Explorer prices

[Hydra19]

I've been looking for Explorers and the prices are all over the place. For a used one you're looking at around £800 up to £1200, new is slightly more and Special models are way expensive as are the Custom Shops. So you look for Tokai copies, Burny, Greco, but if those are available the prices are around £1000 because they are rare. Seems expensive for MIJ Explorer copies.

But I have also been looking at Japanese Auctions, and the prices there seem lower, around £700 - £800 you can get Gibson Explorers from all kinds of years, and just last week there was a Gibson Yamano Explorer (slight next crack) that went for less than £400.

I know sellers will put high prices but sell for less. Has anybody managed to buy or sell a decent Explorer for around £800?

 

[efstop]

I bought my 2018 Antique Natural Explorer used about two years ago for $1200 or roughly £700. All the goodies for it were in the case and the guitar has one tiny, light scratch. A new one in Canada is $2250, about £1300.

There are a lot of varieties available used, so you can look for the colors, pickups etc. that you like. Gibson currently has only the Antique Natural with BBs and the cheaper B-2 Satin Ebony with Dirty Fingers.

 

[WesB]

I know sellers will put high prices but sell for less. Has anybody managed to buy or sell a decent Explorer for around £800?

I picked up a 1976 Explorer for a couple ounces of pot and $50. But that was back in 1980. I imagine prices have gone up a little since then.

 

[zhivago]

I bought one today, 6 March 2021 for £825 + shipping, so they are out there.

'76 RI in Cherry from 2006, according to the seller.

 

[fretout]

The prices on Explorers can only be described as “inconsistent”. A little over a year ago, it was easy to find clean examples from $700 - $900.

In a PC Era (post-COVID), they have been around $1000-$1500.

I think it’s due to lower guitar inventory, mixed with people with stimulus/tax return money to burn.

I’ve been on the hunt for a 76RI for about 2 years. I found a nice one last May, which I passed on because it didn’t have the case. Still looking now...

Hopefully prices come down when everyone gets back to work...

 

[Snowdogyyz]

I bought my 2016 explorer T for less than $700 in late 2019. Excellent shape, but no hard case. I bought a case afterwards. Like pretty much everything else during the pandemic, prices have gone up!