How much is a COA worth on a historic

[lhrocker]

There's currently a cool historic on the *bay that is still very low priced. The main reason for that may be that there is no COA. How much does a COA add or detract from the price of a historic? Can you ever get a replacement COA from Gibson if they can verify it?

 

[Tim Plains]

I don't think Gibson replaces them.
Probably $100 or $200. It's just a piece of paper.

 

[loaded six string]

I don't think Gibson replaces them.
Probably $100 or $200. It's just a piece of paper.

They will replace it. But, you have to send your guit-machine to Gibson for authentication. Been there done that. Fortunately, I didn't have to, my dealer found mine.

 

[delawaregold]

It will depend largely on the guitar. If it is a highly collectable
Model, or an R9 or R0 with a truly monster top, it could affect
the price. If the guitar is a regular issue, or destine to be a player,
it’s doubtful it would affect the value at all.

 

[ausmatt]

Hi all,
Personally for me it would be a deal breaker, no COA no buy, as far as i'm concerned I like all to be in order when purchasing something like that, it's alot of money for a guitar and should include everything that it left the CS with.
Thats just me.
Also though I think it goes some way into giving you an idea how the guitar was looked after, you know, if the person that had it couldn't even look after the COA that makes the guitar legit then thats pretty sad. And who wants to send it back for authentication.
Like I said thats just my opinion.

 

[twinrider1]

Not having a COA limits your prospective pool of buyers. It may take longer to sell and you won't get top dollar. There's a segment of the market that just won't buy without a COA, so you're selling to a smaller number of people.

For me, I'm pretty much aligned with Delaware Gold thoughts. But even if I'm buying a beat R7, I'll use the lack of a COA as leverage to get the price down if I can.

 

[Tuxedo Kaz]

No COA, no cash.

 

[Texas07R8]

I agree that you should have the COA of a Historic for the best price down the road or if you're going to keep it and plan on handing it down to a family member. It will be worth more with the original documentation.

No longer will Gibson re-issue a lost or stolen COA without sending it back to Gibson for a few weeks and you paying shipping both ways. When I bought my R8 from GC the sales guy brought out the case after the deal was made. It was a Custom Shop case but it didn't have the paperwork with it. The salesman, a young kid, went back into the warehouse for a half hour and said he couldn't find the right case with COA.

I told him I thought that was pretty sloppy on their part and he apologized and promised he would get it to me or get a replacement from Gibson. He first said that GC could get one from Gibson but later found out that wasn't true, he'd have to send the guitar back to get a new COA. He said I had 30 days to return it if they couldn't get one. A few weeks went by and still no COA. I told the guy that no COA was a deal breaker.

A week later I got a call and he said he receeived another R8 for me to come look at and it did have the proper COA. I went up there and checked it out and it's as nice as the other. Actually a little nicer than the first one. My first R8 had an interesting top and a nice figured (striped) rosewood fretboard but it was a little porous for my liking and the worse part was the excessive red dye bleeding into the cream binding all the way around the guitar. It didn't bother me a lot at first but the more I looked at it and a few friends commented about it looking like a manufacturing defect the more I disliked it. Especially when I went and played other Historics that had no bleeding.

The new R8 I have now has NO bleeding on the binding, body or neck.. and the fretboard is almost black with virtually no pores. Looks almost as good as my ebony necked Custom...

Some have said that some original bursts have edge bleeding but I've never seen one in person with any bleeding (seen quite a few at shows that didn't have any bleeding). Others have said that it will fade in a few years. I don't buy that either, I've seen some 5 year old (and older) Historics that still have edge bleeding, they're not clearing out IMO.

So having said all that, I'm glad I got a second R8 with proper COA, checklist, etc. and no edge bleeding. I remember one person posted with some surprise that I'd "bother" to return a guitar because of a piece of paper.. well, to each his own and to me I required it for my purchase or I'd take my business elsewhere to get exactly what I wanted.

With the flood of fakes, clone and copies out there I take some added comfort in knowing mine has all the original documentation and that I've got the full Gibson lifetime warranty on my R8.

 

[Tuxedo Kaz]

+1. COAs are there for a reason. Good score on the R8...I'm hoping I'll be as lucky.

 

[geochem1st]

A good scanner and Photoshop and I could crank out COA's for weeks. Not saying that I would but they can be faked as well and we will soon be seeing that. I wouldn't buy a guitar sight unseen and without playing it. Just my opinion.

 

[stinger]

A good scanner and Photoshop and I could crank out COA's for weeks. Not saying that I would but they can be faked as well and we will soon be seeing that. I wouldn't buy a guitar sight unseen and without playing it. Just my opinion.

They can be found on Ebay. It doesn't take much at all to fake something like that nowadays. I'm sure mine are all genuine COA's but how would I know that for certain?

 

[Stowburst]

I 'm only interested in the guitar, the COA is just a bit of paper!

 

[Liam]

I suppose in some ways it's a matter of confidence. People feel they've definitely got the real deal if they've got a COA.

From my perspective they're so much easier to fake than a guitar that they don't matter too much.

My R9 came with a COA, but I probably would have preferred a few quid off the price...

 

[Last]

They will replace it. But, you have to send your guit-machine to Gibson for authentication. Been there done that. Fortunately, I didn't have to, my dealer found mine.

Guit-Machine? What do you mean?

How much was this & how long of a process are we talking here?

Thanks!

 

[Tuxedo Kaz]

Guit-Machine? What do you mean?

How much was this & how long of a process are we talking here?

Thanks!

He meant guitar. And I don't think Gibson charges anything but you'd be paying shipping both ways (probably US$100+) and it'd take at least a few weeks, I reckon.

 

[Stowburst]

the COA I got with my 07 R9 looks fake compared to my 04 R9..but who cares! I'm not plugging the COA into to Marshall and rocking out!

 

[Last]

He meant guitar. And I don't think Gibson charges anything but you'd be paying shipping both ways (probably US$100+) and it'd take at least a few weeks, I reckon.

Ah, I see. You'd have to send in the entire guitar? Wow!

Damn that little slip of paper certainly should be held on to!

 

[stinger]

Ah, I see. You'd have to send in the entire guitar? Wow!

Damn that little slip of paper certainly should be held on to!

You gotta send them in cause Gibson got sick of sending out new COA's to counterfit guitar makers.

 

[JLH]

all of mine (COA's)are kept in a secure fireproof safe and recorded at my insurance company as copies that have a notarized seal stamped for authenticity. I agree with the majority here, its like registration (papers) on a purple ribbon bred animal, its quite valuable, it is important.

 

[Tuxedo Kaz]

Actually, out of curiosity, I'd like to know what you guys think too. -200 or 300 off of a historic or nothing at all if it has no COA?