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Will my bass be collectible?

#41
A '99? Maybe in 50 years it'll be collectible. Collectible is reserved for small numbers produced. Early Leo's pre CBS are indeed worth more than later OTS fare.

Why?

I guess because they're old. I have played mid-60's Fender of equipment (yawn) and it's no big deal. I don't see the draw. I have a friend that has a '64 Fender P that he bought new in 1964, and it's basically a wall hanger and every now and then he pulls it down off of hangar and plucks on it a bit. But playability wise there's nothing really special in fact it feels kind of unspecial to me. Early 70s, fenders were junk, CBS didn't care.The machinery was out of tolerance and those instruments resemble frame carpentry. Most of those Fender's have probably been cycled through technicians and various repair folks who have kind of fixed them and/or worked out the flaws but I wouldn't own one these days, I've had 2 and that garbage is long gone.
 
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#44
Smooth_bass88 said:
before the internet no one cared about collectibility, resale value (I despise that term) or de-valuing. People just bought instruments and played the snot out of 'em.
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Hoooooo boy, that is so not true.

Even back in the '80s people were hoarding Strats and Les Pauls from the '60s and pricing them in the high four-digits and up.

About the only thing that's really changed between then and now is that since the stuff people were collecting in the '80s go too expensive, successive generations of collectors have had to aim their sights at other equipment, like vintage amps, pedals, lower-tier instruments from Fender, Gibson and third parties, and guitars from years after the 1960s.
 
#45
Heiwa said:
I'm sure there are two 1999 Fender bass models that will be collectible (I won't tell you which ones). Asking this question about a regular PJ is just ridiculous. And you're laughing at the opinions of those who tell you no, but you're still here, so you don't know that much. XO
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txhawaii said:
woah! you got some truths! good for you.

I'm laughing at those who can't see the irony in this post.

take it easy, pal.

relax in knowing your knowledge in 1999 fender pjs is so much more complicated than dumb ol' me understands.

I hope you sleep a millionaire tonight as we hoi pollo I can only wish to be as snarky on a fourm who gives one F about your opinion.

good luck and looking forward to your response.
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I get it man it was a thought experiment! Some folks are juts uptight!
 
#46
Podgorny said:
I have an old Hofner that is "collectible", but will be much less so once the older Beatles fans have died out. But its value to ME is as an instrument with a unique tone and playing experience. Ultimately, you'll be happier if you buy/mod instruments to suit your needs and just play them.
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I think when all of us Boomers go away, it will change. I'm out of the loop on what young people want.
 
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#47
humbuckaroo said:
I find this thread very odd. Posting "sarcastically" and then berating others for not being edgy enough to understand the humor.
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The OP seems to be the only one getting the humor and seems to be taking delight in berating others for "missing it".
I thought this post read as a bit of a "troll" when I first read it. The subsequent responses seem to confirm that.
 
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#48
Music, and therefore musical instruments, will have have outlawed several years prior to 2050 by our AI driven robot overlords, so I’d say it’s ok to mod your ‘99 P. Just make sure you resist the collection / enforcement units (CEUs) when they come to your pod for it. Maybe disguise it as a floor lamp or coat rack.

As far as future value, the only thing that will be considered currency in 2050 will be pre-2031 printed statements from 401k, 4013(b), and traditional IRA accounts, so make sure you don’t go paperless. Don’t even open them, just let them pile up. 2031 is the year we are going to shift from a monetary system to a bragging rights of what we used to have system. It’s hard to say what a ‘99 P would be worth in that type of market, but maybe an unopened 2021 annual shareholders report for Nvidia, before it took off?

Anyway, good luck and enjoy the ride.
 
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#52
Having done a few searches last night in which AI was the first link harvested, I have to say I would not use AI as a credible source for anything. At best it is a random, bullet-pointed abstract for a Wikipedia article. There are far better sources, including Wikipedia.
 
#54
Pdaddy1978 said:
Collectability is determined by 3 things.
1. Rarity
2. Condition
3. Desirability
Anything that dosent hit all 3 criteria, ain't gonna be collectable .
Your not gonna see a PT Cruiser on Mecome auctions.
Same thing applies to almost ALL goods. Baseball cards, records, comic books, cars..
And bass guitars...😶
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You're spot on, with the caveat that the condition can vary quite a bit, depending on the other two factors. Very rare and very desirable can be very beat up and still command a high price.

My '09 USA Standard Jazz is never going to be worth more than I paid for it new in 2010, but I bought it to invest in my bass playing, not for my retirement.

Likewise with my NYC Sadowsky, although that one could be interesting when/if Roger Sadowsky retires. My daughter knows to be smart with that one after I'm not here to play it any more!
 
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#55
macribas said:
Here's a thought. Imagine you bought a Jazz Bass in 1965 for $300. How much would that fetch today? $20-$25k if in great condition?

Now imagine if you instead got $300 and invested in a mutual fund. Let's put a very reasonable YoY average of 8%. Compound interest would net you at least $30k.

I might be off in my values as I don't follow the vintage market or the money market but the concept applies for the future: if you want to play a bass, buy a bass. If you want to keep the value of your money, invest it.
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8% average yield dince 65? I’d say you did extremely well.

In other news, and I am not suggesting buying instruments as investments, I bought a late 60s CBS era P bass in the mid-90s for $800. I’m embarrassed to say what I’ve been offered for it recently. I bought it because I generally like how the late 60s Ps sound and play, and even talked to someone about refinishing it. Mike Lull to be precise. Good thing I didn’t!
 
#56
ardgedee said:
Hoooooo boy, that is so not true.

Even back in the '80s people were hoarding Strats and Les Pauls from the '60s and pricing them in the high four-digits and up.

About the only thing that's really changed between then and now is that since the stuff people were collecting in the '80s go too expensive, successive generations of collectors have had to aim their sights at other equipment, like vintage amps, pedals, lower-tier instruments from Fender, Gibson and third parties, and guitars from years after the 1960s.
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Yeah but not like today. Way different world now (for better or for worse)
 
#58
txhawaii said:
Now before many of you get all hot and bothered over this question...hear me out.

I'm doing some modification to a 1999 Fender PJ but nothing that couldn't be set back to factory settings. But within my google search about my bass's value, Google suggested the following:


"People also ask

How much is a bass worth?
What is the rarest bass?


AI Overview

The rarest electric bass guitars are generally considered to be early Fender Precision Basses (P-Basses), especially pre-CBS models from the 1950s, and Alembic basses from the early 1970s. These basses are sought after by collectors due to their historical significance and craftsmanship. "


Over the years, many here have lamented routing, stripping, cutting, what have you of some early Fender body that would be worth many zeros had they not been sonically or visually creative and ruined the value of their bass. Who would have thought a pristine 58 precision would pay off car or mortgage payments back then today. They are just tools making music, after all.

As far as Fender goes, imho, 1950s was the beginning, 1960s was the golden age, 1970s were heavy and poorly built (by some accounts,) 1980s was a transitional time between poor US quality and Japanese high quality, but then the 1990s and beyond are mostly well-made and mass produced.

My overall question is, will anything we have today whether its 90s, 2000s on...be as valuable as what we perceive 50s and 60s models values today? Will I be kicking myself in 2050 over the mods I did on my 1999?
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No.....have at it. Wear yourself out.
 

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