Mostly a case of dealing with the Devil I know ... rather than the Devil I don't.

As you implied, one must do one's homework before entering into any negotiations.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

My experience of auction houses is not in the field of rare guitars and I don't claim any knowledge about that world.

What I do know is that, after plenty of homework to establish an idea of the right price, you can auction it with a sensible reserve: if that is not met you live to try again another day, maybe at another venue. If the guitar sells you know exactly how much for, and what everyone is taking out of it. If the guitar in question really is a rare one it will be sold at a specialist auction and advertised to interested parties. Who, at the sums we are talking of, are relatively few people in the world, and well known to the auction houses - their contact list is a major part of what you are getting for their percentage.

Now that last is true of dealers, too. But my understanding is that dealers tend to purchase outright from the owner, and then sell on in their own sweet time for a price you may never find out. If you do discover how much they are marketing the guitar for you may be in for a nasty surprise - and it is too late to do anything about it.

Collector alainlafrance, member of this Forum, seems mostly to be in a different sector of the guitar market; but I remember him saying that rare guitars mostly change hands from collector to collector without ever coming onto the visible market. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors, dealer to dealer, dealer to collector?

I stress - again - that I have no personal experience of dealers in rare guitars. But I sure do have experience of dealers in certain other walks of life. I dislike auction houses fairly intensely - but I loathe dealers!

There. We touch on matters that don't concern us here.

The net result is: take your time, talk to many people in different kinds of outlet, get a good feel for the processes and the sums involved, and go with the one that sounds best. If you feel someone is trying to rush or hustle you, walk away. You would not sell a house to the first person who knocked on your door offering a handful of money. And you would audition several realtors before choosing who to go with. Beware, beware!

Cheers - C

I would say that thing is worth some major buck, and worth a trip to the antiques road show!!

Ah-ha! British, by any chance? (Or maybe we sold the format.)

Welcome to the Forum.

- C

I still have reservations about the 54s story, but he said he would prove it by the weekend! Time is short!

And we haven't yet heard back from Mr Hilltop with the "Buddy Holly" Strat, either, have we?

Then again, we did hear several times from that gentleman in South Africa with the Candy Apple Red (or was it?) Strat; he even posted (indistinct) photographs. And there were still unspoken questions about that one...

Cheers - C

Sometimes your first reaction is the right reaction!

Oh, you are SO cynical!

I suppose I should make up some good stories about how I ended up with my old geetars. Like: My wife's uncle was in a country band in Bakersfield in the late '50s and ....

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

No not British, but sometimes watching PBS at 3 in the morning can ispire some good playing.

Well, Ceri where is our man with his proof ? Oh well just as I first suspected (maybe) he still has until Monday, What do you think??

Ah, if we're holding out for conclusive evidence via a page on a website then I fear we are in for a long wait, even it is the absolute real deal. Even holding it in our hands we may have trouble being sure (well, I would, anyway).

But we bide our time stoically... - C

remember that guy who wrote into guitar player magazine with a very similar story, Grandma's guitar left to him in her will, a 1953 strat.
The letter got printed, the writer got a very short reply.

You seem to hear these stories everywhere you go. Fender must of had a prolific production line in them days.

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No no and no

Mind you, all our sceptical talk may well be putting Mr Lions-Head off. Let's remember that Fender did make some guitars in the 1950s, and someone, somewhere must have some of them. There's a few people right here at the Forum, for instance. And stuff really does get put in attics and under beds.

If you are looking in, Lions-Head, bear in mind we've been giving out thoughtful advice on how to value and substantiate this guitar, and that is done on the assumption that it is real. So don't be detered. We assume you are the real deal till we have reason to think otherwise.

So let's see those pics! We're starving!

Cheers - C

Being sceptical is fine, because a Troll wants people to fawn over him and a Thief wants to try to trick people out of their money. Mr Lions-Head has a good story: he pops up here, a newbie, doesn't seem to be a guitarist, and only wants some advice to help his granny. He may have gotten all he wants from us already, so there'd be no need to return. And we may never know if he was legit.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I hope he is legit.
The sentimentalist in me thinks it would be great for Nana to enjoy her old age on the sale of a strat.
kinda like fender becoming the modern day disney fairy godmother.

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No no and no