I agree, eBay is way over priced for Strats and I look almost everyday. Same thing for craigs. I have to browse through pages and pages to find just one deal and I usually get outbidded because the price just end up going too high.

YES ... definitely was designed as a working man's guitar.

I remember the first strat I saw in a store in the fifties. The brand new price, which included a tweed case was $189.95. Maple fret board. Tobacco sunburst. Came with strap, keys for the case, polishing cloth, vibrato block/bridge cover, tremelo bar, guitar cord, allen wrenches, and the production cards. That was in 1955 in Clearwater, Florida. It was at Spencer's Music which was caddy corner across from the old Cleveland shopping center with B&B and Publix grocery stores on the corner of Missouri Avenue and Cleveland Street ...

_________________
2007 American Deluxe Strat
'65 Deluxe Reverb RI
POD X3 Live
PreSonus FSP
Studio One Pro

http://soundcloud.com/wally-dow/sets/w
http://reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/371830
http://classicrockersnetwork.com/profile/WallyDow
http://facebook/wallydow

Now imagine if you bought it and still had it how much it would be worth now.

I have thought about that.

I was only 12 years old, though, and my parents never did buy me any of my instruments.

I had a very very limited budget (tips from bagging at Publix) and wound up buying an Orpheum acoustic guitar and converting it to being an electric by installing a set of pickups and controls in it, and rewired an old record player (teen type 45s) into being my first guitar amp.

If I had been able to buy that strat and had kept it, the way I care for my instrument, that thing may be worth about a quarter million today. Sadly, though, I did have some nice guitars from that period and wound up trading them off or losing them in Pawn Shops (The poor musicians banking source), and now spend a lot of mental energy mentally kicking myself in my mental butt for doing that.

_________________
2007 American Deluxe Strat
'65 Deluxe Reverb RI
POD X3 Live
PreSonus FSP
Studio One Pro

http://soundcloud.com/wally-dow/sets/w
http://reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/371830
http://classicrockersnetwork.com/profile/WallyDow
http://facebook/wallydow

I guess you must feel equally as bad as the the guy who owns them today feels good about it Dammit lost myself in that sentence, but it's better to have owned and sold than never have owned at all. We've all done it.

I read an interesting article in the 09 Vintage Guitar price guide and this year there is a correction in the collectors market for all major guitar makes. Fender is having the biggest decrease with an almost 10% correction downward on collectible guitars. Part of this is due to the economies of our various countries.

I watched a 66 Strat in mint condition go on E-Bay for $8900.00 US last week. The 08 Vintage guide showed this guitar in Mint condition selling for $10,000 to $12,000.00 US.

On the other hand I saw a 99 American Standard Plus in Graffiti Yellow go for $1399.99. Vintage guide price any color best price $950.00. Go figure....

I agree with Windwalker that there are alot of people overinflating the value of their guitars but as long as people are willing to pay it... they'll keep doing it.

_________________
I'm not slow... and I'm not fast... just sort of halffast...

I believe they also state in the price guide that this year the vintage Strat is more expensive than the vintage Les Paul. Cant remember the years they compared.

Or attempting to. Like I said, if you follow the bidding, they never get bidded on. I feel like making a stand, and emailing all the online stores that consistently try to over inflate their prices, and tell them they are either grossly ill-informed, or trying to rob people.

yeah I totally agree with everyone. I'm gonna build my next guitar like Van Halen did for the first few albums they put out to save money.lol

some people just try to get the best price they can. I have bought two guitars one ebay and i tracked a few of the same guitars for a year and found that the ones that were used and had the same price as a new one did not sell unless they went down in price or had the "best offer" option on it to.

I bought a used 2008 gibson j-45 and because they guy had a best offer option i saved about 400 bucks which is great

December i bought a 62 Reissue Surf Green Strat and saved about 150 bucks from one that was at guitar center.


People just dont seem to accept real prices and think that if they bought something for retail price a year or two they will get retail price back from someone else

yeah I agree its utterley rediculous

I have sold a 614 Taylor, a new Ibanez Montage, American Special Strat, and multiple pedals through eBay. I always pick a fair Buy It Now price and usually do not charge for shipping. The biggest problem with eBay now are the fees that you are charged. I sold the Taylor 614 Sunburst for $1650. I had to pay a fee through PayPal once I received the payment (processing fee), a seller fee through eBay which is based on the final price, and shipping. All in all I actually got closer to $1500. I would assume that most people aren't willing to take a financial hit and pass the pain in the rear on to the buyer. The prices vary so much though that ut can be frustrating. I have seen a wired pickguard with Big Dippers go for $350 and the next day for $550.

If you look though, you can find deals. They are usually from sellers who sell in high volume.

_________________
2010 American Standard Strat - Sienna Burst (Big Dippers)
2008 50's Road Worn Strat - 3 Tone
2004 Squire Strat - Gold
2009 72 Deluxe Thinline Telecaster RI - 3 Tone
2008 Taylor 426CE

I build mine; quarter sawn neck with a custom profile for my hands, one piece body, nitro finish on both, Callaham trem, sprezel locking tuners, Dimarzio Area 61/58, Heavy blues pickups, stellartone tonestyler master tone, and blender pot for the bridge pickup. Id put up against a Custom shop ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, and win. I paid about $1300. Granted i did alot of the work myself, but if you want to come close with a CS,, you;re looking at $4000. FOr a slab body, and bolt on neck.

Something to bare in mind, alot of sellers will act as their own shills. They'll bid on their own items to pump up the price. I also have gotten some good deals by email the seller and giving them a fair offer if their sale doesnt go through. Alot of times, kids who have no intent on paying. Like the Big Dippers; who's going to pay $500 for those. you can have Lollar wind you your own for half that.

I sell guitars on Ebay...its really cool. Ya know why!? Its a fish bowl with THOUSANDS OF FISH! Hungry, feeding frenzy, guitar eating,.... fish. If I pick a guitar off of craigslist for cash....and I bought it for a really good deal....say 20-30% less than market value, I list it for .99 cents and let the buyers/bidders decide. Ive NEVER lost money. Ive had 75 aucrion watchers on my auctions.... and just sit back and wait. You pretty much will get a few outa the bunch who really want it. If you open your market to world wide sales....Australians, Canadians, Brazilians,,,, they LOVE American made guitars. They are what Levi's were to blue jeans 40+ years ago. Fender guitars are like nuggets of gold we're sitting on that the rest of the world does not have access to....like us. We're spoiled here. I mean I live in San Diego and in my travels pass through Corona several times a month. Fenders are everywhere around us. So, as for prices?...people have every right to ask what they want for anything in life....all it takes is one buyer who is willing to pay.....and with Ebay, remember, its a HUGE, Fender Fish bowl which equates to a Fenders' "sellers market" .