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(legit) Hypothetical question...'burst values...

67blackcherry

Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2015
Messages
205
Greetings - I've got a hypothetical question regarding the value of 'bursts in the coming decades. Yes, we've seen the values increase through the years but what's going to happen when our hero's fade away....and we follow....I don't really see the younger generation of musicians embracing the whole vintage thing (for the most part) and they certainly aren't making rock stars like they used to.
Classical musicians will always yearn for a Stradivarius, and wealthy benefactors (it seems) will always provide those violins to certain musicians in that realm but...what about us, and those guitars we coveted? Fifty years from now, will they still be as highly sought after?

Hypothetical, I know...just wondering what the experts think.
 

Reno_1ted

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Joined
Sep 21, 2014
Messages
665
Work your way back through the vintage forum and search and you will find many, extensive threads discussing and answering this exact question. They'll tell you all you need to know.
 

67blackcherry

Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2015
Messages
205
Work your way back through the vintage forum and search and you will find many, extensive threads discussing and answering this exact question. They'll tell you all you need to know.

Probably should've tried that first...
Thanks!
 

Chicken Scratch

New member
Joined
Apr 20, 2007
Messages
551
I'm 24 and a serious guitar collector. I've got a mess of custom shop fenders and gibsons, along with many vintage amps that I have purchased myself with my own hard earned money over the years. Although the guitar crowd will always exist and guys like me will still be around you must understand that my generation is completely different than any other. It's really difficult to even see anybody else my age that isn't literally obsessed with staring at cell phones or computers, I'm not certain that my generation is as interested in collectable items let alone a vintage guitar. Even most young folks I know that do play guitar will comment on my "nice" guitars but generally don't seem moved to ever purchase one for themselves, it's seems an epiphone that looks close to what i have will do. Don't get me wrong there's guys out there but out of all the young musicians I've met they just don't seem to understand the addiction guys like us possess. :spabout Hope my thoughts aren't offensive as I'm only reporting what I see, I hope the sunburst les paul retains its collectability as with everything else. :jim
 

renderit

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
They will be worth nothing. Hell, they are already plummeting. If you act quickly I will give you $50 for each 58 or 59 you have. $45 for 60's. But move quickly as my largess will not continue.
 

jimmi

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Messages
2,077
I'm 24 and a serious guitar collector. I've got a mess of custom shop fenders and gibsons, along with many vintage amps that I have purchased myself with my own hard earned money over the years. Although the guitar crowd will always exist and guys like me will still be around you must understand that my generation is completely different than any other. It's really difficult to even see anybody else my age that isn't literally obsessed with staring at cell phones or computers, I'm not certain that my generation is as interested in collectable items let alone a vintage guitar. Even most young folks I know that do play guitar will comment on my "nice" guitars but generally don't seem moved to ever purchase one for themselves, it's seems an epiphone that looks close to what i have will do. Don't get me wrong there's guys out there but out of all the young musicians I've met they just don't seem to understand the addiction guys like us possess. :spabout Hope my thoughts aren't offensive as I'm only reporting what I see, I hope the sunburst les paul retains its collectability as with everything else. :jim
Wait until they have money and are looking for places to invest. Plenty of people still collect vintage cars and other stuff.

Also where you live matters, here, there a lot of players and collectors.
On the up side, if the prices completely bottom, I could get 5-6 bursts to have around the house. So no all bad. :)
 

j45

Active member
Joined
Jun 14, 2002
Messages
9,081
I'm 24 and a serious guitar collector. I've got a mess of custom shop fenders and gibsons, along with many vintage amps that I have purchased myself with my own hard earned money over the years. Although the guitar crowd will always exist and guys like me will still be around you must understand that my generation is completely different than any other. It's really difficult to even see anybody else my age that isn't literally obsessed with staring at cell phones or computers, I'm not certain that my generation is as interested in collectable items let alone a vintage guitar. Even most young folks I know that do play guitar will comment on my "nice" guitars but generally don't seem moved to ever purchase one for themselves, it's seems an epiphone that looks close to what i have will do. Don't get me wrong there's guys out there but out of all the young musicians I've met they just don't seem to understand the addiction guys like us possess. :spabout Hope my thoughts aren't offensive as I'm only reporting what I see, I hope the sunburst les paul retains its collectability as with everything else. :jim


We've beat this horse to death over the years but I, for the most part, stayed out of it... I've been a dyed in the wool guitar enthusiast since 1963, spent my life long career playing a guitar and its been my only job for the past 43 years I've been working, and in my spare time I like to talk about guitars as well as collect... well until the madness hit a few years ago...but I'll go back soon for sure.. it's in my blood.. I agree 100% with this observation, it will never be the same as it was for us growing up. I don't think there is any way possible vintage guitars will have such a following as now. Bursts may hold value in some ways but vintage as a whole? How could it? I was reading in one of the major Men's mags while getting a haircut an article about the "death of rock music" at one the major festivals. It will never be the center, focal point, and pulse, of society as it was in the late 60's. Say what you want, you won't get me to buy the idea that vintage guitars will have anywhere near the importance to future generations as it did to "us".
 

jimmi

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Messages
2,077
We've beat this horse to death over the years but I, for the most part, stayed out of it... I've been a dyed in the wool guitar enthusiast since 1963, spent my life long career playing a guitar and its been my only job for the past 43 years I've been working, and in my spare time I like to talk about guitars as well as collect... well until the madness hit a few years ago...but I'll go back soon for sure.. it's in my blood.. I agree 100% with this observation, it will never be the same as it was for us growing up. I don't think there is any way possible vintage guitars will have such a following as now. Bursts may hold value in some ways but vintage as a whole? How could it? I was reading in one of the major Men's mags while getting a haircut an article about the "death of rock music" at one the major festivals. It will never be the center, focal point, and pulse, of society as it was in the late 60's. Say what you want, you won't get me to buy the idea that vintage guitars will have anywhere near the importance to future generations as it did to "us".
I grew up in the 80s when it was all synth and glam. I still got into vintage guitars. Not sure it will not swing back. Country music is still there.
 

