Collectable Guitars

[awg]

Hi,

Some information regarding the value of guitars for Investment purposes.

First, I had to consult the online dictionary about the spelling of "collectable" ...still none the surer

It probably isnt well known that some categories of collectable guitars have appreciatd in value by over 20% per annum for over 20 years, other categories more like 10%

http://www.jacksonsrareguitars.com/articles/files/03ad578843962caebcf4a2a04d88ed2b-1.html

http://www.exceptionalguitars.com/news/article.php?id=0000000013


An index exists of 42 of the best known vintage guitars, and their average sale price for the "basket" is tracked since 1991, showing 27% annual compounding return

Up until late 08 anyway...

And that is the reason I mentioned this thread on ASF, is that it seems since then, a bit of a perfect storm has hit for Aussie buyers of USA guitars.

If you are a guitar player and are interested in value, it is presently possible to import via ebay, very high quality "Made in USA" for much less than they can be obtained in Australia.

This is obviously partly due to the strong $A, but seems also due to hard employment times in the US, all the retrenched stockbrokers are flogging of their toys.

Consequently, there are some real bargains available if you know what you want.

I personally just imported a very fine vintage Gibson for just over $3k

made in their Custom shop by craftsmen, using the finest materials, these instruments should last for centuries, with very little maintenance.

It took 8 days for the guitar to go from US to my door and cost US$200 for freight...u get to track its journey on Fedex

I play guitar and so do other members of my family, and I had never bothered much to worry about them as investments, but even some quality Ibanez guitars I bought many years ago, when they were the best I could afford, are now worth 3 times what I payed.

One obviously needs to exercise some caution in dealing with reliable sellers, and have a good knowledge of exactly what one is buying, as small variations can make a big difference in value, but atm, it is reallistically possible to have a fine instument that would cost you $6-8K in Oz for 2-3K.

It must be killing the retailers over here.

If one was to travel in person to such places as Detroit, Chicago or New Orleans, then I imagine even better prices could be obtained.
(these are areas with strong music traditions and substantial economic stress)

I excluded from the discussion "top-end" guitars, ie those worth over $20K, they are in a niche of their own.

Is this this how the USA intends to get back on its feet?:

 

[Logique]

Nice one awg.
All the pros love the 50's (and 60's) Gibson and Fender guitars. An authentic Les Paul or Strat from the period is a great investment. The pros keep these little beauties for studio work, and the valve amps to play them through. They're not risking them at gigs - and that's about both damage and theft.

I think the '64 reverse Firebird V (especially if sunburst) will eventually give any other guitar a good run for their investment dollar, even the '59 Les Paul. Definitely in the rare and sought after category. Never ever take to a gig. If I had any sense I'd buy this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150520709564

But Strats (and Fender generally) are lighter and easier to play, the Strat has that great scalloping at the back, way better for gigging.