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Post subject: The vintage market
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:48 am
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The prices for vintage instruments is getting well out of the price range of the average person these days.

A little back sotry:

I had always wanted a pre-80s Strat, so I found an old beat up one for under $1K. The electronics had been replaced and the pups were Van Zant. I ended up paying $750 for it. I love the neck, sustain, vide and sound of this guitar, but few months after purchasing it, I had a small water leak in my house and the body split on the seam and the neck needed to be fixed. It's currently in the shop being rebuilt.

Looking around for a new '70s era Strat, I recently got my hands on a '76 Strat with a reshaped 12" radius, replacement strap buttons and a bone nut. Everything else is original. I paid $1,650 it, and it's pretty sweet.

The '77 hardtail I baught in 2004 cast me $750 dollars. That same guitar will now run you over $1,500.

The moral of the story? If you are going to get into the vintage market, don't wait too long, because even those awful guitars from the '70s are going for ever $2K now.

Some things to remember:
1. A loose, unstable neck join can be shimmed tight. I've done it and the neck remained stable.
2. mircophonic pickups can be wax potted.
3. The best paying and sounding Strats are beat up. From my experience, many mint condition vintage Strat that have little wear were in many cases, guitars that were not loved, and were left in hte case.
4. Many '70s era Strats have been monkeyed with, so make sure that you look under the pickguard and do your homework before making a purchase. The body contours of mid to late '70s era Strats are different than those of the 50s, 60s and after the 70s.


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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 10:02 am
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This is a quick way of driving up the mid-late 70's guitar prices
(and you're own supply)
:wink:

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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 10:44 am
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Eracer_Team wrote:
This is a quick way of driving up the mid-late 70's guitar prices
(and you're own supply)
:wink:


I think I missed your point. Please clarify.


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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 12:57 pm
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Actually Vintage guitar Ask Prices have dropped dramatically in recent years, so many are now reasonably :wink: priced... However ....... YMMV.. :lol:

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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:04 pm
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You’ve missed the tongue in cheek comment; I guess I have to spell it out for you.

By you telling us that you are buying guitars that will become historic but cheap currently but their value will (or has) gone up since you started buying..

I was satirical commenting that you’ve already captured a fair number of these guitars and that you are then creating a market for them, so you can now sell them to people looking for that rare guitar that you bought cheap some time ago but now can turn a profit.

By telling people what could become historically collectable you are “letting your cat out of your bag”

As I said it was tongue in cheek satirical comment.

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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:25 pm
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Eracer_Team wrote:
You’ve missed the tongue in cheek comment; I guess I have to spell it out for you.

By you telling us that you are buying guitars that will become historic but cheap currently but their value will (or has) gone up since you started buying..

I was satirical commenting that you’ve already captured a fair number of these guitars and that you are then creating a market for them, so you can now sell them to people looking for that rare guitar that you bought cheap some time ago but now can turn a profit.

By telling people what could become historically collectable you are “letting your cat out of your bag”

As I said it was tongue in cheek satirical comment.


I thought that's what you were getting at. The purpose of the e-mail was to educate others. I could care less about selling these guitars. In fact I hate the fact that the prices are so high. In 2001, I had the opportunity to purchase a refinished '62 Strat for $4K. I'm still kicking myself for not getting it.

Thanks for your sense of humor. No hurt, no fawl.


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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 5:58 pm
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I believe prices have gone down over the years on most vintage guitars, people may ask for more but they are not getting it unless some historical aspect to it.

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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:22 pm
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cvilleira wrote:
I believe prices have gone down over the years on most vintage guitars, people may ask for more but they are not getting it unless some historical aspect to it.


+1

But there's another side to the issue.

Back when, very few guitars were considered Vintage. These appreciated while others were just used guitars.

Now, people are equating Old with being Vintage. Any old guitar just had to be worth more.

This forced prices higher and more old guitars flooded the market, forcing prices back down.

This is where I think we are today.

Rarity, Condition and Provenance are the factors which normally rule a vintage market.

There are some guitars being made today which in future will command vintage prices.

While they are fewer and less common than most people think, I suspect the future market will have about the same % of true vintage instruments as it does today.

Some will profit... but most won't.

In general it's a lousy investment.

Cheers!

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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:52 pm
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cvilleira wrote:
I believe prices have gone down over the years on most vintage guitars, people may ask for more but they are not getting it unless some historical aspect to it.


Interesting perspective.


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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:58 pm
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Lightnin MN wrote:
cvilleira wrote:
I believe prices have gone down over the years on most vintage guitars, people may ask for more but they are not getting it unless some historical aspect to it.


+1

But there's another side to the issue.

Back when, very few guitars were considered Vintage. These appreciated while others were just used guitars.

Now, people are equating Old with being Vintage. Any old guitar just had to be worth more.

This forced prices higher and more old guitars flooded the market, forcing prices back down.

This is where I think we are today.

Rarity, Condition and Provenance are the factors which normally rule a vintage market.

There are some guitars being made today which in future will command vintage prices.

While they are fewer and less common than most people think, I suspect the future market will have about the same % of true vintage instruments as it does today.

Some will profit... but most won't.

In general it's a lousy investment.

Cheers!


I'd agree with you. I have a Candy Green 2000 EC Strat with Lace Sensors and a 50th Annivsery American Series Strat (the 2-color-sunburst w/ gold lined case) and I can't imagine either of them gaining any more value than they have now. There are just too many out there.


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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2014 5:46 am
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For a while now, I've been telling everyone that 1970s Stratocasters are gaining value. i know the markets down right now, but these guitars are on the rise, at least for the moment. Looking through my 2014 Vintage Guard guide, it appears that the authors agree with me.

At the front of the guide, the authors discuss current trends and where the market is at the moment. The '70 Stratocasters were the only Fender guitars gaining value. Some '70s Gibsons were also doing well.

The handy chart did show a slight increase in the big sellers, but overall the marcket is not moving very fast.

Personnally, I'm glad that the market is down. For players like me with not a lot of money, the odds of me finding that refinished sonic blue 1962 Strat for $4K, I let slip through my hands in 2000, is pretty slim.


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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:32 am
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Any serious investor would think putting down the farm on electric guitars to be idiotic.


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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2014 10:31 am
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Toronado wrote:
Any serious investor would think putting down the farm on electric guitars to be idiotic.


Actually, a few years ago, I was watching some investment show, and the guy being interviewed had talked about how musical instruments were a better investment than most in the long term.


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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2014 11:51 am
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I personally feel the guitars being made today are better than vintage ones. I've played several "vintage" pieces. Not a single one made me feel guitar was any better than what can be found new today, reissues or standard models.

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Post subject: Re: The vintage market
Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2014 1:32 pm
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DetroitBlues wrote:
I personally feel the guitars being made today are better than vintage ones. I've played several "vintage" pieces. Not a single one made me feel guitar was any better than what can be found new today, reissues or standard models.

+1

Last vintage I played was a stock '62 Sunburst Strat, still being occasionally played by the owner but he had inserted a screw to extend the Nut at the 3rd string to "help the intonation". :roll:

Considering that he bought it used in the late 60's, it surely has appreciated quite a bit. Not the amount he fantasizes from the ebay sale prices, but he only paid a couple of hundred $. :D

My point is that unless you bought it 25 to 50 years ago, it's gonna be a LONG time before it's worth more than you paid. Or maybe you've got a close friend with a Rock Star name. 8)

Doesn't sound like much of an investment to me. Buy it to please your ears, amaze your friends and get one up on your enemies! :lol:

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