is an early 90's standard an investment

[Sir Punk]

As someone here might remember, I now have 2 les paul standard. One 95 and one 92. In addition I also got an Epi Elite which absolutely kicks ass. At this point I decided to sell one or both my standards.

My question is, should I keep one of the two as an investment? The 95 is in REALLY mint condition, the 92 is more of a player but still in good condition. Fret wear is limited for both. Or should I sell them both and get my dream guitar a 68 triburst reissue.

I am not talking about how they sound and all that subjective stuff, just monetarily. I see 70's custom aren't worth that much more than 80's or 90's customs. So I am not sure that keeping a standard will be that much of an investment. One is already for sale.

[diceman]

Another happy Elitist owner! Glad to hear that you're liking it.

As for the Standards - neither are going to go down in value I don't think - but they aren't "collectible" or investment guitars, really. Condition is always a factor that makes any guitar worth more - so your '95 will be more of an investment than the 92.

If you really want the 68 - I'm sure that you could sell those Standards at a profit (I know you got great deals on them).

[Schtang]

you never know what the future holds for the collectibility of a guitar. The 90s Les Pauls have just as much chance of being collectable as any Gibson from the 60,70,80,90,00s

[R9.]

I HIGHLY doubt you'll ever be able to sell those and retire. Here's how I see it, excluding vintage stuff...

Guitars are not like cars in the sense that they continue to depreciate year after year. Once a guitar is purchased, it takes a large initial drop in value and then remains steady. That's why an '82 Custom sells for the same amount of money as an '05...that's what I've noticed here in Canada, anyways.

The longer you keep your Standards, the more you will be able to sell them for. The price of used LPs increases as the price of new LPs increase. So, let's say that the cost of a new LP Standard is $3,500 in 10 years from now (scary!!), a used one might be able to fetch $2,500 - $3,200, depending on condition.

Still, if that '68 is your dream guitar I say go for it. You only live once and if you can afford it...do it! But, I would not buy a Custom as an investment because from what I've seen they take a HUGE hit on value. Much more than Standards.

Up here, new Customs sell for $3,600 (before the price increase). Plus 13% tax, that's $4068. There's a used '07 Custom at a local shop with a sticker price of $2,600. I know for a fact that the guy got $2,100 for it when he gave it in.

Yeah, 13% tax..we get hosed up here!

[dwagar]

Originally Posted by R9.

Yeah, 13% tax..we get hosed up here!

hey, you could always move to sunny Alberta where it's 5%.

Value and collectiblily I think depend on rarity and demand. 50's LP have high demand and there aren't very many of them. A 70's LP (about 35 years old, and there are lots of them), with a few exceptions, still isn't worth as much as a new one. I'd say if there's a guitar you want, go ahead and sell the herd and get it now.

[singlecut]

in answer to the title , NO

[Sir Punk]

diceman, you were right, the elite is a great guitar. I just love the finish, the weight and the playablity. The clean are fantastic and the sustain is better than my standards. The dirts, I still don't know, they have a different sound, it might be due to the pickups or the strings.

back to the topic. I am not planning to buy a new R8, For me a 2-3 years old will do just fine. It just seems to me that Les Paul are hard to come by on the used local market, so that's why I was thinking it might be an investment. And the early 90's always have a good rep. But after all you guys have pointed out I will definitely sell one, and I might sell the other one as well.

I just feel bad selling the 95 because it is such in great condition that it is hard to come by. It's hard to part with nice gear, I am attached to it, but for many reasons I can't keep 4 guitars at home. It might be painful to sell it.

[diceman]

I can never part with gear, either.

But - it'd be worth it for an R8!