Re: PSSP Meeting summary - comment on age/gender

[P3D Michael Kersenbrock <michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Of course this anecdotal observation hasn't any statistical validity
> (although Dr. T. never implied that it did).  For one thing, club
> membership is self-selecting.  Maybe all this means is that typically
> older people join photography clubs of ANY kind.  Certainly we know

Or more broadly that older people tend to join clubs?  I know that
when I graduated from College, that the Amateur Radio Clubs I
tried joining were incredibly *boring* even though I was *very*
active in the hobby, probably much more than many in the club. 

IMO, when one is younger one seems to have more time -- and one's
high-energy level can be used to figure things out one's self
(might be an ego thing too, looking back at it).

Later when one has the stuff one couldn't previously afford,
one no longer has the time to figure everything out themselves.
So one takes to joining a club.  Or a mailing list as the case
may be.  :-)

> >Why is this so?  Because it takes a certain maturity and certain
> >income to "play" with cameras and film.  Some people get serious
> >about photography only after they retire...

Or golfing, it seems.  Anyway, I was first "serious" in photography
when I was 17 or 18.  B&W developing, Darkroom enlarger, etc (even
color slide developing way back then).  I recall having a cheapie TLR 
when I was in first grade.  :-)

> This is 180 degrees opposite to a remark you once made in reply to
> a post of mine, George, (about clubs possibly buying an RBT camera
> to lend to members) wherein you said that retirees tend to be on
> fixed, limited incomes and not prone to spending too much on their
> hobbies.  So which is it?  Do they have more to spend, or less?  By

In terms of demographics, the retired elderly are more 
well-to-do than other age brackets.  The low-income barely scraping by
"typical" retiree is a myth projected for political purposes.  I
don't recall the stat source, but I can provide my (long retired) father's
email address if you want to find out more.  :-)

This isn't by any means to say they're all rich, but that on average 
they're better off than people of other (younger) ages.

Mike K.


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