Could someone explain that?

Impala

I know of people who own guitars which they never play but which they won't sell either, can someone explain that?

Hasie

Example: I want to own an Epiphone Matt Heafy Signarare 7 string. My playing skills isn't close to good enough to justify playing on such a expensive guitar - i've only been playing for a year And I want the guitar to stay in its new condition.

But that's just me.

PS: I don't own that guitar yet.

Rabbit

I have a cheap Yamaha acoustic that I have had for about 20 years now. I got another acoustic with a pickup, so I do not pay it any more. It is nothing special and I do not play it, but I do not see the point in selling it.

Last year, I had it professionally set up, so now it plays really nicely. I also bought a bag for it at the same time. The upshot is that I put about R750 into that guitar last year.

The problem is that it has a couple of dings which look bad, but do not affect it in any other way. But they will reduce the price I can sell it for. After looking at second hand prices, I believe that I would be lucky to get R1000 for it - actually really lucky.

So my feeling is that it is worth more to me as a guitar lying around my house than as the money in my bank account. Or stated differently, I would not be able to replace it for what I could sell it for.

Perhaps outer people are in the same boat.

psyx

Impala wrote: I know of people who own guitars which they never play but which they won't sell either, can someone explain that?

Sentimental value I guess? I have 2 of those lying around the house and never getting played. They're not even on my signature anymore

beardedmoose

Theres a clinical term for that phenomenon ......HORDING

V8

1. Sentiment. It's your first guitar or something that's been in the family for a while. I tend to pick up instruments when travelling, play em on the road, then get home and enjoy them as a memory of my travels. I just prefer it to those crappy nik-naks that plague soooo many homes...
2. Aesthetics. Design or engineering. I had a few I hang up (ala paintings) that I thought were visually entertaining. My hohner G2 headless never gets played anymore, but I think as a example of engineering (and 80s...ahem...styling) it's awesome.
3. Hording, like the Moose sez - sometime we think it's cool to own lots. Especially ones of questionable vintage...(just because it's old doesn't mean it's good)
4. Lastly...collecting. Some people collect comics they never will read, toys that will never get played with, cars that never see the road...perhaps for the pleasure of looking at them (?) or as a investment.

NorioDS

Sentiment is the big one for me but also a "fear of missing out."

See, I had this awesome Ibanez RG470.

Replaced it with another higher-end Ibanez. (As in I sold the one to get the other.)

Now I miss my original Ibby so bad. It was "just right" for me.

Finding another guitar that feels just right has been impossible.

Yeah there are technical things I can do to get my current guitars to play "just right" but I'd rather turn back the hands of time and still have my original baby.

As for the guitars I have that I almost never play... it's still FOMO at play there. (Fear of Missing Out.)

I know as soon as I ditch one, I'm going to want to do something that that guitar would have been perfect for.

And like someone else said, I won't get much for them if I sell them so I might as well keep 'em ?

singemonkey

Yeah. Took me ages to get rid of my first electric. I kept imagining what I might one day do with it. Eventually gave it away to someone with no guitar or cash since that tugged at my conscience some ?

studmissile

Some guitars are investments, the prices on them just keep going up?

V8

studmissile wrote: Some guitars are investments, the prices on them just keep going up?

It can be - though from my time in the comic collecting world...it's hit and miss. Demand & condition is key.

If it's Mint, then I'd consider investing, medium to long term - I've been looking at a 82' Dan Smith strat or Fuji-Gen MIJ strats (80-90's), and certain Rickenbackers as investments...though not playing them would hurt.

Íf the condition is less than VG, the price would have to be tempting - I wouldn't necessarily consider it an investment - more of a short-medium term flip.

Banditman

What beardedmoose & V8 said. Change "guitars" to "cars" or any of a thousand other things, it's a quirk of the human condition.

Mind you, I can understand hanging on to stuff that's kept indoors. While I understand the compulsions are the same, I've never understood people who love cars so much they can't bear to part with them, yet will watch the same obsession slowly rot into the ground until it's beyond salvage of any kind.

Keira-WitherKay

i have no emotional attachment to any instruments ..they tools to do a job....tools i love and a job i love but yes i too can't understand someone claiming emotional attachment to an object ........

studmissile

V8 wrote:
studmissile wrote: Some guitars are investments, the prices on them just keep going up?
If it's Mint, then I'd consider investing, medium to long term - I've been looking at a 82' Dan Smith strat or Fuji-Gen MIJ strats (80-90's), and certain Rickenbackers as investments...though not playing them would hurt.

Oh no, I couldn't not play my Fugi Gens!

Stoffeltoo

I have an old Yamaha 12 string. I just cannot get myself to let this thing go. Bought it in 1983 as my first guitar, learnt to play with it and it is resting in its hard case. Couple of roadie dings and stuff but still my favourite go-to when I need appreciation of electric guitar necks and to do some finger strength exercises ?. Sentimental yes, Sell, a definite NO!

aubs1

Impala wrote: I know of people who own guitars which they never play but which they won't sell either, can someone explain that?

? Why do they have to do either??

Impala

Well, a car is for driving, a house for living in, and a guitar for playing?

DaFiz

I've had a couple of dozen guitars over the years though there are only 4 in my collection at the moment.
They get swopped after a while for another and I never get emotionally attached to them.
As many cars and bikes as well and the same applies ?

chris77

Aubs1 wrote:
Impala wrote: I know of people who own guitars which they never play but which they won't sell either, can someone explain that?
? Why do they have to do either??

Exactly. Folks have different reasons to want different things. There's a lot of things in life I don't understand and a lot of things people like to do which I cannot comprehend why. But if it makes them happy and does no harm to anybody else, why lose sleep over it.

aubs1

chris77 wrote:
Aubs1 wrote:
Impala wrote: I know of people who own guitars which they never play but which they won't sell either, can someone explain that?
? Why do they have to do either??
Exactly. Folks have different reasons to want different things. There's a lot of things in life I don't understand and a lot of things people like to do which I cannot comprehend why. But if it makes them happy and does no harm to anybody else, why lose sleep over it.

+1 Chris77.