The following question is probably on the list of questions that also includes "tele or strat?".
But if you have, let's say, $10k that you want to invest in something, in the hope that it might be worth many times that value in the future (20, 30, 50 years from now on?). Is it then really worth, and a good investment to buy for example a mint 1964 strat, or whatever you can make a good bargain on with that much of dough? Can not playing it to prevent any damage to it, be morally justified?
Unless you have several decades of experience, and really know what to look for and at what value, is it too risky? Is it possible to either through this blessed forum, or through an acquaintance, for this lucky enough to have one close, make a bargain and a good investment for the future?
Or is just putting the ten grand off in a low risk account for 20 years so much better? What if you then discover, 50 years later, that the value of vintage guitars have actually doubled by the dozen, and know you have to pay 15 times more for one?
Or, also highly likely; what if you discover 40 years from bying the guitar, that you actually can't bear the thought of selling it?

Thanks in advance.

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When 900 years you reach, look as good you will not!
- Master Yoda

hum.... guitars as a finacial investment..............can you say "nope".
i think most of us that have guitars that are worth high digits came across them with a different idea in mind.
some of us bought them long ago, played the hell out of them and before we knew it for some strange reason they became valuable and we happened to have one.
some of us have lucked up on collectables when we werent actually looking for them. right place at the right time.
i think very few have actually said dang i better get this now, its gonna be worth a small fortune some day. some collect the special addition fenders.
if ya got the coin go for it.
my suggestion for you is to put your cash into a roth IRA.
set on it and let it mature. with time, you will be able to buy any guitar you like maybe. even buying land is risky these days. great investment as long as you do something with it asap. farm it, turn it into a wildlife refuge or something of that nature if your buying acreage.
"land, they aint making it any more".

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

You can still get 1970s Strats pretty cheap. That would not be a bad investment in my book. Just make sure whatever you get is desirable and bone stock with its original case, in the best condition possible. Be picky. You could likely buy 4-6 guitars with that money.

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

If I had 10,000 spare dollars with which to buy a guitar, I would get myself a Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster, an original TS808 Tube Screamer, an MXR Dyna-Comp, & a 22-watt Super-Sonic combo. I then would go to live in a little cabin in the mountains, playing music to nature for the rest of my life

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'07 Squier Affinity Sunburst Strat SE
Fender Frontman 25R
Boss DS-1 Distortion
Danelectro D-2 Fab Overdrive
Delta Lab Multi Effects

I would suggest trying to engage our own alainlafrance in this discussion as he is a collector of the highest degree. He usually hangs out over at the Let's Talk Custom Shop forum, though I haven't seen him post there for a while. He has an extensive collection of vintage to new rarities, and although I don't get the sense he collects guitars for investment sake, he could certainly tell you what sort of appreciation, if any, the various classes of collectibles have seen over time.

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“All music is folk music, I ain't never heard no horse sing a song.” Louis Armstrong

Of all the things there are to invest in a guitar is not one of them!!!! Buy the best you can afford to play but don't plan on it going up in value as a investment item. Unless you become famous that is

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

"eff" guitars, invest in gold bullion. It doesn't go down in value and it's easy to convert if/when you need to.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

There's not much or any gear on the market now that will appreciate in value as the 50s and 60s vintage electrics and 20s -60s acoustics did. If I were to invest in either instrument I'd go for something of an extremely limited edition like the 55 guitar run of the Martin D-28 1955 CFM IV which is a relative bargain at $6,500 compared to some of the Gibson artist models that will no doubt depreciate in value over time. Some Ltd. Ed. Fender Custom Shop Guitars will most likely build up equity but nothing like we have experienced in the past.Some 60s vintage guitars can be had at pretty reasonable prices these days but knowing how fickle the collector guitar market is their day will no doubt come so if you see a 50s or 60s Les Paul Jr. or Melody Maker at a decent price get it now because they can't stay in the bargain basement indefinitely.Non reverse Firebirds are still relatively cheap especially when compared to reverse bodied models which themselves have taken a drop in price in the past couple of years.Sometimes all it takes is for some famous guy to appear on an album or guitar mag cover to bring a guitar's value up.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Investing for your future is a good thing, keep your investments conventional so they are easily converted to cash if you need it.
Investing in a guitar that you are going to use for playing gigs/recording is an excellent idea.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Prudential Securities, then you don't have to follow and hope on the gear market's silly ambiguities.

Thanks for all the appreciated replies, guys. To be honest, if you are to think about it only for the money, there are surely flourishing of better alternatives to guitar-investement.
But, a following dilemma must be;
As the musicians all of us here are, either amateur, rock idol or anything in between, we all want that one off guitar. Hopefully one of the good old ones.
If I then buy 10k worth of gold, which I won't, because the value of it has doubled since five years ago, or any other investment (land's not a silly idea). Let's say then that in 2060, my 10k is worth 50k.
But, the problem being, 50 years later, I still want that mint 1957 strat, which is then more than a hundred years old. Will it still be possible, even for $500,000, to get hold of? Will the value of the guitar, together with it's then even more increased rareness, make it a very stupid idea not to buy it back in 2010?

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When 900 years you reach, look as good you will not!
- Master Yoda

that 57 strat no matter what the books and media tell you its worth, is still really only worth what someone is willing to give you for it.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."