A lot of Collings for sale

[Rick Schmidlin]

The Collings MF and MF5 are both great mandolins but I see them pop up a lot in the classified. Why?

[John Flynn]

Hard to tell for sure, but my initial guesses would be 1) There are just a lot of them out there so it stands to reason a few will hit the market on a regular basis. 2) While they don't increase in value from the new price, they do seem to hold a good percentage of ther value, which may make selling them mor tempting if one needs cash.

[Tim]

What do you own? #What are you looking for in your next purchase?

If the answer to either of those is Collings, you might just be noticing those and ignoring others. #There are more Gibson, Weber, Rigel and Michael Kelly listed in the classifieds now than Collings.

[kudzugypsy]

i dont think there is anything to it. just a few weeks ago there were 3-4 gilchrist mandos on the classifieds, i doubt that meant they are falling out of favor.
could be tax time, upgrading, lost interest, impusle purchases, thinning down the MAS, divorces, need the cash, etc...

if your looking for the reply there is something wrong with them, i doubt you'll get that opinion.

[mandopete]

Here's what I have tracked:

Collings F MF-5 Varnish S/N 358 $11,610.00 12/12/2004
Collings F MF-5 (S/N 61) $6,500.00 3/27/2005
Collings F MF-5 (#406) $7,200.00 4/8/2005
Collings F MF-5 (#83) $5,950.00 4/12/2005
Collings F MF-5 (#89) $5,950.00 4/14/2005

I was thinking the same thing too and noticed that Collings in now up in the 400 range for the MF-5, so I guess it's not surprising that were seeing these pop up in the classifieds.

[mandopete]

just a few weeks ago there were 3-4 gilchrist mandos on the classifieds, i doubt that meant they are falling out of favor.
The Gilchrist thing is intersting, here is what I've tracked since last July...

Gilchrist A Gilchrist model 3 # 93252 $23,500.00 7/20/2004
Gilchrist F F-5 (S/N 96346) $23,500.00 7/26/2004
Gilchrist F 1989 1989 F-5 S/N 0188 $23,500.00 8/7/2004
Gilchrist A Model A S/N 94293 $16,000.00 8/7/2004
Gilchrist A Model A S/N 03554 $16,000.00 9/6/2004
Gilchrist F F-5 (S/N 01499) $23,500.00 9/14/2004
Gilchrist F F-5 (S/N 96340) $24,000.00 10/5/2004
Gilchrist F 1998 Model 5 (S/N 419) $25,000.00 10/17/2004
Gilchrist F 1996 F-5 $24,500.00 10/30/2004
Gilchrist F 1998 F-5 $22,500.00 11/9/2004
Gilchrist A Model 3 A-Style (#03554) $15,000.00 12/10/2004
Gilchrist A 1997 Model A (S/N 97395) $14,500.00 12/30/2004
Gilchrist F 1998 Style 5 (1998) $21,000.00 12/31/2004
Gilchrist A Model 3 A-Style $15,000.00 3/31/2005
Gilchrist F F-5 (#505) $26,000.00 4/10/2005
Gilchrist A Snakehead Oval-Hole $11,500.00 4/11/2005
Gilchrist F 1992 F-5 $24,500.00 4/12/2005

[kudzugypsy]

the big question on the gilchrist prices is are they SELLING at those listed prices? its like, if one guy puts $26K, then everyone starts asking $26K, thinking that is now the going price. i dont have an answer, but it would be interesting to find out if anyone is biting at those.
of course the big difference in collings and the gils are the supply.
they are crankin those collins out at a pretty good pace (for mandos), most dealers have a good supply in stock.

[PCypert]

I blame this board for the flurry of Collings mandos for sale http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif This board causes mandolin madness for everyone regardless of brand. I'm constantly hearing about new mandolins and looking at mine, then reading about another mando, then wondering about mine, and it goes on and on. I think if they had Collings back in the day people would have played the dog out of them and held on. But now we can read about some hot new up and commer builder and we'll let go for that chance to find the next best thing. I'm certainly a part of all this with my recent liquidations to purchase a Crump Bouzouki. More than any other instrument I've played mandolin is as much a part of the hunt for a great mandolin as it is the playing of the instrument. I've played many Collings and without a doubt would say they aren't getting sold because they don't sound good. I would really look to financial troubles, MAS, or something else before thinking there was something wrong with the mandolin. I would also really look at that new MF5V as a factor. I bet loads of MF5's are going to pop up because of people wanting to get in on the Varnish Collings.
Paul

[mandopete]

I bet loads of MF5's are going to pop up because of people wanting to get in on the Varnish Collings.
Paul
I dunno - there's a pretty big price delta between the two.

I think the Mandolin Cafe classified ads and general discussion groups provide a vehicle for M.A.S., but that's not the cause, we are. It's just the nature of what were doing and a small obsession with getting the best instrument we can.

[Jeff A]

Quote(PCypert@ April 15 11:03)
I've played many Collings and without a doubt would say they aren't getting sold because they don't sound good.

Thats probably the last reason that there are a few on the market. I think its more a matter of how many are out there and MAS. Collings make great consistent instruments- fit , finish and sound, and with the new varnished models, maybe some extrordinary instruments.

