Hi all,
I ask this only half-seriously: how do you afford the guitars that you need? When I look at the signature lines of some of the good folks here and drool over their stables, I simultaneously wonder if I'm corresponding with millionaires (even recognizing that some folks have been building their stables over decades). I've got a decent-enough paying job (tenure-track university professor) but hesitate at the thought of adding $4000 more to my credit card debt (at least 75% of which is, at any given time, instrument-related). I know it's an investment, and I know that the delight that I would get from such an instrument would last a lifetime (just as the guitar itself would), but that's a chunk of change in the short term.

How do you all do it, especially those of you making under $52K a year? Managing my money better is one obvious solution, but I'm sure that non-musician financial advisors would say that would include not buying $4000K guitars!

I have hunted for guitars (and other collectibles) for years at local NJ flea markets and scoured hundreds of antique stores when I was on the road for business for 15+ years in the 80s and 90s. In addition to some fine underpriced guitars and amps, I collected American Art Pottery for years. This obsessive collecting and hunting resulted in a collection of pottery and some guitars that had significantly appreciated. My young daughter was the first to advise me to "sell the pottery Dad for something your use everyday". I sold enough "stuff" to buy my OM and then a D2H that was subsequently traded in on the black C-10. In the process, I sold a '78 Les Paul Special, an original clear Dan Armstrong, a '34 National Duolian, several original Dano guitars and amps, a Gibson GA-40 amp, a white Bandmaster (damn!), a blue pearlburst Strat Plus, etc. A fun journey. I still have a great pottery collection of the keepers, a '56 Strat, brown Princeton, '37 National Style O and the two Collings.

sceimhlitheoir wrote:

quote:

I ask this only half-seriously: how do you afford the guitars that you need?

I guess "need" is the operative word here and necessity truly is the mother of invention.

I got a lot of my stuff just like Randy...scouring flea markets and pawn shops in the pre-internet/e-bay days.

Being a pizza and bread delivery guy in the 80's took me to a lot of unusual places and homes. Here are a few of the things I found just while making my rounds:

1956 Gibson J-50
70's Gretsch White Falcon
Early 60's white Fender Bassman,Bandmaster,and 1960 Supro Champ size amp all at the same house.
70's Fender Champ
Fender Musicmaster Bass and amp

And, this great piece of good fortune....delivered some pizzas to a yard sale where the owners had just set out a big boot box full of Topps football cards from the early to mid 60's. That $15 purchase turned into a brand new sunburst Telecaster in less than 24 hrs.

Oh, and my favorite was on my 30th birthday the local music store who I delivered to asked me if I wanted this old heavy metal guitar they had taken in on trade. So they reach behind the counter and pulled out a pristine 30's National Triolian in walnut sb. I said what do you need for it and they said how about $100. Happy Birthday to me

cowboy,
Very cool. It's called "paying your dues" .
Hours and days of searching for the next great find. I bought my '37 Style O at the Lambertville flea market for $200. I've gone there every Sunday morning at 5-6AM since the 70's. Englishtown, Brimfield - like you say, pre-internet/ebay/Antique Road Show. Damn them. Happy hunting. Actually, I'd put my '94 C-10 for $3750 in the category of a great find and good investment. I'd been searching for a black one and the cutaway and fingerboard extension were a bonus.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Randy Carone,

Truth is, when I made my larger-$$ purchases, I was making a lot more than that.

If you actually need the cash to live, then obviously it will be hard to pull off that huge a guitar purchase at this point in time.

That's not such a hardship, really. You can get some great guitars that cost closer to half that much. You can maximize your value if you buy carefully, buy used, directly from sellers to avoid commissions.

Secondly, keep in mind that, if you purchase carefully, you are hopefully acquiring a non-depreciating asset rather than a terminal expense. I made money (small amount) when I sold my Collings dreadnaught, which I bought used. The Brazilian rosewood OM I bought has probably appreciated a hell of a lot better than my stock portfolio over the last x years. But I can't play my stocks in the meantime.

I don't know where you are in the life cycle, but in the context of a lifetime of investments a single commodity (eg carefully-chosen guitar) investment of $4k, or even $10k,is not going to make a huge negative impact on how well you can retire.

Over the course of a lifetime you will probably piss away more than this on home repairs, vacations, kid-related, which will genuinely be expenses that you do not recoup.

It turned out my main mutual fund holdings were heavily weighed with Enron stock. I wish to hell it had all been in vintage guitars instead.

So I wouldn't necessarily be too concerned about making the purchase,as a one-shot deal, if the money is there to make it. But if your expenses already exceed your take-home, then maybe you just can't do it now.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: D2H2259,

Wow. That was well-written D2H2259.

I aquired my stable of guitars over time. I have a small allotment that goes to a instrument fund. I patiently allow the money to grow (that's the hard part) and I know what I want to buy. Also, I seek used instruments. I would never by a guitar on credit, however. Like someone said earlier, you can get a fine guitar for much less than 4K. I got my 1996 D-1 for approx 2K and it's a wonderful guitar. Good luck in your search. Cheers, Chuck

Until I bought my used D1 in the spring of 03, which was a straight cash transaction, and on which I got a great deal, all my guitar acquisitons except the first have been a matter of "trading" up. Several guitars I traded in, a couple of others I bought knowing I would sell my current guitar to help fund the purchase. I've borrowed from savings or my dad a time or two, until I could affect the sale. Rarely have I gotten much less for an instrument in trade or by selling it than I originally paid for it (not allowing for inflation, but still).

I married well. Really. And I put away some each week - and try to focus on my goal without being distracted. Currently I'm after an F-5 mandolin.