Online Auctions (1984 Guild F-45CE)

Thanks to companies like Ebay and Paypal, anyone with internet access can now bid on guitars from beginner models at less than $50 to vintage and boutique instruments worth tens of thousands of dollars.  Valuable guitars are being bought and shipped all over the world at an unprecedented rate.  This is made possible by institutional sellers offering money-back guarantees if the instrument turns out not to be as advertised or wanted by the buyer, and - even in the case of individual sellers - by the threat of negative public feedback that very prominently affects the seller's online rating and ability to complete future transactions on a site like Ebay.

Still it is unnerving to plunge in and buy an instrument sight and sound unseen.  Even good close-up pictures can only communicate so much (although I have seen some sellers take the time to record a Youtube clip of the guitar being played).  My initial forays were on well-known models that usually hold few surprises, at least as to feel, playability, and tone, as long as their condition is accurately portrayed in the listing.  Predictably, however, the bidding reached well above my limits on these popular models by the time the auctions closed.  The advantage of greater access to a world-wide market is also a disadvantage when one is competing for a bargain-basement price against multitudes of other potential buyers who know the market value of these instruments.  So besides the need for lucky timing, it seems advisable to look at a niche of the market that is not too crowded, yet holds recognizable value.  So far, it seems that the vintage Guild acoustic-electrics that I like tend not to be bid up as much as similar model guitars by other premium makers like Martin, Gibson, or Taylor.

Today, in fact, I successfully won my first auction, out-bidding nine other buyers for a 1984 Guild F-45CE in very good condition with its original Guild hardshell case.  Like my F-47RCE it is a less well-known model that was in production for only a few years. The seller also noted that the battery pack for the pre-amp was corroded and would need replacement.  My luthier having assured me that this would be a minor fix, I bid aggressively in the final seconds and out-bid my closest competitor by $10! Here's a stock picture from Guild of the guitar I expect to be delivered to me within the next ten days from the individual in California who first bought the guitar in 1984.  Interestingly, Guild sold these guitars without a pickguard and the seller never added one so I will get to decide whether to add one and if so, what kind.  Fun!