Tiger0018 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 Hi there, all. Just looking for advice about possibly selling my Dad's 1957 Les Paul Jr. Someone told me if I can determine the serial number and give it to the Gibson site, they would be able to give me an idea as to what the guitar is worth. One of my questions to you guys is, how much of the value is based on overall condition? A friend told me the neck may be "slightly" warped. If I have it repaired, does that affect the selling price? (as in, never polish a Ming vase). Serious replies only, please... Parting with this guitar is going to hurt a lot, but current financial status is forcing me to do things I never dreamed I'd have to do. Thanks a bunch. Tiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filbert Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 (edited) If you know the model number and date then you would be just as better off doing a search on Reverb or similar auction sites and seeing what similar model/year/condition guitars go for; that will give you a rough idea of a guide price. As with everything, these things fluctuate in price due to underlying economic trends, supply and demand and all that. As for condition, it depends. If the neck is only slightly warped, you might better off selling 'as is', describing it as such and allowing the buyer to make his/her decision over whether and where to get it fixed. You potentially run the risk of getting a sub-par fix that affects the price. Edited October 23, 2019 by Filbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger0018 Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 Thanks a lot, I'll do that. I did Google the guitar and got a large variety of prices, ranging from "He doesn't know what he has" to "He's deluding himself". I want to be as accurate and fair as possible but not cut myself short. Tiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted October 24, 2019 Share Posted October 24, 2019 (edited) are you in the US? If I was you, I would contact Eldery Music and work with them. They do appraisals of instruments such as this. While I am not sure of the cost (maybe 50 bucks?? it IS a service they offer) They are probably the best in the business for this kind of information. Everything else is really just a shot in the dark. Edited October 24, 2019 by kidblast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger0018 Posted October 24, 2019 Author Share Posted October 24, 2019 Hi kidblast, while I appreciate the lead, I cannot afford an appraisal fee. (The whole idea of selling the guitar is to get OUT of debt, lol) But I will have a look at the site. Thanks for the info! Tiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted October 24, 2019 Share Posted October 24, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Tiger0018 said: Hi kidblast, while I appreciate the lead, I cannot afford an appraisal fee. (The whole idea of selling the guitar is to get OUT of debt, lol) But I will have a look at the site. Thanks for the info! Tiger wait a second... So you are telling me that you can't / wont invest 50 bucks to get an accurate quote on an instrument that you could sell for potentially 10s of thousands of dollars? brother, you deserve what ever screwing you take with guessing value... see ya round.. oh and, welcome to the forum,, we are anything but not polite.. Edited October 24, 2019 by kidblast 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger0018 Posted October 26, 2019 Author Share Posted October 26, 2019 Dear kidblast, Thank you for the heartwarming reply. Have a great day! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filbert Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 Passive-aggressiveness aside, you've had a couple of replies offering some solid advice as to how to get a value for your guitar but ultimately, any valuation given online is basically a finger in the wind and subject to all sorts of variations such as local economy, supply and demand, condition and so forth. If you want an accurate and unbiased opinion then you need to take it to a professional and get it valued as such and any such professional is going to charge for that service. There is no point pissing and moaning about it - speculate to accumulate. I've only frequented these forums for a few months or so but even in that short time there are loads of people posting 'oh, I got left this guitar by my Dad, Grandad, found in an attic - how much is it worth' and honestly, the form answer that could be copied and pasted to all of them is 'depends'. Best you will get is a ballpark figure and if that is not good enough, seek professional advice same as you would for literally any other item of value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted October 27, 2019 Share Posted October 27, 2019 On 10/22/2019 at 1:56 PM, Tiger0018 said: Hi there, all. Just looking for advice about possibly selling my Dad's 1957 Les Paul Jr. Someone told me if I can determine the serial number and give it to the Gibson site, they would be able to give me an idea as to what the guitar is worth. So what's the serial number? :^) I usually just type the guitar model into ebay. Assuming it's a Gibson (and not an Epiphone 1957 Les Paul Jr.), I plugged in "1957 Les Paul Jr" and learned that there are "1957" models made in 2001, 2013, 2014, and who knows what else. There were (roughly) 42 of them for sale, many in Japan. Only one sold in the last month or so, a 2009 in like new condition for $1595. The ones that weren't selling were apparently trying for twice that. (?) Other than that, I know nothing about that particular guitar. :^/ I expect there are others here who know much more.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger0018 Posted October 28, 2019 Author Share Posted October 28, 2019 Hi Filbert, thanks for the reply. First of all, I was not "pissing and moaning". I was merely stating a fact: I am in financial straits. Therefore, it will take me a bit of doing and homework to find someone to evaluate my guitar. I am not forgetting all the variables you mentioned (time, place, economy, etc). And while I do appreciate ppl answering my query, I couldn't understand why some were being a bit too brusque with their answers. But it doesn't really matter. Good advise was gained, for which I am most appreciative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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