoughts all round.

I think that one factor which will affect all this is whether people will continue (or re-start) to game into their retirement.  If these pastimes are completely forgotten by then, then over time the collectible market will decline (although I think that there will always probably be a market for some of the older iconic stuff, e.g. Dragon Mag. #1 etc.. albeit a small one).  On the other hand, if people use their increased leisure in retirement to game (or start gaming again), then I think that the collecting market will stay very strong.

Picking up on this comment. I watched a documentary on the evolution of the toy market in Japan. Because of declining birth rates in wealthy countries, the toy / game market in general has declined. In Japan, companies started producing toys and games for retirees. It is the largest growing market in Japan - really booming apparently. People are living longer and have a lot of time on their hands. In the past people in retirement homes twiddled their thumbs, watched TV and did crosswords. In Japan, retirement home residents are buying games specifically designed for older people, including computer games. Perhaps, in the distant future us collectors will actually be able to 'play' our games rather than just collect them!  :)

Some serious thread necromancy here...

When I have some down time I love to use the search feature on this forum.  It is amazing the wealth of knowledge and or wisdom that can be uncovered with seemingly very few key words.  Anyways, going back 15 to 20 years and looking at peoples thoughts on the future of the collectable market is always interesting.  The rise of events in pop culture (which can never be predicted. Be it a movie or show or whatever. ) can influence the state of the market greatly. I think  that newer generations will get sucked into our spaces just like the previous ones.  Edition creep is occurring now where 2E and later items are highly sought after.   Books will get become more rare with time, especially pristine ones, and the health of the hobby will endure strongly.  What say you?

-SKA

dbartman wrote in The Future of RPGs as a collectible?:Some of the commentary did not age well.  Prices are up on almost everything, even d20 and 4th edition items!

Collectible RPGs still have some life in them. :)

100% agree Doug.

70% of the people in the poll selected the "It is generational and will probably decline in the future" option.  Now maybe the time span hasn't been long enough (18+ years since the poll was created), but the future definitely is looking bright.

-SKA

Sea-to-sky-games wrote in The Future of RPGs as a collectible?:Are rpgs becoming more or less popular, as a share of the entire gaming market? Far more than the 1990's, I would think, but less than the 2000's perhaps?

Popularity (growth) appears to have increased significantly, in no small part due to PC/Console games.  Here are some articles on the topic:

Tabletop Role-Playing Game (TTRPG) Market Size, Trend, 2033

Interesting chart in the prior article on the age of players.

https://www.strategicmarketresearch.com ... mes-market

Computer RPG games:

Role-playing Games Market Size, Share, Scope, Trends And Forecast 2030

Crowdfunding platforms have also likely played a part in this growth.

It looks like it will continue to grow, based on the last 20 years. Its already more popular than magic the gathering. Its not like pokemon cards, but its not funco pops.

When we're young, time seems to pass slowly.  Our brains are deluged with new information and experiences to process and we yearn for the future.  When we're old, time seems to pass in the blink of an eye.  Our brains are exposed to new information and experiences far less frequently and we always wish we had more time.

I keep swearing this is the last time I'm going to say this...but I have been saying for, well since the last Millenium, that prices are going to keep going up and up. I need to stop saying it, because I think some people are believing me and consequently I'm having to pay more for things.

stratochamp wrote in The Future of RPGs as a collectible?:I keep swearing this is the last time I'm going to say this...but I have been saying for, well since the last Millenium, that prices are going to keep going up and up. I need to stop saying it, because I think some people are believing me and consequently I'm having to pay more for things.

Clearly, grading is not popular after two years. However, I think folks who bought this will become more less rare.


** expired/removed eBay auction **