2026-era pricing guides?

[mrjamiam]

First off, I know, my life is mostly a cliche - here I am recently retired and realizing I have a lot more guitars than I ever had a hope of needing or even using.  It was fun having a pile of them, but the fun is over.  So, I should get serious about shedding the excess.  Cliche, cliche, cliche.

The ones I am eying are not Hamers, so not planning to fool with FS threads here.  There's a guitar dealer locally that I want to approach with the idea of taking the haircut but avoiding all the online sales to the public stuff that I see so much complaint about here and elsewhere, but I need to know the market first.  To that end:  

I'm using the Sold listing filters for Reverb and eBay to get an idea of what similar-ish guitars have traded for recently, to the extent that they may show the actual sale price instead of the last advertised price before the ad was closed; I don't know what I don't know there.  Way back before Reverb you could use some browser trickery to get eBay to reveal the winning bid price that they didn't want to show to casual lookie-loos, but I don't know how it is now.

Is there any other online source I should be checking to try to discover sale prices?  Or any other source these days?  I did RTFF back for at least a couple of years and didn't see any direct discussion on price discovery, but I vacuumed up any mention of non-Hamer pricing (which is done directly here) that I found.

Thanks for any help thrown my way.

[Dave Scepter]

I just Google the name brand/model of guitar and ask what it's worth.... nowadays AI will filter everything and give you a pretty accurate assessment

Example from Google:

A 1985 Hamer KK (K.K. Downing) Vector, particularly with the rare "Zulu" (red and black) graphic finish, is highly sought after by collectors, with prices potentially exceeding $4,000–$5,000+ depending on condition, original Kahler tremolo, and case. Standard red or mahogany finishes with typical wear generally fall in the mid-to-high thousands range. 

Value Drivers for 1985 Hamer KK Vector:

• Finish/Graphics: The Zulu Bengal graphic finish is considered the most valuable/rare.
• Condition: Original Kahler tremolo, pickups, and minimal paint chips around the V-points increase value.
• Case: Original hard-shell case is essential for maximizing value.
• Modifications: Mid-80s models sometimes have added MIDI pickups or factory mods (e.g.,), which can be a collector's item but sometimes lower the value compared to a completely stock guitar. 

Ensure the guitar is a USA model, as later Korean Vector models are significantly less valuable ($250–$300). 

Edited April 23 by Dave Scepter

[mrjamiam]

Thanks, I hadn't considered AI.  I gave it a try and reinforced my perception of it, or at least the Google implementation of it, as a not-too-bright junior assistant.  I don't doubt that the technology will improve over time, maybe even not that much time, but for now I feel like I have to check its work like I would with the assistant.

I entered "what is 2012 g&l asat classic bluesboy korina worth" and it responded (anyone interested can cut and paste to see) and I give it credit for showing its work, to an extent, with links in blue boxes to the right of the response (at least on my screen) that I am assuming it used in formulating its response.  There were two Reverb links, one from a 3 year old Sold listing and the other from a 10 year old Ended listing.  There was a Sweetwater link that no longer displays the content (at least not to me).  The other links were similarly not useful/relevant, IMO.

I can (and do) skim ads and forum chatter to see what numbers are thrown around, but I don't have any confidence that the AI is culling the BS and reporting the key facts.  It's not surprising, it's really just a big pile of "if this, then that" instructions that it can execute really fast.  It needs the right "if this, then that" instructions to be useful, what they call training, and for now, and especially for things that aren't the mass market, I don't trust it.  But it might turn up some links that I hadn't seen, so there's that.

[Dave Scepter]

I got this 

A 2012 G&L ASAT Classic Bluesboy Korina Collection guitar, specifically the limited edition (1 of 100) made in Fullerton, CA, is typically valued between $2,000 and $2,500+ in excellent to mint condition. 

Reverb +1

These guitars are premium USA-made models featuring a solid korina body, a Seth Lover humbucker in the neck, and a Pao Ferro fretboard

[mrjamiam]

Interesting!  I got this:  

 

"A 2012 G&L ASAT Classic Bluesboy Korina Collection (USA-made) is generally worth between $1,300 and $1,600 in excellent to mint condition. These limited-run guitars from the 2012 Custom Creations series, featuring Korina bodies, hold higher value than standard used ASAT models. "

 

Maybe part of the standard FU from the world that I have come to expect.

