Will my bass be collectible?

[Phreaky Phriday]

The most likely path to collectability is if you make it big as a bassist - then the mods make it more collectable. Garden variety fender wont hold a lot of value - even the 50s p basses sell for less than a similar investment in s&p500 would have yielded

 

[micguy]

Fenders are mass produced consumer goods. To understand why the earliest ones are valuable, it helps if you were around in the early days. In the 60’s, you would see bass guitars on TV, but in normal life, they were rare - you just didn’t see them in people’s homes - there just weren’t that many made.

So, if enough people think that the earliest ones are better, there’s not enough supply to satisfy the demand.

Your 99 is from an entirely different era - there are lots of Fenders that were made in that era. As there are gobs of years of production before and since, there is plenty of supply. And there isn’t a special demand - a ‘99 Fender isn’t going to have special “mojo” associated with it. So, low demand, plenty of supply, it’s a bass, not a collectible.

Play the damn thing. If you practice enough, it can become a special bass (because you’re good) and if you get famous, it might be worth something. But that’s about the only way a 99 Fender is gonna fetch big money.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

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!

Absolutely!.... best condition available is the caveat.
Even rarity can be boosted by desirability .
The 3 criteria all vary by how they interact.
If your 1955 Topps Mickey Mantle has a crease...but its the best one available?..

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

I know OP's post was tongue-in-cheek but for perspective: I have a Kubicki Ex-Factor bought new in 1985 for $1300. Current new ones, AFAIK, are about $3800, and older Fender licensed versions are as well. That's equivalent to $1300 in1985. They are considered collectible and yet have really just kept pace with inflation. Wals have about doubled in value, but availability of pre-owned seems to have turned it into a buyer's market, given the relatively small buyer pool. Original D'Angelico guitar prices went pretty crazy several years ago but prices were apparently driven by 2 or 3 deep-pocketed individuals. When they were sated sales stagnated.

BBB

 

[txhawaii]

I know OP's post was tongue-in-cheek but for perspective: I have a Kubicki Ex-Factor bought new in 1985 for $1300. Current new ones, AFAIK, are about $3800, and older Fender licensed versions are as well. That's equivalent to $1300 in1985. They are considered collectible and yet have really just kept pace with inflation. Wals have about doubled in value, but availability of pre-owned seems to have turned it into a buyer's market, given the relatively small buyer pool. Original D'Angelico guitar prices went pretty crazy several years ago but prices were apparently driven by 2 or 3 deep-pocketed individuals. When they were sated sales stagnated.

BBB

I was thinking about the Kubicki Ex Factors as no one brought up in this thread. The 80s models actually are listed for sale in the 4k and up range.

Maybe all the Gen Xers who grew up watching JT slap that bass in the late 80s are driving the pricing up. I recall them being in the $800-1000 range in the late 90s on eBay.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

This might become one. Right now its my new dream Bass.

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

I was thinking about the Kubicki Ex Factors as no one brought up in this thread. The 80s models actually are listed for sale in the 4k and up range.

Maybe all the Gen Xers who grew up watching JT slap that bass in the late 80s are driving the pricing up. I recall them being in the $800-1000 range in the late 90s on eBay.

I see the asking prices but was trying to find Reverb's sell history. Don't know how to do that, but it would be informative.

BBB

 

[brianrost]

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?

Let us know in 2050

My Franken P is worth a lot less because of all the mods, but the mods are what make it sound unique. It’s also why I got it so cheap

BTW, the AI is confused. While 50s Ps are certainly rare since not as many were made in the early years, it’s pre-CBS Js that are the most desirable. I don’t know of anyone seeking out early Alembics rather than current ones.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

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?

As a former financial advisor, I would never invest in musical instruments for capital gains. Frankly there are other places to invest that will bring much more predictable results.

I buy a bass for its utility. My MIA N series Fender PBj, as an instrument, compared to the basses that people are paying ridiculous prices, it’s a much better sounding, much better made bass, and it’s not even close. For the record, actually I played most of those “vintage” basses during the 60’s and 70’s. Anyway, am I looking for my ?n series to appreciate in value like these 60-70? Of course not.

 

[cymbop]

Mod it and play it.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Depends, a Tiffany lamp still commands high $$? But the arc is inevitable:

The volume of people that see guitars as collectibles, when the boomers empty their huge coffers of all those? when there is a glut on the market? When Ric Neilson clears out his inventory, like Steve Miller has been, IF and when Keef dumps his larder on evilbay, when Neil Young’s collection goes up for sale.
When Metallica clears the vault?


What do YOU think is going to happen to the prices when there are literally 1000’s and 1000’s of “collectible” instruments available to a FAR SMALLER buyer pool (boomers will be aged out or gone) Genx #s are smaller and less interested….

 

[used guitars]

As a former financial advisor, I would never invest in musical instruments for capital gains. Frankly there are other places to invest that will bring much more predictable results.

I buy a bass for its utility. My MIA N series Fender PBj, as an instrument, compared to the basses that people are paying ridiculous prices, it’s a much better sounding, much better made bass, and it’s not even close. For the record, actually I played most of those “vintage” basses during the 60’s and 70’s. Anyway, am I looking for my ?n series to appreciate in value like these 60-70? Of course not.

no

 

[lowendblues]

Depends on who the buyer is. I'm more of a player than a collector. If I come across a really nice playing modded bass, I'm interested.