If you're a recent vintage guitar collector,
stories you've heard are true. You once could step into pawn shops or flea markets and find vintage Gibson Les Pauls and Fender Stratocasters for $50 to $100. True. These guitars now sell for thousands of dollars on Ebay and Gbase.Those days are gone -- but there are still deals if you know what to look for.
The simple thing to remember in vintage guitar collecting is ... American guitars. Not to say Japanese or European luthiers haven't made fine guitars, but vintage market isn't looking that way. If you stay American-made, you'll have best chance of an instrument that will appreciate in value.
Next, forget about those who claim certain years of American guitars aren't desirable. It's true that folks once looked down on '70's Stratocasters -- but folks are now scrambling and paying top dollar for 70's and 80's models! Same thing with '80's Gibson guitars -- once thought of as poor-quality examples, people now bid high amounts for them.
Why? Well, once most desirable pieces are gone, whatever's left is going to command attention.
So -- to find next "deal" -- look for American made guitars that collectors are currently ignoring. Because -- soon enough, these will be at top of food chain.
How about specifics? Well, think "student" models. Some models are already desirable -- Fender Mustangs and Gibson Melody Makers, for example; other models haven't gained notice yet ... but they will!
