Seems to be an increase in A-4's and A-2's offered on Ebay.

[Capt. E]

I've noticed more than the usual number of Gibson A-4's and A-2's showing up on ebay lately... one is a nice A-4 for only $1350 http://www.ebay.com/itm/331492939394?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
I might snatch it up if I wasn't already tapped out.

[barney 59]

If you follow those A model Gibson auctions lately usually they don't sell. I tend to put almost all the vintages A's on my watch list and almost all of them end up "Ended" with no sale,didn't reach reserve or a relisting. I think maybe the person selling this A4 might know that and is offering it at a price that might sell.

[Petrus]

At least it's not $8,000 with "LOCAL PICK UP ONLY!" :grin:

BTW, I think the average person has an overly wide concept of what "early 1900s" means. To me, it means 1900-1910. For some people it seems to go all the way up to the 1930s.

[Capt. E]

This 1919 A-4 at $1350 isn't bad, even considering the two cracks on either side of the fret board extension. http://www.ebay.com/itm/331492939394?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[mandotool]

This 1919 A-4 at $1350 isn't bad, even considering the two cracks on either side of the fret board extension. http://www.ebay.com/itm/331492939394?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
My friend....where have you been all my life..I have a lovely bridge here i may be able to let go for a small number of coins...
a few crack yes but a lovely bridge..wonderful provenance..
you are obviously a man of refined taste..etc..

[Capt. E]

I think I may need that new bridge! I have a river to cross.

Yeah, I probably wouldn't buy without a first hand look (or at least much better photos). On the other hand, an excellent price for an A-4 with minor issues.

[barney 59]

I think maybe we need to start adjusting down our idea of what a vintage A model Gibson is worth. Back before the "crash" it was fairly normal to pay somewhere around $2500 for a good vintage A4 --more for the really nice ones and more yet(maybe twice that $2500 sometimes) if it was so called "Loar Era". The dealers still hang onto those high prices ,they have an interest to do so but I'm thinking, except for exceptional collectibles, the prices are way down across the board for these. This thinking sucks though if youy own any!

[ollaimh]

I have an A 4 which I bought from ebay while my snakehead recovers from surgery, and because I just wanted an A 4. it has three cracks . the one on the top was short and easily reglued. the two on the back were little problem as well. I was thinking of selling it, but after no one jumped I started playing it more and I love it. so sale postponed.

on this one, I think cracks near the block are a concern, but the price wasn't bad. I got mine form under grand, and had repairs done. it came out singing. mine might have a little top shrinkage but there is ample profile and height, but I did have to put a shim under the bridge to get action I like. but then I play higher action than the young guys.

the A 4s look so damn good, and pre 1920 gibsons all sound good to me, some great, and yes they are seriously under priced right now. one was sold from Calgary for $1500 usd with no issues. that almost got me bidding but I am saving for a trip. I have noticed that Canadian sales on ebay don't get as many bids. perhaps American are worried about border issues.

as I keep saying, pre 1920 gibsons are a deal now. I love that old woody sound. and to get a modern maker to make the equivalent instrument would start at $2000, and could easily pass $5000.

I don't buy for re sale(except for a few hard to pass on exceptions) so the price drop is nice for me. when prices were high I did sell a few spares, but now I have mostly things I love to play--except for a few harps and a guitar or two and maybe a bouzouki and a mandolin and.... ok I am a hobby seller and buyer.

but the early gibsons are really attractive right now.

if you think those prices have crashed you should see the drop for unusual instruments! I piced up a really rare jay witcher 32 string brass wire strung harp for a third of what it went for a few years ago. it may be a bad sign for the usa economy. the recovery hasn't reached the poor and the middle.

[Capt. E]

I think my A-2 is also very pretty, absolutely nothing wrong with except for a very few finish scratches and a belt-buckle rash on the bottom side. Easily worth (to me) the $1300 I paid (recent purchase). I have no desire to have an A-4 now.

I agree Gibson A prices seem depressed right now. Good time to buy one and no need to get anything that needs repairs with the exception of the rare high end examples (read Loar vintage).

[barney 59]

I think the price drop is for a lot of reasons. I think through the late 1990's up until about '08 there was this idea fueled by antique shows and this new fangled ability to play on the internet the idea that this old stuff was valuable and going up and there was no top. Boomers are, most dealers seem to agree, their best customers. During that period the boomers were mostly in their 50's and at the peak of their earning potential. Somehow, the myth spread that antique instruments were collectible when in fact only certain antique instruments are collectible. If you couldn't run with the big boys with Loars and Ferns or prewar OM's or D 28's you looked at other things and seemingly early Gibson A models were a likely candidate to focus on. Old parlor guitars, mandolins made by others, guitars,banjos made by others if they were prewar,and that was all it seemed to take, all seemed to have dramatically become hot items for that period. I bought into this idea myself and am presently overstocked with some old mandolins, hawaiians but mostly old rosewood parlor guitars! There are 10's of thousands of old Gibson mandolins out there, they are not rare and of those available only a small percentage have collectible potential. A-2z's,pristine examples,really early ones, I think the term "Loar Era" like the term "Vintage"is a marketing crock myself but the term has stuck so, some Loar Era models etc. but all of them got to go for the ride! The prices of old but not all that important instruments rose geometrically for several years.
Then the crash! For Boomers it was devastating, retirements disappeared, maybe your job disappeared, home values plummeted and as you were approaching retirement age it was clear that there was not much time to recover. Even if it didn't happen to you iit happened to people around you. Priority's got reassessed! The market for these old "vintage bench player" instruments dried up as a result and so we're having a correction and these instruments are now approaching prices that do reflect their actual value. 10 years ago I searched all the major dealers and almost everyone of them had an A4 in stock --none of them were super or "Loar Era" but they all were good and every one of them was listed for $2500, in was uncanny! Some very pristine ones would occasionally show up on ebay and there were some that sold in the $5000 and + range! With that information it would be pretty reasonable to think that if you could find an A4 for under $2500 you should snatch it up!
I'm thinking younger musicians aren't nearly as interested in these old instruments as the boomers are. They have a lot of choices these days and a lot of good ones. If you think of custom instrument makers like NBA players-MVP's, Superstars,All Stars, Starters, Bench Players, and D league they are all still NBA players but only the top names hold their value. There are some great instruments out there in the used market and if you follow ebay if it's not a top name on a handmade instrument the bidding is really light. Some of these names are maybe known favorably to some of us but the general population hasn't a clue and likely never will. People are able to come up with very good, more modern instruments used for not a lot of money. Even buying first hand there are some very good instruments in the $1000 (+ -) market. There isn't a need to find some old prewar Gibson like there was if you started playing in 60's or 70's when there was practically nothing else. If someone wants a nice playing instrument with that feel, feeling and smell that you can only get from a very old instrument an old Gibson A model is a really good deal and adjusting for inflation are getting better all the time but I'm thinking it's foolish to think of them as an investment! I think some of this could apply to some of the F's as well.

[ollaimh]

buying instruments as an investment is kinda like play old time celtic music for the millions you will make. you buy instruments to play

[ollaimh]

plus there are some great sounding instruments coming out of asia that real players will make sing. I don't the look or feel of them but young people will play them and make them their "collectables" in fifty years.

still a great sounding old Gibson A is cheaper than ever.