vic wrote:
Thought I would raise the topic on this Forum.
Past few months I have seen a few vintage guits come on the market in SA. I was of the opinion at some stage that buying a vintage guit or two could perhaps be the way to go ito investment...at least it's something that one can enjoy as well. However, considering the prices of such, AND the fact that SA sellers are struggling to get their price, I am inclined to reconsider the wisdom of going down that road.
The vintage market was really booming in the 80's and 90's, especially in the US, but seems to have cooled down substantially in the last 3 years or so.
I think the days of quick profits are gone. That doesn't mean that you can't make money out of good quality guitars - but unless you get lucky and find a bargain you have to take a long term view.
Limited editions seem to do a bit better. Signature model Martins, that kind of thing.
Some brands do better than others. Fender, Gibson, Martin in particular. I have been surprised at the price of 2nd hand Lowdens. They don't build a lot of guitars in a year, and the quality is really good, so you'd think that people would fork out good money for a 2nd hand example - but it don't look that way.
Your best bet is to sell overseas. Vintage instruments will attract better prices there - but you'll have to pay for the delivery.
What you really want is to find an original Gibson Mastertone banjo. There are thought to still be a couple lurking in SA somewhere. Find one of those in a pawn shop and you'll make a very tidy profit.
