How do you compare?

You would be surprised how many in our hobby don’t use computers. In fact, for every military history enthusiast who doesn’t use a computer, there is another person out there discovering the breadth of material available online. No judgment here: The dollars in either of those customers’ pockets are equally valuable.

When our company’s marketing department chose to survey our Military Trader readership solely through electronic means, I thought that would produce a very skewed perspective of the hobby. Therefore, I decided to conduct a survey of the magazine’s readership by inviting them to participate solely through the printed magazine.

Over the period of three issues of the Military Trader, I asked readers to take the time and complete this survey. I promised that the input would be shared with those who formulate the plan of how the magazine can best serve our customers.

In all, 95 paid subscribers took the time to fill out the survey and mail it back to me. I didn’t provide an immediate online method for transmitting the results, though several respondents did send me an electronic image of their response rather than use the postal service.

The results of the survey are tabulated and reported below. As you will see, there are a lot of active members of our hobby who do not go to the Show of Shows, participate in online auctions, or are members of online forums.

This survey has served as a good reminder to all of us that there are more people in our hobby than those I encounter on eBay, at shows, or online forums.

1. Gender

99% Male 1% Female

2. Age

under 20: 0%

21-30: 1%

31-40: 3%

41-50: 1%

51-60: 17%

61-70: 29%

71+: 48%

3. How long have you been actively collecting military items?

< 1 year: 2%

1-5 years: 1%

6-10 years: 5%

11-15 years: 10%

16-20 years: 11%

more than 20 years: 71%

4. What are your main eras of collecting (readers checked all that applied)

Rev War-Mexican War: 10.5%

Napoleonic Wars: 2%

American Civil War: 30%

Indian Wars: 10%

Franco-Prussian War: 3%

Spanish American War: 19%

WWI: 50%

WWII: 84%

Cold War: 13%

Korean War: 25%

Vietnam: 35%

Grenada: 1%

War on Terror: 11%

OTHER: 3%

5. What do you collect (check all that apply):

Medals: 58%

Patches / insignia: 50%

Firearms: 60%

Knives / daggers: 47%

Swords: 37%

Accouterments: 27%

Helmets: 61%

Other headgear: 41%

Photographs: 31%

Uniforms: 39%

Groupings: 21%

Ephemera / documents: 25%

Ordnance: 27%

Military vehicles: 8%

Military radios: 7%

Coins / stamps: 25%

Toys / Models: 16%

Books / publications: 31%

Steins / porcelain: 12%

Flags /banners: 36%

Rations / Crates: 12%

Posters: 14%

Trench Art: 21%

Time pieces: 5%

OTHER: 14%

6. Do you collect Third Reich material?

Yes: 61%

No: 24%

I used to but no longer: 15%

7. How many military and/ or gun shows do attend each year?

None: 8% of respondents

1-2: 28% of respondents

3-4: 24% of respondents

5-6: 16% of respondents

7 or more: 24% of respondents

8. Have you ever attended the Show of Shows?

Yes: 35%

No: 65%

9. Will you go again?

Yes: 79%

No: 21%

10. Have you ever attended the MAX Show?

Yes: 34%

No: 66%

11. Will you go again?

Yes: 58%

No: 42%

12. How many auctions do you attend each year, in person?

None: 56%

1-2: 21%

3-4: 6%

5-6: 2%

7 or more: 15%

13. Besides eBay, in how many online auctions do you bid each year?

None: 62%

1-2: 14%

3-4: 7%

5-6: 3%

7 or more: 14%

14. In how many collecting-based internet forums / bulletin boards do you actively participate?

None: 77% do NOT participate

1-2: 15% participate

3-4: 3% participate

5-6: 2% participate

7 or more: 3% participate

15. About how much have you spent on your collection in the past year?

6% spent $0

6% spent $1-$500

14% spent $501-$1,500

36% spent $1,501-$5,000

12% spent $5,001-$10,000

23% spent $10,001+

16. Do you actively sell militaria?

27% Yes, I actively sell

63% No, I do not actively sell

17. What was the value of militaria you sold in the past year?

55% sold $0

3% sold $1-$500

10% sold $501-$1,500

11% sold $1,501-$5,000

3% sold $5,001-$10,000

3% sold $10,001-$50,000

15% $50,001+

18. What are your plans for your collection?

Keep buying until I’m in the ground: 32%

Pass it on to family or friends: 21%

Donate to museum: 2%

Sell it piece-by-piece: 16%

Sell entire collection to a dealer: 9%

Consign to an auction: 13%

Other or Undecided: 7%

19. How long have subscribed to Military Trader?

Not a subscriber: 2%

<1 year: 2%

1-5 years: 19%

6-10 years: 39%

11-15 years: 11%

16-20 years: 6%

more than 20 years: 21%

Thank you to everyone who shared their information on this and previous surveys. We are committed to providing a quality resource to you.