Promotional Not For Resale

[gearbasher]

There is a Gibson Emmylou Harris on ebay. I'm not interested in buying it, but the is a brand on the label that says: Promotional Not For Resale. Does anyone know what that is all about? Just curious.

 

Here is the link with the label photo enlarged:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350140436739&indexURL=10&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting

[TWilson]

You might try emailing the seller and asking them. It is rather curious and looks as though it was burned into the label and underlying wood.

[Thermionik]

.

That's probably a guitar that a dealer picked up at a Gibson event or a Trade Show, or it might have been given to a potiential dealer as a demo. Quite possibly it was a second given to an artist for touring, or a promotional item given to a radio station for a contest - often a way to use perfectly good but less than perfect stock.

 

If the vendor doesn't know, email Gibson - they will for sure !

[nolongermike@gibson]

That's how they used to be stamped if they were exactly that, a promotional unit. That doesn't mean its a special one of a kind, it means it was either a guitar for an artist, or a salesman's show unit, or something to that effect. That little stamp didn't have much power in stopping them from being re-sold though, did it?

 

Hence, we don't bother anymore.

[ballcorner]

The most important thing to note about a promotional guitar is that there is no warranty of any kind. If you are about to buy the guitar as the third or fourth owner, that doesn't matter anyhow, but you have to understand that Gibson was never paid for the instrument so there is the ethical question of whether or not it is reasonable to purchase it from someone now.

 

As others have noted, there is nothing unique or special about this instrument. It is the standard model with the branded stamp. As a collector, this is not an instrument I would want - but others may have a different view.

[onewilyfool]

Well....isnt' this guy RESELLING this guitar?????

[jefleppard]

Well....isnt' this guy RESELLING this guitar?????

 

ah, but can you truly 're-sell' that which has never been sold before?

[John Lee Walker]

I had such a guitar at one time. My dear, late friend and very talented guitar luthier in Jacksonville - Gary Smalley (American Music Store) - sold me one of his unique species Telebirds (a blend of Telecaster and Firebird) way back when. It had been used by a couple of artists, namely Jeff Carlisi of 38 Special. Stamped 'promo 38' on the back of the headstock with quite a few dings and a belt buckle valley. Had a beautiful swamp ash body with a white pickguard, custom maple neck. Very nice guitar. I wish I still had it, but it ended up in a trade + cash deal for a sweet '72 Telecaster Custom Thinline. I regret bartering with that guitar.

 

Ain't that weird. I bet most of you are like that, you can remember every guitar you've ever bought, sold, and traded over the years. Oh, the guitar stories we can tell.

[dodgedarren]

Hello, I have 91 Gibson j200 labeled "Promotional Use Only" it was rumored to been given to Johnny Cash by Gibson but I've hit a dead end on my research. The cash and guitar have all the markibgs of a working instrument

[J-1854Me]

When I click the link it say it has been removed.

 

Well it WAS nine years ago.... :-)