Post by Tony Ravenscroft on Aug 22, 2018 1:27:33 GMT -6
So, for the sake of discussion, let's say that you are interested in a particular guitar. Probably, you are either
First thing, therefore: tell me which one. It's difficult to describe succinctly, but this helps greatly to point me the right direction.
Then you have another decision to make.
If you want it to be private, it'll cost you.
Contact me, and I will make arrangements to receive your PayPal transfer of $50. That is a preliminary fee, and non-refundable. Then, I will ask for all sorts of photos, and maybe for detailed description of details you never knew existed. After all that, I will finish digging around on the Internet, maybe phone a friend, and have a reliable ballpark figure for you. Of course, if your instrument is truly collectible (as opposed to the much more common "I haven't seen one of these all month" 
), as in '50s Gretsch or Gibson or Washburn Custom Shop or something, I might say "This needs a hands-on appraisal from a real-world expert" and we're done. I keep the fifty bucks; this will count toward the cost of a hands-on appraisal, if you bring the instrument to me in far northern Minnesota and hang out at some hotel for a week or two while I do the work. 
Then again, if you are willing to let all the information be public, so that we can educate and inform any who browse these forums, then we do most of this here... but sorta on an "if I get around to it" basis.
I'll consider it, because I sometimes like to relax on a Sunday morning while brunch is baking. If your project something I can work with, I may ask for photos, in which case you send them, and I retain the right for the rest of my life (which, God be kind, should be 20+ years 
) to use them here and on any related sites. That's all it'll cost ya.
Okay, so there's a caveat emptor there: Either way, it's more art than science. Markets have a way of fluctuating: some values decline slowly over time, but all it takes is Jack White (or similar) to play on some talk show to send demand -- thus prices -- through the roof, at least for a few months. And there are some truly excellent guitars (as you'll see in the various threads) that are surprisingly inexpensive -- and will likely always remain so -- because there's so little demand.
It is easiest to set value for solid-body electric guitars, but I can also dig up relatively accurate numbers for
I know nothing useful about accordions (other than Roland); I might be able to give you a very rough ballpark on banjos; band/orchestra instruments are frighteningly hit-or-miss (some knowledge of Yamaha flutes, for instance).
One last thing: anyone is free to disagree with my valuation, so long as the disagreement is reasonably respectful. The likely difference, however, is that I have been known to make cash offers, typically up to 40% of market value (a.k.a. Blue Book modified by spot market demand) plus shipping. Anyone who thinks I'm lowballing is welcome to step in and outbid me -- as Heinlein said, "Cash is the sincerest form of flattery."
- hoping to sell one that you own, or
- hoping to flip one that's available to you, or
- a happy owner but looking for "bragging rights," or
- interested in buying one.
First thing, therefore: tell me which one. It's difficult to describe succinctly, but this helps greatly to point me the right direction.
Then you have another decision to make.
If you want it to be private, it'll cost you.
Contact me, and I will make arrangements to receive your PayPal transfer of $50. That is a preliminary fee, and non-refundable. Then, I will ask for all sorts of photos, and maybe for detailed description of details you never knew existed. After all that, I will finish digging around on the Internet, maybe phone a friend, and have a reliable ballpark figure for you. Of course, if your instrument is truly collectible (as opposed to the much more common "I haven't seen one of these all month" 
), as in '50s Gretsch or Gibson or Washburn Custom Shop or something, I might say "This needs a hands-on appraisal from a real-world expert" and we're done. I keep the fifty bucks; this will count toward the cost of a hands-on appraisal, if you bring the instrument to me in far northern Minnesota and hang out at some hotel for a week or two while I do the work. 
Then again, if you are willing to let all the information be public, so that we can educate and inform any who browse these forums, then we do most of this here... but sorta on an "if I get around to it" basis.
I'll consider it, because I sometimes like to relax on a Sunday morning while brunch is baking. If your project something I can work with, I may ask for photos, in which case you send them, and I retain the right for the rest of my life (which, God be kind, should be 20+ years 
) to use them here and on any related sites. That's all it'll cost ya.Okay, so there's a caveat emptor there: Either way, it's more art than science. Markets have a way of fluctuating: some values decline slowly over time, but all it takes is Jack White (or similar) to play on some talk show to send demand -- thus prices -- through the roof, at least for a few months. And there are some truly excellent guitars (as you'll see in the various threads) that are surprisingly inexpensive -- and will likely always remain so -- because there's so little demand.
It is easiest to set value for solid-body electric guitars, but I can also dig up relatively accurate numbers for
- arch-top guitars (acoustic or electric)
- flat-top (acoustic) guitars
- mandolins and (most) autoharps
- amplifiers
- electronic keyboards
- effects devices and outboard gear
I know nothing useful about accordions (other than Roland); I might be able to give you a very rough ballpark on banjos; band/orchestra instruments are frighteningly hit-or-miss (some knowledge of Yamaha flutes, for instance).
One last thing: anyone is free to disagree with my valuation, so long as the disagreement is reasonably respectful. The likely difference, however, is that I have been known to make cash offers, typically up to 40% of market value (a.k.a. Blue Book modified by spot market demand) plus shipping. Anyone who thinks I'm lowballing is welcome to step in and outbid me -- as Heinlein said, "Cash is the sincerest form of flattery."