What they really mean is that they need a new generation of Greater Fools to sell their collections to, otherwise the value of their collections will completely deflate.
I've seen this exact same discussion on comic book boards that I frequent, where some collectors worry that Golden Age and Silver Age comics may drop in value because they don't have as much meaning to newer collectors, who buy Modern comics for different entirely reasons. It's kind of a funny discussion to me, since they are literally trying to keep a Ponzi scheme going at the expense of younger people and new collectors.
In my experience, people don't collect stamps in the hopes of making a killing via a "Ponzi Scheme."
They collect stamps because the hobby brings them joy and satisfaction. Even if they are mocked by others who don't understand how they could enjoy such a thing.
It is not necessary to attribute to ulterior motives to what can be explained simply by different interests.
I'm sure there are aging collectors who mistakenly think they are leaving a stamp collection that could be of financial value to their children, but it is likely that they also have the wistful albeit unlikely hope that someone of the next generation might take up the hobby that has given them pleasure.
This is how I feel about collecting books. I have a nice collection of illustrated books from the Yellow Nineties. They are not a path for financial independence, but they are beautiful.
> since they are literally trying to keep a Ponzi scheme going at the expense of younger people and new collectors.
It's not technically a Ponzi scheme since (from what I've seen) the comics are (at least nominally) presented as something you would want to own for the sake of owning them, rather than solely as a investment vehicle. Compare houses, which exist for the purpose of living in, while property appreciation is (supposed to be) at best a nice side effect. (Although unlike housing, there's no strong reason to apply felony penalties to using comic books as a investment vehicle.)
Apparently the same thing has happened with Elvis memorabilia. It's the natural cycle of collectibles. People start dying and flooding the market at the same time that demand dries up
I've seen this exact same discussion on comic book boards that I frequent, where some collectors worry that Golden Age and Silver Age comics may drop in value because they don't have as much meaning to newer collectors, who buy Modern comics for different entirely reasons. It's kind of a funny discussion to me, since they are literally trying to keep a Ponzi scheme going at the expense of younger people and new collectors.