1982 Used Mando Prices

[John Goodin]

In the attic looking for something else I came across this "Used Instrument List, no. 5" from Elderly, dated Jul 21, 1982. There are about 30 mando family instruments listed; here's a few:

Martin A 1941 $265
Gibson F-4, c.1920 $1,400
Gibson A-1 c.1914 $400
Gibson A-1 c.1917 $475
Gibson A-3 c.1915 $550

another half dozen Gibsons in the $300-500 range and another F-4 for $1300.

I'm not drawing any conclusions from this but it's interesting to compare today with 23 years ago.

John Goodin

[Yellowmandolin]

Wow! That is really interesting... Could you post a few more?

[Bob DeVellis]

A few from '93:

1924 Gibson A $1000
1913 Gibson F2 1650
1917 Gibson F4 2500
1900 Howe-Orme 500
1976 Nugget 3300
1990 Stiver 1850

[Lee]

I used to save those old periodicals just for reference. I think I still have an old stack. Stay tuned....

[Jim Garber]

All right – Mugwumps classified:

November 1973:
1926 Gibson H-2 Mandola, $275
Gibson F-2, $600

September 1974:
Martin A, $150
Gibson A-2, $225
Gibson trapdoor banjo-mandolin, $175
1949 F-5, $1500

Sept-Oct, 1976:
Stahl Brazilian rosewood mandocello, $175
1906 F-2, $1000
Epiphone Artist mandolin, $650
Early 1920's F-4: $800
Martin 2-30, $$650
K-2 mandocello, $400
Wayne Henderson F-5, $1000

spring 1977:
1915 A-4, $450
1937 Strad-O-Lin $55
Loar #75697, $8500

spring1979:
Gibson Lloyd Loar F-5: $7500
Flatback rosewood mandolin made by Martin for Oliver Ditson Co, $200
Matched set: Gibson A-4 1920 mandolin and H-2 Mandola, $1500 for the pair.

Summer 1979:
Calace bowlback, 1892, $600
Gibson H-1 mandola, $500
Dobro mandolin, $250
1919 A-4, $500
1930s Gibson mandola, $475
Lyon & Healy style C, $350
Same mandolin and mandola set above in later issue: $650 each
1918 F-4: $1250

Enough??? Just remember, the dollar went much longer in those days...

Jim

[Jim M.]

1979 national median home price: #55,400
2004 national median home price: #180,000
Increase: 323%

1979 Loar: 7,500
2005 Loar: 125,000
Increase: 1,667%

And it's all because of Mandolin Cafe.

[Tim Saxton]

And from November 2018

1923 Gibson F5 Fern 135,000
1924 Gibson F4 w/Virzi 25,000
2003 MK F5 Deluxe 1,750
2005 Eastman 615 F5 2,500
1924 Gibson F5 Lloyd Loar 500,000

Sad but possibly true?

[Darryl Wolfe]

I took $2000 to the 1988 Dallas Guitar show. #I came back with:
1923 snake A
a 1920 whiteface A-3
refinned 63 Jazz bass
1961 D-21

[Darryl Wolfe]

1976 - 23 Loar - $6000 (I paid a record high)
1976 - 23 Loar A-5 - was offered to me for $7500
1979 - 23 Loar - I sold $7000
1979 - 24 Loar - $7500 I paid
1982 - 23 Loar - $8000 (the one I have now)
1984 - 23 Loar - $8500 (I paid, for client)
1986 or 87 2-24 Loars - I sold, $26,000 for both

These are prices at Gruhns and/or from knowlegable dealers

[kudzugypsy]

who's gonna do the inflation adjusted numbers on these loars?

[Bradley]

Minumum Wage in 1997 $5.15 per hour

Minimum wage in 2007 $5.15 per hour

Oh thats right that doesnt increase

[Big Joe]

If you are making minimum wage, you aren't going to be buying anyone's mandolin. You might want to try a comparison of average wage and it would be bit better picture.

[Big Joe]

I think those figures are somewhat skewed. Just since 1967 the price of goods and incomes has risen that much. In 1923 the average wage was no where near 5K per year. If you look at the cost of groceries from that time there will be a substanially different price factor also. The same for housing. You could buy a house in the 70's for 10-15 K in many communities that would bring 8+ times that today in good shape. Minimum wage was only $1.00 in the mid 60's and that has changed substantially also.

[Onesound]

In 1979 I was real happy because my new job gave me a 10% salary increase to $14K a year! #Imagine I owned a (modest) home, was raising 3 kids, and my wife didn't work - and a Loar was out of my reach then, and it still is. #

[kudzugypsy]

right, i think you have to look at people's wages vs what the inflation adjusted amounts would be. a standard factory worker in the 30's made $25-35.00 per week (this would have been an avg. factory job). so how many "wage hours" did it take to buy a musical instrument in the pre-war period. remember also, that the typical southerner was still farm based, and may only make $90-150 per YEAR!
Gruhn wrote an article a while back laying out this theory of how many "wage hours" it took to buy something in the 20-30's vs now. in the past, most peoples wages were tied to hourly production - today it is far different.

but it still leaves open the debate that todays instrument prices are FAR FAR over historical prices. that is the way it goes, as business costs rise and rise. what was the report over the last few weeks that GM said $3,000 of every car purchase price goes to employee pensions. when you start adding those things up....well, you get the idea.