If Ricks Are So Coveted...Why Are They So Cheap?

[john turner]

HA! True, though it's just that it was a ridiculous deal and vintage Fenders tend to be worth much more.

that wasn't that ridiculous a deal back then. i got my 73 4001 in 86 for $350. got a 77 jazz the same time for the same amount.

they're both worth about the same right now, about $1700, give or take.

 

[80'sRocker]

because they feel like you are playing a piece of large timber

 

[gaffster787]

hmm...chris squire was the first reason I even noticed the bass guitar..
but the thing about rics that bugged me, was the unadvertised pricing..
Gibson promoted their 1976 Thunderbird's, with pricing on our local FM station and Fenders were simply everywhere to be had. Still they sold a lot of rics to "art rockers".

 

[plangentmusic]

I know why. Two words, "baby," "boomers."

They excell in taking what was cool when they were kids, and marketing it back to my generation at an inflated price. There's your inflation, there's who's saying "you gotta have it!" There's your answer.

True. Maybe it's because we're so lacking in culture, we need to grab anything that has any longevity.

But if you think baby boomer bassplayers are crazy -- check it out: A single non baseball bubble gum card. http://cgi.ebay.com/1962-Topps-Mars...9QQcategoryZ60226QQcmdZViewItem#ht_3138wt_907

I had the set. It was discontinued because the content was deemed "too violent." THAT, is why it has value.


And of course, you can also pick this up -- but it's used. http://cgi.ebay.com/1952-Topps-base...S_Baseball&hash=item4aa6efbea7#ht_1796wt_1141

 

[TylerDurdenPSSC]

Wow, I'm gonna have to pass on the cards, lol.

 

[smcd]

TO me the vintage market is just a way people have to try and convince themselves that products manufactured before were better because America was a better place to live in the "old days"

I'm not sure about that. The prices on 70's Fender products is being driven up by young people who want a vintage instrument, but are priced out of the pre-'70 market. These buyers have no sense of nostalgia for that era, as they weren't even born then. They just want an old guitar because having old stuff is cool.


And having grown up in the 70's, I can state for certain that America is a lot better now than it was then.

 

[JimB52]

Add me to the list of people who think '70s Rics are a good value.
They are priced the same or less than a Fender from the same era and look to have a much higher production cost than a Fender.

 

[cassius987]

I got my 1976 4001FL for $800 about ten months ago. It was not abused but it had been modified to a small extent. Frankly I think I got lucky... the structural condition of the bass is flawless and the neck is the most stable thing I've ever seen.

 

[christw]

If anyone can point me in the direction of a factory/new 4003 for under $1500.00 I would be grateful as I only see em for just under 2k

I know it was mentioned in-thread how to do this but I also sent you a PM.

I got my 1976 4001FL for $800 about ten months ago. It was not abused but it had been modified to a small extent. Frankly I think I got lucky... the structural condition of the bass is flawless and the neck is the most stable thing I've ever seen.

My most recent was an '81 4001 for $675 I mentioned on page one. It had a repaint from the late '80's that actually looks really cool. It's certainly used but I like it.

 

[smcd]

Do remember that modified or refinished instruments go for about 1/2 of what unmolested examples would.

 

[christw]

Do remember that modified or refinished instruments go for about 1/2 of what unmolested examples would.

Worth noting that there were several other people attempting to buy the bass within minutes of it's listing. I can go check the thread for exact numbers. I sent a PM before I even knew if I had cash. It could have sold for $1000 just because it's a vintage Ric, I'm sure. The seller immediately realized he could have got more for it.

 

[DTF]

IMO, vintage fenders are overpriced ONLY if they are not selling at the prices people are asking for them.

if you bought a brand new p bass in 1969 like i did, it retailed for $271 plus $89 for the case. in 1969 gas was 35 cents a gallon. it's about 10X that now, so $2700-3000 for a late 60's early 70's vintage p bass now is just the price of inflation, which seems fair to me.

nobody ever seems to understand this, old instruments are a store of value , there are alot of variables that determine price if there is a broke musician with a one of a kind instrument and you come along with cash and he is hungry the price is going to be different if you try to buy the same thing from a wealthy collector prices change constantly value always stays the same .

Like john said if you can get the same amount of gas,gold ,sugar, silver, coffee or whatever other commodity for the selling price today as in 79 or whatever you did good

 

[Jaymi]

I think this thread is worthless...The same argument could be made for any number of things....

TROLL ON...

 

[DTF]

Not really disputing whether you're right or wrong, but I have to point out that using gas as a reference point for inflation is kind of a bad example. It's far too volatile. Inflation has little to do with vintage instument prices. It certainly should affect new instrument prices, but not vintage instruments.

gas is exactly what you should use , gas isnt volatile , dollars are

 

[GregC]

gas is exactly what you should use , gas isnt volatile , dollars are

I think a chart from the last five years would show that gas was a lot more volatile.

 

[DTF]

I think a chart from the last five years would show that gas was a lot more volatile.

really ? I think a chart from 1914 would show dollars are

 

[GregC]

really ? I think a chart from 1914 would show dollars are

Maybe so. In any case, CPI (for all the griping about it) is a better measure of broad inflation than gas prices.

 

[DTF]

I think a chart from the last five years would show that gas was a lot more volatile.

five years isnt a good starting point since youre talking vintage instruments, and the last 5 years has been the most volatile for practically every asset class.

 

[DTF]

Maybe so. In any case, CPI (for all the griping about it) is a better measure of broad inflation than gas prices.

Id respectfully disagree , the cpi is skewed , by substituting, hedonics, etc. you get an artificially low number, oil price charts will ALMOST always be inverse dollar charts short term, and always long term

 

[TylerDurdenPSSC]

Youre both wrong, oil rigs are more volatile.

Vintage instruments are cool, just because they survived, not because some asshat thinks its worth his health insurance policy. I personally do look at '50's vintage stuff as being cool, but I wasn't around then, so its not the memories it would bring back. Instead it tells me about a time when things were simpler. (And made PROUDLY in the USA.) Patriotism was more widespread than h1n1, hoof and mouth, or bird flu. Just from my education, knowing that some odd 80% (number I made up) aided in the war effort by converting their facilities to manufacture munitions, vehicles, and weapons, today that would never happen! We'd have to many hippies picketing and protesting. (And were probably the most advanced munitions manufacturer in the world now.)

I think I love '50's era vintage for the same reason I love films set in the period. A time when technology at its best was a colored television, crime was low, and employment was good.

Ahh, the golden era that I'm jealous that I missed out on.