NPR: Vintage Guitar Market Heats Up

Subject: RE: NPR: Vintage Guitar Market Heats Up
From: wilco
Date: 23 Apr 06 - 05:10 PM

About 18 months ago, I opened a small acoustic instrument store in east Tennessee. I don't do any internet sales. I see lots of old gibsons, kalamazoos, and martins. These are guitars, mandolins, and banjos.
    From the sellers' standpoint, they don't know what they're worth; and, there are all kinds of people ready to take advantage of them. I do several things.
      The first is that I figure out what they have, while they rae still in my shop. Then, together, we call Elderly fro an estimate of value. Then, we hit the internet, especially ebay. That way, they have s a good idea of what they have. This happens several times a week. Often, the customer will ship it to Elderly, and they will either buy it or consign it.
      From the colector and re-sellers standpoint: I'm a fool for not buying these instruments and making money on them. For these dealers, shops like mine are a primary source for their inventory.
    For the sellers though, and the new buyers, two levels of middlemen are eliminated.

Steve Daugherty
Mountain Music
Red Bank, TN. USA

Subject: RE: NPR: Vintage Guitar Market Heats Up
From: Kaleea
Date: 23 Apr 06 - 05:00 PM

I recently paid about as much for a sorely needed repair as I did for my old 1964 Gibson J45 when I bought it used many years ago. While it was at the repair shop, I was told that several people inquired about buying it & asked how much would I want for it. It has lots of scratches, bumps & bruises & the obligatory Gibson checked face from airline travel when touring, but they didin't seem to care. Since it has been promised to my nephew for some years now, I won't let go of it till I'm done with it.

Subject: RE: NPR: Vintage Guitar Market Heats Up
From: Mark Ross
Date: 23 Apr 06 - 12:32 PM

A Martin D-45(pre-war)just sold on E-bay for $255,000!

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: NPR: Vintage Guitar Market Heats Up
From: Once Famous
Date: 22 Apr 06 - 05:03 PM

The vintage guitar market is not for amateurs, that is for sure.

Vintage guitars are like any other collectible. It's whatever the market will bear. Many high end vintage guitars have ended up in Japan, btw.

If you can't afford it, don't buy it. If you can't trust the seller, don't buy it.

Subject: RE: NPR: Vintage Guitar Market Heats Up
From: Willie-O
Date: 22 Apr 06 - 03:54 PM

Well then here's a bargain for you. Scroll down a couple of pieces to the '55 Strat--already on hold for someone.

http://www.12fret.com/used/index.html

W-O
I don't have a solid body anymore...

Subject: RE: NPR: Vintage Guitar Market Heats Up
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Apr 06 - 11:27 AM

I drove past a pawn shop on Pioneer Parkway (Highway 303) in west Arlington, TX, and saw a sign that I thought looked promising, but I wish I could remember what it was now. $700 was the asking price and I found myself thinking for the instrument named it was probably a very good price. Maybe if Wesley heads though west Arlington on his way to or from Dallas he'll see the sign. . .

BTW, Wes, we're going to be getting a guitar for my son once the tax return comes in. I'll send a PM before hand and pick your brain a little. He thinks the acoustic electric sounds like the best of both worlds for him.

SRS

Subject: RE: NPR: Vintage Guitar Market Heats Up
From: M.Ted
Date: 22 Apr 06 - 02:17 AM

When people are asking $250,000 for a guitar, buyers are going to want more than a word and a handshake. And, invariably, there will be those who come up short. I'll not sure how I feel about vintage guitars any more. When they become too valuable, people won't dare to play them anymore.

Subject: RE: NPR: Vintage Guitar Market Heats Up
From: John Hardly
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 09:20 PM

That's one reason I think that provenance is going to become ever more important in the "collectable guitars" market.

Subject: RE: NPR: Vintage Guitar Market Heats Up
From: M.Ted
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 08:35 PM

I wonder how many of these high value instruments are exactly what they are supposed to be. According to a guy I occasionally buy parts from, it is really common for people to make minor value enhancing changes on non-collectible instruments(possibly even with parts they buy from him;-)), and that it is nearly impossible to tell the difference--

Subject: RE: NPR: Vintage Guitar Market Heats Up
From: GUEST,Wesley S
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 08:09 PM

I'm going to the Dallas guitar show tomorrow - but I won't be looking at those Les Pauls. I'll hear them of course - it's tough to judge a nice acoustic guitar when the guy next to you is playing Iron Maiden riffs with the amp turned up to 11.

Subject: NPR: Vintage Guitar Market Heats Up
From: BK Lick
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 07:42 PM

On All Things Considered today -- clicky here.

—BK