Autographed Mandolin

[EightyEight06]

Does anyone know what the approximate value is of a Johnson MF350 mandolin signed by Sam Bush and Mike Marshall. Any info is appreciated.

[Bill Snyder]

This is my take on it. With a lower end mandolin like that the autographs shouldn't decrease the value much if any, but I don't think they increase it any either. If very many people were interested in autographed mandolins more people would obtain them and market them.

[woodwizard]

I think Bill said it well. You really wouldn't want to have anyone autograph a high end instrument of any kind. It would for sure lower the value of it. Just like a Michael Jordan rookie card, (which is pretty valuable), would be worth considerably less if it had a Michael Jordan autograph on it. It's called defacing. On the other hand as Bill mentioned a lower end one like yours ... it might increase the value a little. Might be just what someone wants. You should be able to get your money back on it.

Just looked up the price of a Johnson MF350... lists for 444.99 sales for 333.74 new.

[MikeEdgerton]

I'm reminded of a guitar that was on ebay one time. It wasn't even a decent imported guitar, it was the kind of thing people buy small children and don't care if they destroy it. It was autographed by Little Roy Lewis. The guy was selling it for $4,000.00. The guy kept putting it back up and dropping the price by a hundred at a time. He was taking some heat in the messages and answering that it was worth every penny of what he was asking. It was to him I guess but it never sold.

[Ray(T)]

How about this one - http://www.mandolinarchive.com/perl/show_mando.pl?3045

Would the signature have increased its value?

Ray

[MikeEdgerton]

Not for me. YMMV.

That signature on an entry level mandolin might increase the value, I don't know what it does to the value of that one.

[thistle3585]

I would say the rarity and desirability of the autographs really dictates the price. Those are two very easily obtainable autographs, so I can't see it as increasing the value more than the value of the instrument unless you were looking specifically for that combination. For example, a music themed bar or restaurant may be wiling to pay more than a collector.

[TomTyrrell]

A cheap mandolin/guitar/whatever autographed by somebody famous is worth whatever that autograph is worth. The thing is, you can't really play the instrument without taking a chance at messing up the autograph.

An autograph on an expensive instrument is a defect and will downgrade the condition and value.

The only autographs I know of that really affect the value are on the labels inside the body.

[barney 59]

They aren't dead! I don't think it does anything to the value---Now if they were dead... Pablo Picasso drew one of his bull and matador scribbles and signed his name on some famous flamingo guitarists guitar - I bet that would increase it's value. I see these instruments on e bay from time to time and mostly I think "so what... but something like a Dave Apollon signed mandolin might make me dig a little deeper.

[TomTyrrell]

I should add to my statement by saying an instrument will never be worth less than the value of the autograph. A $5,000 autograph on a $3,000 mandolin makes the mandolin worth at least $5,000 but probably no more.

If you have a $3,000 mandolin, get the autograph on a photo or piece of paper and you will have a $3,000 mandolin AND a $5,000 autograph.

[fiddledoc]

There are cases wherwe the autograph adds to the provenence of the instrument. We have a 1940 Kay Swingmaster bass for sale here in the shop with Johny Cash's signature. That alone would be almost worthless, untill you find out the bass is owned by Dave Rowe who played that bass for years on the road with The Johnny Cash Band and on many Cash records. Those autographs on a low end mando, probably don't add anything.

[D.E.Williams]

I don't know...seems like the autograph of Lloyd Loar on the inside adds some value...

[MikeEdgerton]

I don't know...seems like the autograph of Lloyd Loar on the inside adds some value...

That depends on who signed Lloyd's name inside.

[D.E.Williams]

That depends on who signed Lloyd's name inside.

:))
:mandosmiley:

[Ray(T)]

....so if Lloyd Loar had signed the '15 A on the inside and Monroe had signed it on the outside that would make it quite unique!

Suppose, I'd better tell the story. I bought the "A" mentioned in the link above a couple of years ago. I found it in a local music shop and it didn't have the signature - it has been polished out and its impossible to see where it was. Before purchase, I checked out the number on the "Archive" and was surprised to find it. When I went in to buy it, I casually asked what had happened to the signature. I'll never forget the astonished look on the shopkeepers face!
Ray