[Jimbilly]

I only sell locally, the oddball stuff is hard to sell, even in a pretty well populated area, some stuff I think you have to be willing to ship. A Strat or Tele in the under $1k price range should sell locally in any sort of populated area if priced competitively, the 'mexi strat' or tele would be probably the most marketable guitars in existence.

I chat with a friend regularly who sells a TON of gear online about pricing, we have kind of agreed on the simple principle that if yours is the cheapest one available based on what you're seeing listed online, even by just a little bit, eventually it will sell.  I've got a couple I'm probably going to have to sell online, they are too 'nichey' to sell locally.    

 I wonder what percentage your local dealer would take? I have considered similar, and always concluded that it would be less legwork to discount 'that much' and sell it myself locally on FB marketplace. 

I'm told that if you get practiced at it, packing/shipping is not that bad, make up a cool seller name ("MrJam guitars"?) on Reverb and jump in? You can get boxes etc delivered to you from Amazon, no more GC dumpster diving.

Edited April 23 by Jimbilly

[mrjamiam]

32 minutes ago, Jimbilly said:

I only sell locally, the oddball stuff is hard to sell, even in a pretty well populated area, some stuff I think you have to be willing to ship. A Strat or Tele in the under $1k price range should sell locally in any sort of populated area if priced competitively, the 'mexi strat' or tele would be probably the most marketable guitars in existence.

I chat with a friend regularly who sells a TON of gear online about pricing, we have kind of agreed on the simple principle that if yours is the cheapest one available based on what you're seeing listed online, even by just a little bit, eventually it will sell.  I've got a couple I'm probably going to have to sell online, they are too 'nichey' to sell locally.    

Agreed, but my mexi strat is not going anywhere!  It's one of the most resonant guitars I have.

The local dealer guy does Reverb all day long in addition to traveling to guitar shows.  He can find the buyer and deal with them.  He has to have some room to make some money, and for the right amount I'm ok with not having to deal with selling and shipping to the public.  I'm trying to determine what the end buyer price is likely to be so that I can determine whether the discount the dealer guy says he needs seems reasonable.

Price discovery is always hard.  Sellers often don't want you to know what they settled for, and sometimes buyers don't want you to know how much they actually shelled out.  Pricing can vary from place to place.  Lots of factors to consider, harder in my opinion than appraising real estate.

ETA - The dealer guy will know much better than I will what pricing should be.  That's the advantage of being in the market all day, every day.  I have a pretty fair idea of how to price, if I only had the data - that's always the hard part.  I'm trying to have an idea of what is reasonable before I contact him, rather than just let him tell me.  I don't have any reason to think he's unscrupulous, but that business does attract the type:  "That's too clean, people like to see some scratches on their guitars.  And no one's ever heard of, what did you say, korina?  Best I can do is $350."

Edited April 23 by mrjamiam
Bursting with more to say.

[Jimbilly]

10 minutes ago, mrjamiam said:

Agreed, but my mexi strat is not going anywhere!  It's one of the most resonant guitars I have.

The local dealer guy does Reverb all day long in addition to traveling to guitar shows.  He can find the buyer and deal with them.  He has to have some room to make some money, and for the right amount I'm ok with not having to deal with selling and shipping to the public.  I'm trying to determine what the end buyer price is likely to be so that I can determine whether the discount the dealer guy says he needs seems reasonable.

Price discovery is always hard.  Sellers often don't want you to know what they settled for, and sometimes buyers don't want you to know how much they actually shelled out.  Pricing can vary from place to place.  Lots of factors to consider, harder in my opinion than appraising real estate.

hilarious! because RE appraisal is my 'day job' too.   

yes, if your dealer can get a premium price and help with the difficult elements, that might be worth it, probably worth a try and see how it goes.

[mrjamiam]

42 minutes ago, Jimbilly said:

   I wonder what percentage your local dealer would take? I have considered similar, and always concluded that it would be less legwork to discount 'that much' and sell it myself locally on FB marketplace. 

He says 70% of the expected end sale price is what he offers.

Edited April 23 by mrjamiam
Added "expected".

[Jimbilly]

that would be worth a try imo

[velorush]

20 hours ago, mrjamiam said:

He says 70% of the expected end sale price is what he offers.

In my limited experience that's actually pretty good terms. Gruhn's, for example, used to pay 50% of their appraised value. 

[django49]

I have never been convinced that "appraised value" was a good measure of what a guitar would likely sell for, even at a music retailer. Maybe more for "insurance purposes?"