Phatfrank

Active member
Joined
Feb 5, 2015
Messages
309
I think the market for Vintage guitars is in many ways similar to classic cars, and as such I am fairly sure that the demand amongst the next generation will be very low. I took a friend's 9 year old son out in a fantastic old italian sports car the other day, and he was much more interested in my iPhone 6 than in the car. I was the same age when I first got a ride in a similar car, and I swear I had my first erection:). The true Bursts and the GTOs of the world will always be very valuable, but as a whole I think the vintage market will decline as "our" generation fades away.
 

JJ Blair

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Joined
Jan 9, 2011
Messages
3,462
I plan on being buried with mine, which should increase the value of all the others, because there will be one less Burst out there.
 

ourmaninthenorth

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Mar 28, 2009
Messages
7,119
Or someone else's fun, as it was for us. :salude

I think this is it.

Slightly off the main thrust of the OP, I'm not talking about ££ value here, it's the other values that interest me. I think the fun element gets a little lost in the arguments about money, authentication, fakers forgers and vagabonds. Who's richer than whom, petty entrenched positions taking on a life of their own. At the end of the day, Gibson guitars have been a consistent part of my life for over 4 decades, I know I'm in the company of similar enthusiasts here. I visit this forum on a daily basis, particularly the Vintage section, where I can bask in the grace of the amount of sharing that's done. I don't own a 'Burst, and the likelihood of ever doing so is diminishing with age!!, but those here that do, and allow us all to share in that...well I doff my cap...all the pleasure without any of the responsibility. I don't suffer from that corrosion called jealousy, however I once made a comment on this forum that a lot of 'Bursts are in the wrong hands...an angry, petty and aggressive comment, I take full responsibility for being simply wrong. 'Burst owners that are being criticised for sharing, or having the audacity to actually bring real life, get the money down, experience into the public domain...well, I can understand sometimes why tempers get a little short, and "owner only" sections are mooted. Persevere Gentlemen, there is more appreciation of your efforts than you can possibly know.

My point? Talk of the demise of the legacy of these guitars, and the music that's been made on them, is slightly premature imo. The sheer beauty of these wonderful guitars, spoken about and displayed here constantly, is the legacy for future players and collectors. Whether it's Joe B filling Wembley Stadium or Joe Bloggs filling his front room, the beacon remains alight. People will be reading these threads in years to come - when some of us aren't here to read them ourselves anymore. As long as we keep writing, showing, discussing, arguing,appreciating, dreaming...we are writing this chapter of history...it's a responsibility we are all part of, I personally don't underestimate how important this Forum is, not only for now, but as a pictorial and narrated history for those that are following.

To all the contributors, past, present, and future, a simple thank you is in order.

Cheers :salude
 
Last edited:

Beano Geno

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Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Messages
3,631
There are basically 3 camps on this, as far as I can tell:

1) A burst is a burst and it doesn't really matter what the price is. It's not about the monetary value....never was for me.

2) Bursts are a rare collectible and the value will continue to increase despite intermittent ups and downs in the market.

3) Burst prices will go down as the baby boomers die off. Bursts, and guitars in general, will never be as popular with future generations as they are for those who loved rock in the 60's and 70's.

I have no idea who is right. If forced to pick one, I'd go with number 3. YMMV yada yada
 

Zakmichael

New member
Joined
Mar 23, 2015
Messages
37
I'm in for life... So my value of the ones I'm holding. 1 dollar!!:salude

Joe B

I'll buy them all off you for a buck a piece Joe! You can hang onto them and play them until you come to my city or vice versa and I'll jam them for a bit and catch up. Just send me your Paypal addy and we'll hook it up.

Thanks!
ZAK
 

ufboy73

Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2008
Messages
836
i don't know if its relevant but it may be helpful/instructive to look at other collectible markets that seemed to be much more popular and suffered some sort of popular decline, as that seems to be the premise to a lot of value decline forecasts.

two that immediately come to mind are comic books and baseball cards. Baseball card collecting, from what i understand, was immensely popular in the generation before mine and then seemed to become not as prevalent as i grew up (was born in 1973). I honestly don't know but what has the collectible card market look like over the last 20 years or so?

Comic books were very popular, even while I was growing up but doesn't seem to have the same level of general popularity - how is that market?

Of course, there are devoted passionate followings to anything (cards, comics, stamps, coins, etc.) but i think there is precedence to some collectible markets having suffered 'popular' decline...how are their values holding up?

i suspect the burst market may not tank and they will still be very expensive in the future - but it wouldn't surprise me if it becomes even less liquid than today.
 
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