I mean, it sure as hell isn't me.
By comics, I mean various issues per fortnight/month. I was at my LCS (and by local, I mean 30 miles away), and frankly everything was a third more expensive than I could get it online. Then, this older guy game in, and the stack of comics he went to the cashier with must have been over a foot tall. At the very least it came to nearly fifty bucks.
It was then I wondered. I mean, I collect trades of things I like, and keep up online, but to actually go out and buy the single issues if you are a fan of more than one title?
First, the cost, I mean fuck. It's not expensive for one issue, but if you are a general DC or Marvel fan and want to follow several titles, you are looking at trade prices every couple of weeks. For some that isn't really an issue, so next problem.
Storage; I had most of the original Marvel run of Star Wars a pal game me, and it took a box by itself. You would need a garage or dedicated man-cave just for comics, if you were a proper collector. Or do you just recycle them out when you are done with them?
And this is all reliant on actually having a comic store nearby. A lot have closed down in recent years, and my closest one is a town away, so I have to factor in fuel and time if I wanted to visit. And as noted above, its prices make doing so undesirable.
I know I couldn't afford to collect. Most kids can't afford to collect. I don't see many married men being able to collect. I don't see many life-long NEET being able to, due to generally living in a small/shared space, with access to the internet.
Who exactly ARE the comic companies trying to sell to?