1988 LLoar price

**re simmers** · Jul-31-2012, 5:36pm

I use old Frets, BU and Bluegrass Now as bathroom reading material. December 1988 issue of Frets has a 2/18/24 Loar listed. All original, excellent condition, 2 owner, Monteleone set-up. $15,000. Think it's still for sale....should I call?

Curious, was that a fair price at that time?

Bob

**pjlama** · Jul-31-2012, 5:49pm

What's the number, I'll check

**JFDilmando** · Jul-31-2012, 5:55pm

see the thread:
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...-Loar-F5/page3

**re simmers** · Jul-31-2012, 7:15pm

PJ, The serial # is not listed in the ad.

John, thanks for the link. I had not seen that thread.

I think I mentioned before, Benny Cain showed me 5 Loars in the trunk of his car on a hot summer day in 1992. One was insured for $25,000, and was pristine. The rest were not. I knew nothing about Loars then, and my current knowledge is from the Cafe and old Frets articles.

One question; the avg 90's price at $25,000......how much did the price jump after Bill died?

Bob

**Big Ed** · Jul-31-2012, 8:01pm

Bob: I know of two Loars that sold for $ 25,000.00 each in 1980. There are several reasons the Loars are demanding $175,000
today and prices will again reach $200,000+ soon. More good mandolin players and collectors today can afford $200,000.00
for the Loar. Players are paying $15,000 to $25,000 for custom mandolins today which was rare 25 years ago.
So if you can find the $15,000.00 Loar you should buy it, want a partner? I read Frets in 1980 and missed the ad or I would have called. Almost too good to be real, good luck.

Ed

**Danny Clark** · Jul-31-2012, 8:49pm

i remember finding an old Bluegrass unlimited mag ,in a Venders mall about 10 yrs ago ,it had an ad for a 24 F-4 for sale in TX.
the best i remember the magazine was 5 yrs old or so ,i called and the man still had it ,i bought it for his $4000 asking price ,they were retailing around 10k at that time,
Danny

**f5loar** · Jul-31-2012, 8:50pm

It was likely one of those Feb 18 junkers with the Virzi still intact which would have brought down the price back then. That is if the Mont didn't already jerk it out which would lesson the value even more since it was no longer all original. Getting an average for a decade is just that an average. You have prices below that average and some way above that average. In 1980 I know for sure a pretty fine Loar could be had for around $10,000. You could get a junker for $6000. I can't image how there could have been 2 worth more than double that amount in the early 1980's. Now 1989 maybe so but not 1980. Darryl Wolfe has the prices written down since the 1970's. He should weigh in on an average per decade or at least every 5 years.

**JFDilmando** · Jul-31-2012, 9:10pm

I just have to smile at the words "Loar junker"..... lol.... f5, you crack me up.

**GTison** · Aug-01-2012, 9:15pm

The one that got away:
I went to a local music store here in Panama City, FL. I was new to town. I stopped and played a cheap mando he had on the wall. He could tell I was an OK player... said he had had a Loar in the store for a few months but didn't think he could sell it. He showed me pics of it. It had a red lined case and he said it the back had been rebound. He said it came from NC that he got it in a trade. He said he sold it to Gruhn "about a week ago " for $6000. Gruhn then marked it for about $ 8000. Back then I'm not sure I could have spent 6K on a mandolin but I might have. I was kinda sick about that for a while. I don't pass where that store was too many times w/o thinking of the one that got away..

**mandobassman** · Aug-01-2012, 9:50pm

Back in 1985 I was shopping for my first F model mandolin. I had been playing a 1924 A Snakehead for the past 9 years and had actually never played a F model. One of my band-mates and I went to Mandolin Brothers to see what was available. The first F model mandolin I ever played was a Gibson Loar-signed F5. The sales rep told me the list of well-known players who had owned it and it apparently had quite a history. The price tag was $8000. I remember thinking how crazy it was to spend that much money on a mandolin. I was young and broke and knew nothing at the time of what a opportunity that was presenting itself. I'm sure we all have some similar story.