Vintage Urban Myths

[Ian Price]

I have heard a few stories in the past where people have claimed to have bought a piece of vintage gear for next to nothing - often at a car boot or from a person not 'in the know'. Although I would like to believe this I am really not sure if these stories are true. Has anyone from this forum ever acquired vintage gear at a ridiculous price? Is it worth me trawling around car boot sales across the country in an effort to find something interesting?

[Kilby]

Has anyone from this forum ever acquired vintage gear at a ridiculous price? Is it worth me trawling around car boot sales across the country in an effort to find something interesting?

Back in the 80s it was so much easier:

I had a mate who swapped a cheap Yamaha acoustic for a real old Martin acoustic, but that was way back in the mid 80s

Come to think of it I missed a 69 thinline tele for 125 quid (I could only raise 100 at the time) and an aquantance a couple of months before got a 63 Fender Jaguar (truely mint condition) for 75 quid.) No reissues in those days

That was in 83 (even then that was a steal)

[Ian Price]

Come to think of it I missed a 69 thinline tele for 125 quid (I could only raise 100 at the time) and an aquantance a couple of months before got a 63 Fender Jaguar (truely mint condition) for 75 quid.) No reissues in those days

I think that I am in the wrong generation for vintage guitar buying! A mint condition 63 Jag would cost thousands in current prices.

[HTH AMPS]

Here's mine in the last 10 years...

* '76 Marshall Lead & Bass combo, £150
* copper panel AC30 for £250 with a Marshall Artiste head in the deal
* 70's Hiwatt DR103 for £250
* Simms Watts head £40 inc a bagful of NOS valves (KT66s, KT88s, 5AR4s etc...)
* 70's Laney Supergroup 4x12 with G12Ms for £100
* 70's Selmer 4x12 with G12H greenbacks for £100
* Selmer T&B head £35 (non working)
* Selmer T&B head £65
* Laney topmount Supergroup/GBO head £100
* Laney Supergroup head £100
* Sound City L50 £50

...and there are more, I've just forgot a lot of them.

Haven't found anything recently, been a good couple of years since I've picked up a REAL bargain.

[sambo]

* copper panel AC30 for £250 with a Marshall Artiste head in the deal

 :o

[Crazy_Joe]

* 70's Laney Supergroup 4x12 with G12Ms for £100

Damn!

[ailean]

I think eBay is the death of 'great' bargains. It's now very easy to find out what something is worth even if you have no idea yourself.

[PhilKing]

In the 70's I got some great deals (and sold things cheaply too though!):

1961 Precision Bass £80
1971 Les Paul Custom £200
1961 SG Les Paul Junior £200
Lots of AC30's for less that £100

Then in the 80's I got:
1965 SG $250
1960 Strat £500
1963 Strat £300
1963 SG Junior £350

In the 90's
1959 DC LP Junior - refin $250
1953 Les Paul 58 conversion $2000
1957 Strat - refin $1700
1957 Tele - refin $1500
1960 LP DC Special - $500
1962 Telecaster neck $200

This decade
1963 Thunderbird IV $400 - this was in pieces and stripped but Will Scott put it all back together and it is an incredible bass
1963 Strat $1800 (this is my old one that I had sold to a friend who passed away - his family let me have it back at the price he paid me for it)
1954 Les Paul Goldtop - free - left to me in my friend's will - however I won't be selling it, too many gigs I remember with it.

[dave_mc]

I think eBay is the death of 'great' bargains. It's now very easy to find out what something is worth even if you have no idea yourself.

i agree. i'm quite new to it, but even from what i've seen in the past month or so of paying a closer eye to ebay, it pretty much seems that unless you're willing to go to market rate (or close) there's a good chance someone will outbid you. with all that ebay market research you can pay for, if something is too cheap, a seller will buy it and try to sell it on for profit...

not saying you can't get lucky on ebay... but it does seem unlikely. :)

and as you said, it's very easy to find out the going rate. even if you don't pay for those market research subscriptions.

[headtheball]

I got my 72 Tele deluxe for free, in bits, from a man who got in free, in bits, back in the seventies. I originally took it home in a mail sack.

It's a double-stack of urban mythery.

[38thBeatle]

I would think that finding any gear of great value cheap at a car boot fair is not impossible but highly unlikely and you'd have to cover a lot of ground. Maybe I am just lucky but I have got myself some real bargains on Ebay ( I think we have covered this before so I won't bore you with the details). I think it is a case of keeping an eye out and  acting quickly and being prepared to  take a punt.By definition, if it is a real bargain, i.e. cheap, you don't have a lot at stake. The carv boot sales I have been to have been filled with other people's tat and depressed the hell out of me but that is just me.

[Will]

Almost got a pair of EVM 12S from ebay, poor listing, so I emailed the UK EV distributor.
However, along with the poor listing, the seller listed quantity as 2, so it was selling it as 1 each. despite being the first bidder, and being the first to bid for the sale amount £30, the seller chose the other person that bid £30.
Seems like the guy made an honest mistake, they haven't been relisted

[cjpmmd]

About fifteen years ago I got a MuTron-II phase shifter and an original Electro-Harmonix "Clone Theory" pedal for $30 from a friend of a band member.  Just stated he "didn't want them any more."  They still sound pretty sweet.

[Mr Ed]

I will never forget reading an article in a guitar mag where some guy was browsing guitar pedals and some woman was clearing out some old stuff and there was an "old red pedal" she wanted rid of.

Guy paid something like £10 for it and it turned out to be a v.good condition DM-2.

I've hated that guy, whoever he is, ever since.

[jibidy]

Im sure i read about someone on bareknuckle buying an old tokai strat for 34p or something. cant go wrong for that.