Demographics Then and Now?
Back in the day - let’s say 1945-1965 what were the demographics of the average consumer and user of ‘toy’ trains?
I’m guessing the average buyer was a parent between the ages of 25 and 35 and the average ‘consumer’ was a boy between the ages of 5 and 13. Complete WAGs on my part - thoughts?
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As for TODAY’s Demographics…
2 sources where I suspect we may get innacurate impressions would be the train magazines and the online forums. From the train mags I get the impression the hobby is somewhat more evenly distributed around the country and is made up of fairly wealthy retiree hobbyists. I’m not convinced that’s entirely accurate in the bigger picture. From the online forum(s) I get the impression it’s a somewhat ‘younger’ or evenly distributed age-wise demographic of hobbyist. Again I’m not sure that’s an entirely accurate perception of the toy/model/collectible train demographics either.
I’ll go out on a limb and take a WAG: Today’s consumers in the toy or scale model train ‘industry’ are that they are perhaps bought and used by the same person… likely a male, age 55 to 72 of anywhere from medium to upper income. I suspect a statistical bias towards living in or being from the East coast or Northeast and perhaps upper Mid-West? Again complete WAGs on my part.
Your thoughts on the demographics THEN (40s-60s) and NOW (2007)?