[PCypert]

Sorry...my wording is kind of confusing. I was saying the same thing there. People aren't selling them because of them sounding bad. They're selling them to fund new instrument, etc. I was not saying that people weren't buying them because they sounded bad...you get the idea. They sound fantastic!

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Paul

[mandopete]

I know you think you thought what I meant was what I said, but I meant what I said was not what you thought I meant!

Yeah, we dig.

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

I think Paul Cypert is right. #This board deserves the blame for many financial woes and the sale of many a mando that shouldn't be sold, just so we can get the next cool one. #I bought an old martin guitar in my local newspaper classifieds a couple weeks ago and am praying it sells at the martin guitar forum for a couple extra bucks, so that I can then sell my flatiron, (and a cheapo Yamaha guitar) and then get a sweet new mando. #I can't wait to get my hands on a Collings some day (and then probably sell it for a cooler mando.)

BTW, if anyone's intereseted in a good deal on the coolest ever '36 Martin... #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[mandowilli]

Getting your hands on a new mandolin is also a good way to energize your playing and give you a good kick in the pants.

willi

[Cactus Jack]

"Tell my why are we tempted to love, not the bird in the hand but the high flying dove, not the purple horizon but somewhere above...." (can't remember the title of the song) Well, we often do get tired of what we already have, and keep looking for another "fix." That's one reason why we are often on the hunt for another mando, and willing to sell the one(s) we have. I wonder how many folks who have sold their Collings, Gibson, Gilchrist, etc. are sorry for having parted with it?

[levin4now]

I had a similar thought for Brentrups. It seemed there was as many threads praising a new one as their were Brentrup mandolins for sale in the classifieds. I could be mistaken. Now there are only 3 Brentrups and 2 BRWs in teh classifieds.

[neal]

I blame this board for the flurry of Collings mandos for sale # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif #This board causes mandolin madness for everyone regardless of brand. #I'm constantly hearing about new mandolins and looking at mine, then reading about another mando, then wondering about mine, and it goes on and on. #I think if they had Collings back in the day people would have played the dog out of them and held on. #But now we can read about some hot new up and commer builder and we'll let go for that chance to find the next best thing. #I'm certainly a part of all this with my recent liquidations to purchase a Crump Bouzouki. #More than any other instrument I've played mandolin is as much a part of the hunt for a great mandolin as it is the playing of the instrument. #I've played many Collings and without a doubt would say they aren't getting sold because they don't sound good. #I would really look to financial troubles, MAS, or something else before thinking there was something wrong with the mandolin. #I would also really look at that new MF5V as a factor. #I bet loads of MF5's are going to pop up because of people wanting to get in on the Varnish Collings.
Paul
Don't get me wrong, I love this board, it's one of the best run boards in the world. # Having said that, one can't deny that there's a lot, a whole lot of marketing being done on the board by folks that really know how to market. #Some very subtle, some not so. #Is this bad? #Well, probably not. #But sometimes it creates excitement where there was none before, and not really deserved. #Pepsi, Coke, Frito-Lay, GM, etc., do this all the time.

Ted E (Mandohack) posts pictures of the Gypsy Q and other Rigels for us to look at, and he's a Rigel dealer. Is he marketing? Of course he is,#this creates a buzz about the instrument and creates excitement, thus sales, for Ted and other Rigel dealers. #Is this wrong? #No, if he didn't post the pictures and talk it up, how the heck would we be aware of 'em. #And the fact that he knows his stuff about mandolins and has happy buyers adds to his credibility greatly.

Collings, the same thing. #I remember lots of threads about Collings, now not so many. #Lots about Eastman, now it seems to be tapering off. #But, these all were the new, biggest, better, best at the time, so ya gotta talk about them. #I mean, this IS a mandolin discussion board.

The Brentrup thread was mentioned earlier, #lots in the classifieds during that 6000-page thread, now there's not a lot. #It's a fine, fine mandolin. #Was it marketed, or was it just normal discussion that created the buzz? # Heck, I don't know, and who cares. # The same rule applies to everything you see or hear or read on the internet: Caveat Emptor. #If it looks good to you and you buy it, well, so be it.



Is marketing a fact of life on this board? #Yes, as it is everywhere else, and Paul from the quote above is not alone, and I think this alone drives the market.

I hope I didn't come off as a nattering nabob of negativism, #because this post isn't meant to be that way. #It's all ebb and flo, one new thing to the next.

[Bob DeVellis]

Although I don't really disagree, I think an important difference between the marketing that goes on here and the marketing that goes on elsewhere is that, in the vast majority of cases, the people praising instruments here are completely sincere. Clearly, we occasionally get posts that look like a conscious attempt to manipulate demand. But more often, it's just someone gushing over a mandolin they've recently gotten and, at least for the time being, completely love. I don't mind that in the least. That's what enthusiasts of any type do when they get together. It seems, if anything, that criticizing a particular brand is more frowned upon than talking one up. Over time, most folks here get a feel for the various players and I think they can pretty well sort through the deserved enthusiasm, undeserved but sincere enthusiasm, and pure hype.

