Title says what the guitar is, what im asking is price.

i recently fell on hard times, and need to sell a few things to keep my head above water, unfortunately im not the most computer savvy person. i wanted to know what is the worth of this guitar to sell.

it comes with the original case and strap, and a Harvard Reverb 2 amp (still working) though im not sure of the year.

if anyone can give me an honest to god price on this i would be muched appreciated.

I just saw a 97 MIA sunburst in very good, not mint, shape in a store for 600.00.

I don't think you're going to get much of a response without more info such as pictures, serial number, etc.. In fact even with that info, most folks around here are typically a bit reluctant to make guess on value...that's usually best left to a dealer. That said, my first suggestion would be to check online at websites such as Ebay or Craigslist...this will give you an fairly accurate idea of what people are willing to pay.

If that doesn't work, try taking it in to a Fender authorized dealer...preferably some place like Guitar Center or Sam Ash and tell them that you need a fair idea of what it's worth for insurance purposes. Most of the time they can give you a rough ball park figure and if you do this at a few guitar stores, you should be able to get a rough estimate. If 3 different people at 3 different stores all give you the same price, you'll know. If you get 3 different prices, then average them out. Just remember that what it's "worth" and what people are willing to pay for it are quite often two VERY different things. A given guitar may technically be worth $800 but most folks may not be willing to pay more than $500 for it depending on condition, serial number, etc.. If you ask higher, you may end up sitting on it for a while until you find the right buyer...tis the nature of the business.

Lastly, whether you're "internet savvy" or not, if you want to make a sale, you had better be willing to provide pictures and serial number to a perspective buyer. There's a lot of guys out there trying to unload a lot of bogus crap and people are starting to wise up to it. If you can't provide the proper info for them, they WILL just walk away regardless of how much of a deal you may offer...no one wants to get stuck with a stolen or fake instrument. Be ready to provide proof of what you're trying to sell.

Good Luck,
Jim

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think Fender made any guitars in '85. Isn't that the year they closed doors and revamped everything?

But either way, a mid '80's Strat in good condition, I'd say $1500-$2000.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

I'm sure there must have been a few guitars released that year, even if it was only two or three. They'd have to be somewhere.

Fender japan were making guitars all the way through that factory closure. It could easily be one of them.

Heres a harvard amp
http://www.bazaar-world.com/guitar-amp-5148-Fender-Harvard-Reverb-1981-82-Solid-State-Guitar-Amp

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No no and no

From what i was able to find online (with some help) american made guitars were rare in the 80's, most were made in japan.

im going to do what was said above and hit some guitar stores

The sale of fender from CBS took place in January of 85, the Corona plant opened in October. Early production levels were estimated at only 4 or 5 guitars a day.

Fender Japan accounted for around 80% of sales at this time.
an 85 Fender would be rare, but not unheard of. If you have one of the very early Corona guitars (most likely early 57 reissues,) it could have some interest from collectors.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Here's another thought for ya...you may wish to contact Fender directly. In fact, if you don't mind waiting a few weeks, I would actually do this via snail mail so that when they write you back, you'll have something "authentic" to take with you to the stores (as apposed to just printing out an email). Give them the serial number, perhaps include a few pictures and see what they can come up with. I seriously doubt if they would give you any kind of estimate on it's value, but they might be able to give you some specific details on the instrument itself such as exactly where and when it was produced. If it is indeed one of these early Corona models, then as TB said, it could very well have some potential value to the right collector.

All of this of course will inhibit a "fast sale" if you're simply trying to raise money quickly...that's the trade off and you'll have to decide that for yourself. Personally I understand the whole "tight on cash" thing...I've certainly been there a few times myself, but if you really do intend to part with it, I would try and be patient so that you can get a reasonably fair price as apposed to just dumping it.

On a personal note I would also add that I would consider this choice -VERY- carefully. Again I do understand the money thing very well. A few years back my wife went thru a 3 year battle with cancer and at one point we were down to about $15 in the checking account...we couldn't even buy food, let alone make the house or utility payments. I had seriously considered selling some of my gear...we really were that desperate. I knew I could get $400 for my Strat, another $400 for my old Bandmaster and at least $600 or $700 for my Pearl drum kit...when you're down to nothing, that $1400 can go a long way. This was of course on top of my wife going through chemotherapy at the time, needing meds which we also couldn't afford and so on, so my "priorities" were not what they typically are. Fortunately, my wife being a musician as well talked me out of it. She "understands" the musician mentality and she knew how much I would regret it if I had to sell anything. In our case, we were lucky and things finally did take a turn for the better...we were able to get food assistance for a while, a few charity organizations kicked in to cover a couple of house payments and we made it through. If I had of done something rash or impulsive or had of jumped the gun just to raise some quick cash, I -know- I would now be kicking myself in the butt every day for the rest of my life for it.

The truth of the matter is that I've known a great many people who have sold a beloved instrument over the years...usually due to money troubles. In every single case the person has said "I really miss that guitar (or whatever)...I wish I hadn't sold it". The choice of course is up to you...desperate times often call for desperate measures and I do realize this better than a lot of people. Just think this decision over very carefully...you really may not wish to be in the "one that got away" club.

Either way, good luck to you and I hope your situation improves!

Peace,
Jim

Good post Jim. I'm glad everything worked out for you and I hope devildog's situation works out too! Good Luck!!