But here is what an AI question answers re our old favorite to kick around.....Guitar Center typically pays 50% to 60% of a used guitar's, or gear's, fair market resale value** when trading in for store credit, and roughly 40% to 50% for cash. 

Stories abound of people hearing someone get offered a low ball amount at GC, then following the disappointed owner outside the store to make a higher cash offer and close the deal. Hey, WTF, if you can cut out the middle man....Not that I have  the time to spare to hang around GC and wait for it to happen. But I have found folks anxious to sell (Craigslist, etc). that were just trying to beat the GC cash offer before they moved outta town.  Like the Mesa Two 90 for $350.....

I would guess that a good local store would want to take 30% for a CONSIGNMENT. But that implies you wait until they find a buyer rather than walk out with cash. And maybe wait for months and then get calls asking if they can reduce the price further to make the sale. You take the risk, not the store.

I know I have sold something well  into 6 figures locally with CL, but things sure have slowed down....

[mrjamiam]

Any sort of selling discussion is valuable, I suppose, but what I was trying to fish for was any additional sources of current guitar valuation other than the Reverb and eBay Sold listing information that they provide to any yokel who can type on the internet.

Any seller would do well to know what the market is saying about the price at which the things he wants to sell trade hands willingly.  In my case, I've been much more of a buyer to this point at least somewhat because I find selling to be a chore that I choose - my choice - to avoid.

I see a potential avenue that I want to explore.  The local dealer is a guy, not a bricks and mortar store, so he doesn't have that overhead.  He sells online and he travels to shows.  I suppose he has to carry some inventory, but he frequently advertises that he is looking for guitars to buy, so I guess he isn't weighed down overmuch by his inventory.  The game he talks is that he prices to sell; steady turnover is more important to that kind of business plan than occasional killings.  I don't want to identify him here; I haven't yet met him, and just like I'm not privy to his pre-negotiation prep, he shouldn't be privy to mine.

I'm not surprised there hasn't been any additional "You should look over there" response.  As I said before, price discovery is always difficult.  It's a privilege of being a market maker, but my interest in guitars isn't in the market, that's just how I procure them, and eventually will dispose of them.  It's necessary that I spend some time to prepare to solicit offers, but I don't want to spend more time than that, and I accept the limitations that come with that attitude.  Maybe someone here has a bone he'll throw me, maybe not.  Maybe there are no good bones to throw.  I just wanted to ask.

Speaking of Guitar Center, I actually did that a couple of years ago.  I took three in, I think, and accepted their offer for two of them.  Then like the Boss said, "he was walking in, I was walking out" when a guy asked if I wanted to sell the third out on the sidewalk.  He made me a better offer than GC and it was his.

[BadgerDave]

I recently did some significant downsizing of gear that I've accumulated over the years, mostly larger amps and speaker cabinets, but some guitars as well.  I had already decided that I didn't want to ship or deal with individual sales, so selling or trading to Guitar Center was the easiest option.  

Like you, I wanted to have a good idea of the retail value of my stuff so I could  determine if what GC was willing to pay was reasonable compared to what I could get if I tried to sell everything individually.

Google and AI were worthless.  Ebay wasn't much better, mostly because it didn't have recent sales of most of what I was selling.  But the "sold" prices they did publish seemed suspect as well.

The two sources that were reliable were Reverb and Guitar Center.

On Reverb, I searched sold listings and filtered by "most recent first".  I then deducted the cost of shipping and Reverb's seller fees to get a "net to me" estimate.

I searched Guitar Center's "Used and Vintage" listings and assumed actual selling prices are 10% less.

My primary goal was to clear out large, heavy and seldom used gear.  I ended up trading everything for two guitars, Because I was trading rather than getting cash, I received very favorable offers.  Based on my research, better than 60% of retail. Considering that we ended up with GC paying me $300 in cash after the trade, I also saved the 10% (Illinois and Cook County) sales tax on the guitars I purchased. 

 

 

[tomteriffic]

On 4/23/2026 at 1:17 PM, mrjamiam said:

Price discovery is always hard.  Sellers often don't want you to know what they settled for, and sometimes buyers don't want you to know how much they actually shelled out.  Pricing can vary from place to place.  Lots of factors to consider, harder in my opinion than appraising real estate.

😅 Might be true! Spent 35 years appraising commercial real estate and yes, there was an occasional SWAG over that time.  But pricing anything but the most commonplace guitars for sale almost always is.