Collectors???

[cockroach]

Just saw a regular TV programme this evening here in Australia called 'The Collectors'.

One of articles tonight included a featured collector (usually people with antiques, memorabilia etc) who was a guy with 260 guitars, including 160 of his favourites- Telecasters....

Perhaps it's just me these days who thinks this is ridiculous?

I can understand a professional player owning say, a dozen different instruments (solid, acoustic, bass, 12 string etc etc ) to use as his 'tools of trade'.

I can even understand an average guy, perhaps older and/or reasonably comfortable financially, who has a collection of perhaps six or eight guitars that he always wanted and couldn't afford as a young fella- perhaps a set of Shadows or Beatles guitars..

But 260 guitars??????

Is this some sort of morbid obsession, wanting every possible model or colour, of say, Telecasters or Strats or Les Pauls etc?

Such a person would be lucky to ever be able to play every one of a collection that large, surely? In fact, some of these people either play only to an average standard or sometimes, don't even play guitar at all! I saw another TV feature some time ago on a 'rare guitar' collector who didn't actually play the guitar!

I've seen a young financial genius yuppie type bloke on e-Bay selling some of his 'portfolio' of rare vintage guitars....

Could the guitars collected just be a bragging point- 'Look at me, I've got the most!!' or 'he with the most toys..wins'? or what??

Unlike say, postage stamps, or beer mats, or many other items people collect, many old guitars can still be used to create music today, but most of these 'collectables' will probably never be played by a musician, and will remain financial investment objects or some bloke's hidden treasures or toys...

What do you think??

And PLEASE spare me the response often given to that question these days ('Because he/she/we/I CAN...')

[neil2726]

Collecting can be an obsession. Mine is collecting money - but than I see a guitar and spend it !

[RayL]

Unlike say, postage stamps, or beer mats, or many other items people collect, many old guitars can still be used to create music today, but most of these 'collectables' will probably never be played by a musician, and will remain financial investment objects or some bloke's hidden treasures or toys...

What do you think??

Unfortunately, both examples that you quote (stamps, beer mats) are in exactly the same category as the 260 guitars ie they could still used for the purpose for which they were created, and the same is true of most items that are collected as a hobby, whether they be cars or porcelain cow-creamers.

Suppose someone in the 17th century had stored away a collection of unused lutes, spinets and sackbuts and it was found intact in the 21st century. Would we be saying "What a shame that those 17th century musicians were denied the use of these instruments"? Or would we be saying "What amazing treasures. Thank goodness they were kept as they were"?

Ray L

[Mike Honey]

We had a customer who bought a new strat or tele whenever it came out! he couldnt play a note and had no interest in playing, just wanted to own them as an investment.

mike

[alanbakewell]

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[George Geddes]

I did read somewhere that "collectable" guitars, as an investment, perform much better than the FTSE or Dow Jones...

Me, i buy guitars I like and can afford, or ones with a Shadows connection (the two are not mutually exclusive)

George

[AndyKC]

Until late last year "investment" guitars were fetching stupid money but things have levelled off a bit since the economy went pear-shaped. It doesn't mean that some guitars/amps aren't tradiing at ridiculous prices but they've come back down a bit. The whole guitars-as-investments thing caught fire in the early 90s when the Wall Street Journal published an article about it. Suddenly everyone was an expert. Additionally, Japanese collectors were throwing money at anything they could get their hands on. Finally, eBay entered the picture. Make of that what you will.

My own collection is somewhere around 20 guitars at present. I only have two duplicates (of sort), a couple of Strats, one in sunburst and one in sonic blue. Yeaaaaaaahhhhh I suppose I'll get a fiesta red one sooner or later.

I do have a sort of obsessive collection. It's a huge collection of seashells I keep scattered all over the world's beaches. Perhaps you've seen it?

[BrianD]

I love the term "investment" guitar. I keep kidding myself I am buying one but whenever I want to buy they cost a fortune because everyone wants one and whenever I want to sell they seem to be exactly the model nobody wants to buy and the price is half what I paid!!!

I did buy a Custom Shop Strat a few years ago - a particularly nice one. They guy selling it was collecting Strats made by a particular Master Builder (can't remember the name) and told me he had quite a number of Strats from this one guy. He couldn't play a note, just wanted to own them.

Brian

[kipper]

personaly i would love to own collect that many guitars, i have owned quiet a few at one time or another but have to sell to finance buying others . i love to play them all and get great satifacion from that, and think some are real works of art. like the vox teardrop or phantom. the strats shape is a wonderfull thing to look at and the big plus is they have a working function. if some hold there value so much the better thats a plus. bragging rights dont even come into it with me just the pleasure of having them. peter

[MeBHank]

Owning a guitar but not being able to play it must be like being married to a beautiful woman but not being able to ever, er, appreciate her. If I am in a room with one of my guitars, my eye is drawn to it and I feel a longing to make music with it. It's not long before I am enticed and I have to hold it and play it.

Collectors not only waste instruments that others could put to far better use, but they must feel an awful amount of frustration. It's a horrendous display of greed, IMO. If you can play, though, you have justification for owning any number of them as you see fit.

J