age group of current VW hobbiest

[ZENVWDRIVER]

... it was suggested that we find out what the average age of the current vintage VW enthusiast is.
Gary Haberman wrote:
"Could it possibly be that our hobby has reached a sort of saturation where the average enthusiast is older? Are we dying off? I remember reading a post where it was mentioned that owners of Model Ts can't sell their cars for a reasonable price anymore because there are no takers. Let's face it, we buy our car (in my case and many others, "cars"), fix them up and then what? We slow down our purchases because we are done with repairs or restorations. I don't buy nearly as much as I did years ago..."
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5/50, pastel green 11G - SOLD
8/50, gray 11A Beetle
6/52, pastel green 11C - SOLD
11/4/52, black Zwitter - SOLD to my little bro.
1954 Porsche, pre A, with VW 36 horse- SOLD
1/54, black 11C Beetle - TRADED
2/55 Iceland green Beetle, on a 1965 pan
3/55 113 Beetle, stratos silver
1955 Messerschmitt KR175 - SOLD, sadly
1960 single cab
1962 SO33, with SO 42 interior
9/63 Pacific blue, Ghia
'87 Toyota MR2
'02 WestFORDia E-150, GAVE TO OUR SON

All super-heroes, wear a MASK

[vwracerdave]

My observation from the last few car shows I was at and local club meetings is 40 & over.
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2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK
Featured in Dec. 2001 HOT VW's Magazine page 63

Watch my racing video's http://www.youtube.com/user/okvwracer/videos

[modok]

I have noticed that most early VW's are now garage queens.
If the cars rarely get driven. a lot of parts are just never going to wear out.

[green71volks]

I'm 36 and see mostly gray haired people at the shows who have owned there cars longer than I've been around . The only ones close to my age that I commonly see with vws are usually either in the dune buggy or water cooled crowd. Maybe once the current generation of collectors\hoarders\flippers, age and thin out, maybe I'll be able to afford them again.

[ZENVWDRIVER]

[coad]

VW's are nothing compared to wooden boats.

Number of members in the biggest antique and classic boat club: 7,000

Number of those members who are under 40 years of age: 26

I'd hold off a few years if you're thinking about buying a Chris-Craft. Unless something changes they're going to get a lot cheaper.

[jwp67]

It all makes me wonder what is going to be "the" big collectable of the current generation. What is it they will hold dear from their youth?

[KTPhil]

[Spezialist]

[notchback]

If Iowegian responds to this, it'll skew the results.
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[skills@eurocarsplus]

all this chatter about age, values and who is going to carry on the "tradition" is kind of funny. I mean....who really gives a shit? if you got into this because of a "future investment" cash out now while they are still hot.

growing up I was drawn to buses. I could honestly care less about a bug or a ghia. I got a bus when I was 11....and pretty much had one ever since. I did it for me...and the "I have one, you don't"......everyone had a mustang/Camaro/C-10...."catalogue cars" ...you know, open a book, send in a check (remember those things?) and they built a car from a magazine. I liked the hunt...back in the late 80's early 90's it was going junk yard to junk yard....it was fun. never once did I ever look at it as an investment....still don't.

honestly I think there is no "young" people getting in due to 30 years of debt for a degree that is useless. they just can't afford it.
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[modok]

People see me driving my car, a lot of them think it's really cool.
Some say that they wish they had one, or want to get one, or want to buy mine.
If you don't drive your cars, and nobody sees them...... nobody THINKS of it. Out of sight out of mind. You have to be REALLY out there to want to do something you don't see others doing.


Get on the road!

[ZENVWDRIVER]

[ZENVWDRIVER]

[Bock]

I am 34 and just got my trans out of the shop which will get my car back on the road soon. I saw a nice white 65 on the road today and would estimate he was late 40's. It was over 100 out today..

[Das67bus]

[oprn]

Just cast my vote - Holy crap! Most of you guys are young!

So you have had that singe cab since '95 you say?

Here is a shot just now out the back door of the Bus Dad bought new in '69 to haul us kids around in.

This is how it looked last winter, poor thing!

I have had locals wanting to buy it but I don't relish the idea of it being chopped up to make a gopher chaser/field beater destined to rot in some slough when it quits. That is what would happen.

[oprn]

This graying of the crowd is not at all limited to this VW hobby as stated above. One of my other hobbies is model airplanes and you are hard pressed to find a head that is not gray at any of those events.

I see the problem as being the lack of manual dexterity, motor skills and pride in accomplishment that comes with getting ones hands dirty. I look at the hands of the younger generation that have never touched anything outside of a key board and marvel at the lost potential there!

[obus]

I see less and less in my area of them driving around and yes there are less shops that know how to fix them. Salt air eats them alive here and always has. I never bought mine as an investment but it will be hard to fix them if the companies stop making repop parts for them. They have a wooden boat show right along the river here next month. Ive always wanted one of those as well as a woodie wagon. Hope they both go down in price. as far as gray hair i have a shaved head but the goatee is going more salt than pepper these days......
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July 1959 Mango Standard Bus aka Obus L346 L347 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=256592&highlight=
June 1973 Pumpkin Orange Thing aka Othing L30H
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=711775&highlight=
1960 Paprika Red Karmann Ghia Convertible aka Schatze L452 built 5/20/60
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
66 21 window bus built 8/31/65 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=777273

[Gary]