capnjuan said:
Hi David: thanks for going to the trouble. I was going to do this exercise but have an older edition. Owners of these more valuable models can take heart; despite a couple of tough years for the economy, the value estimates for the high-end models have gone up.
I can't help but wonder what the numbers represent. Since so few of these models exists and change hands infrequently ... is that what a dealer might charge if he had one to sell? Say there were a Blue Book of Animals; Lions, Tigers, Giraffes and so on. How would that Blue Book handle Panda Bears for example; there aren't many of those around either? What about a Pig-In-A-Poke; what should they go for ... one in excellent condition?
Thanks again. J
John,
The old adage about collecting/investing only in things, in this case Guild Guitars, that you would enjoy keeping or stuck with.....should be taken to heart. Buying something only because it's potentially "valuable" is probably not the way to go....and usually ends in tears. Yours.
The numbers in both books probably represent retail prices, though when I look at some of the prices on say, Gbase, you wonder what Alternate Universe you'd have to beam to, as their prices are Not Of This World.
Lions, Tigers and the occasional Panda aside, everything goes in cycles....weather, fashion and guitar values. The last two years saw demand diminish, as supply.....because some folks didn't adhere to the aforementioned
suggestion, flood the market with guitars that were nice, but not necessarily valuable.
Once, when I use to buy antiques for design clients (you
can live vicariously...using Oth Ppls Money) the Old Guys....who were younger than I am now, use to tell me to buy the absolute best that you can afford, that craftsmanship and exclusivity will trump anything else. Quality never goes out of style.
I imagine that a '65 F-50R would be considered a Blue Chip investment, and anyway, it would be a lot more interesting and useful than a shiny metal ingot, or some certificates.
David