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Thread: Vintage stuff not moving

  1. #1
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    Vintage stuff not moving

    Anyone else notice vintage dealers have the same stock they did a year ago both on Ebay and in store?

    I certainly have noticed. Lots of yesterday prices dealers keep saying are right (using the price guide) but if it doesn't sell, it aint right .... right?

    I sold a few things myself and took less than I wanted. But I didn't want to be stuck in a downward trend. Young folks .... they seem content with a 2016 reissue of 1962 vs the real thing. At least thats my take.

  2. #2
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    Re: Vintage stuff not moving

    Not really in the market for vintage stuff anymore, but yes, I have noticed a slowing in the market. I would guess that the availability of serious reissue & replica guitars have cleared the floor of the guys that just like vintage pieces for the "cool" factor. Back in the day it was not uncommon to see someone w/a decent '56 Strat at a gig. Nowadays it's just too risky to take out on a regular basis an instrument that could be worth $30K!

  3. #3
    Forum Member redisburning's Avatar
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    Re: Vintage stuff not moving

    Quote Originally Posted by strathunter View Post
    Anyone else notice vintage dealers have the same stock they did a year ago both on Ebay and in store?

    I certainly have noticed. Lots of yesterday prices dealers keep saying are right (using the price guide) but if it doesn't sell, it aint right .... right?

    I sold a few things myself and took less than I wanted. But I didn't want to be stuck in a downward trend. Young folks .... they seem content with a 2016 reissue of 1962 vs the real thing. At least thats my take.
    what do you consider young?

    I'm 28 and it's only been in the last 12 months that I could afford a vintage strat. and Im pretty well off for a young folks because not only am I a data scientist I'm actually employed as one (which took nearly 4 years after getting my masters doing other, less fruitful stuff). I really dont mean that to brag, just to make the point that at no point in the first 27 years of my life could I personally have pulled 15k out of my pocket and walked away with a guitar. issues strats are reliable basic transportation money. original finish is fun car territory (I know because I was pricing out e46 m3s and they were less than some originals).

    the last 2 refin early 60s I played were both 9-10k. you know I have a Cunetto era relic 1960 strat and one of those guitars I played was an actual 1960 strat (the other was 64). my guitar has a smaller (imo better) neck and a better bridge + middle pickup position, which is something I really like about my specific instrument. yes if they were worth the same I'd have traded my guitar for the 64 but not the 60. but for me, a kid who doesn't have that kind of "**** you" money to spend money arbitrarily, yeah I'm gonna hold on to my custom shop guitar.

    another thing is like, think about how much due diligence old Fender guitars require. they're parts guitars off the line; lash-ups happen. I cant afford to get hosed on a 15k strat. just can't. I dont think many my age can. I dont think that many people my dad's age can, tbh. if I were going to buy something vintage, frankly I'd start with a Marshall amp, but that's an even bigger problem there .

    why take the chance with a 66 JTM45/100? I bought a Germino instead. half the price, no monkey business. maybe not as good.
    why take the chance with 64 refin strat? I bought a 1960 relic instead. 1/3rd the price, no monkey business. a little bit worse.
    why take the chance with the 64 no badge deluxe reverb? I bought a Carr Rambler instead. no need for a full cap job, ~50% less money. frankly it's a better amp.

    so it just goes on and on for me. vintage is risky, high upfront cost, marginal improvement. yeah I get it's the sound on the records and in a perfect world I'd absolutely go buy a ton of vintage stuff. but in my "real world", which again is a pretty fantastical one with no kids and very fortunate 8-5, I do prefer a reissue.

  4. #4
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: Vintage stuff not moving

    Yep, I see it too. Same thing with 60's and 70's muscle cars. It was a boom market and now the bottom is falling out. I think all of us boomers are getting to the age where we're past "things" and more into retirement and family.

    The younger generations will never have the same connection to the artifacts of our youth that we do. At least that's my take.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

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    Re: Vintage stuff not moving

    It's true. There aren't any 30 yr olds who saw Hendrix or Duane Allman live, screaming through some Marshall, & said "One day I'm going own that rig."
    Heck, there aren't any who saw Stevie Ray doing that!

  6. #6
    Forum Member GregsGuitars's Avatar
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    Re: Vintage stuff not moving

    The mindset for a dealer ( me at least )is everything will eventually sell, when it sells is not important, most of my items I purchased years ago and many I have purchased in the last few years are not even offered for sale as of late, not due to a down market but to keep things I speculate on stashed for when I perceive the time to sell is. Inventory for small dealers (myself) does not turn over the way people perceive it does and instead of rolling in dollar bills all I do is buy another guitar to sell at a later date.
    A lot of my clients are under the age of 35 and most are semi professional or professional musicians.

    As a side note edit, this last year 2016 has been slower than normal and I speculate it is/was due to election cycle and uncertainty, but for some reason my post election sales have been very well( for me at least.)
    Last edited by GregsGuitars; 01-21-2017 at 08:49 AM.

  7. #7
    Forum Member GregsGuitars's Avatar
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    Re: Vintage stuff not moving

    Also as more and more areas for sellers to move their wares emerge in our "connected " world (private sellers as well as dealers ) it continues to be a crowded market, but as stated above by myself, post election sales have been very pleasing.

  8. #8
    Forum Member redisburning's Avatar
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    Re: Vintage stuff not moving

    2016 saw a major slow down in most luxury markets (of which vintage guitars qualify) due to a major effort by "The Party" in Mainland China to crackdown on visible corruption.

    Wine, Swiss Watches, Cameras, Fountain Pens, they all just seemed to take a beating. In fact the fine art market appears to be self-immolating as we speak.

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