[Jeff A]

The fact is that everyone wants to feel good about what they have. When we sell, it's the best mandolin ever made. When we buy, we take comfort in saying how good it is and having others agree.

I think many here don't have the opportunity to really hear and experience the differences between what is a good, great, or extraordinary mando. A lot of our information comes from the Cafe and this information is by human nature biased.

The Cafe is #great, but I think it is important to distinguish what is hype and PR when considering an aquisition.For me, describing sound with words is only a starting point. Events like Mandofest and the Mandolin Symposium offer great opportunities hear with ones own ears, and to compare fit, finish and sound. This to me is a better way than sucumbing to a media blitz for what is hot this week on the Cafe

[mandopete]

I think it's only a problem when the person posting is attempting to disguise the real intent. #Witness the recent Moonbeam thread.

There will always be a buzz about the "next big thing" and that's why we enjoy these discussions and the Mandolin Cafe in general. #Whether it's a varnished Fern, or a distressed master model or what, it's all good.

Oh yeah...I forgot to say that my Collings MF-5 sounds just like a Loar!

[John Flynn]

I hope I didn't come off as a nattering nabob of negativism
One of my favorite expressions! OK, board members (not you Neal, let's be fair), for extra credit, who is Neal paraphrasing? :cool:

[neal]

Oh, c'mon (raising hand excitedly, fidgetting in chair)!!! Initials are STA. Gotta give a hint,Mando Johnny, it's pretty obscure.

BTW, Bob D, your post is in total agreement with my first one, or vice versa.

[Tim]

Not obscure at all. #Without the initials I knew Spiro T. Agnew was the answer.

[danb]

Hmm, would the opposite of that be a pontificating poobah of positivism?

On the serious side, yes there always has been a tendency for these boards to contain stuff being "Talked up". We prefer that folks do what they normally do, and spell it out when they are dealers of what they are promoting. A lot of the time, I feel that someone who's been in business a while talking about what they sell is a good thing.. We're not too keen on it when it's pure puffery purveyed by profiteering plebes http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

It is caveat emptor really, but when a particular thread keeps getting "bumped" (ie meaningless new posts to keep it appearing on the new list) we tend to bump it off, because we don't want the messageboards to be dominated by someone trying to sell stuff.

[jasona]

A little critical reading seperates the wheat from the chaff. I also think more folks should pay attention to their ears and less to their eyes. What they read here should be taken into consideration when looking for a mandolin (like, buy a MidMo for a first and ignore the others in its price range...or ELSE http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif ), but buy only those mandos that they play and which speak to them, and drag out their wallets with no kicking or screaming. Don't be in such a rush to upgrade--keep practicing!

[danb]

Jasona, well said and in fewer words!

[atetone]

I think the board would get to be a pretty dull place if people didn't comment on their new mandolins for fear of being accused of "talking up" or hyping the brand.
Yes there are some who do it for personal gain but if you are paying attention you know who they are and of those people you know which ones are sincere and which ones would say anything to make a buck.
The main thing is that it all leads to discussion from which you can draw your own conclusions.
I really like that aspect of this board. If you are going to market mandolins on this board then be prepared to receive comments that maybe you don't want to hear.
It's like going into a store to buy a mandolin from a salesman, but with the advantage of having a thousand knowledgable friends to help you #sort the wheat from the chaff. Nothing wrong with that.

[mandowilli]

Some perspective is in order. 10 or 15 years ago there was no internet, no message boards. Only magazines and obscure publications where you might glean some jucy tidbits about the existence of a brand or model, if you did not live near a big city or visit one frequently. A mandolin would pop up in a local music store once in a blue moon and you can bet that you would pay top dollar for it!
Now we can chat endlessly about them the whole world over and buy and sell them at will.

These are the days.

willi

[Cactus Jack]

Back to the "previously owned" Collings for sale, it seems like the first MF5 mandos, say up to #50, are not being put up for sale. Does that mean the earlier ones are better?

[dave42]

jasona, nice post!

Sort of on the same topic, there are a lot of Martin guitars for sale on the net, too. This seems to happen every year about this time, which is tax time. You've gotta do what you've gotta do.
Dave http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[bones12]

Jack, I have #29 Collings MF-5H that is a beauty. Great tone and a wonderful feel in your hands. The woods are stunning. I can't imagine selling it. Doug

[Markelberry]

Ive owned several if not many mandolins,the only reason I bought an sold any of them was it was the only way I could take them home for awhile, everyone of them has had some quality I enjoyed but being a poor boy I had to sell one to buy another to try. Unfortunately I cant keep them all. One things for sure Sam Bush sounds like Sam on anything he plays. So I gave up the quest for the best long ago.

[luckylarue]

It's just a part of our consumer-driven culture. #We're supposed to never be satisfied by what we already have!
I love my Cohen C#, but...an oval-A would be a nice complement...then I'd be all set!

[mandopete]

Back to the "previously owned" Collings for sale, it seems like the first MF5 mandos, say up to #50, are not being put up for sale. #Does that mean the earlier ones are better?
I have #39 and have heard many of the newer ones and I would say they are very consistent.