How important is having the original hardshell case?

Interested in how others feel about how important an original hardshell case is to the sale
of a vintage mandolin?

If it is being sold as a collectible, I think it’s very important. If it is being bought as a player’s grade instrument, it’s a little less so.

I suppose this subject begs the question of whether vintage mandolins were always sold with an “original” case. In my experience, mandolins and guitars have only come with cases in recent times. Go back to the 60s and 70s and a case was an optional extra. I can’t really say about the teens to the 50s.

If I were to find two different examples of the same model in the same condition, I would choose one over the other (all things being equal) if only one had an original case. As others pointed out, cases were options. You may find an instrument with an original soft shell case instead of a hard shell. Still it's an original case just not as desired.

Having the original case is nice if the case is still in good shape. If it's falling apart, then I don't really care. I'd rather have a reliable case, period-correct if possible, but a modern case is fine too.

It is like having the original matching numbers engine on an old muscle car.

The vintage Gibson cases for their A models (teens through 20s are my experience) are visually cool when in good condition, but I've always bought a modern case for when I was traveling on an airplane - they don't provide much real protection. Handles are often falling apart, so I've put a replacement handle on one case adjacent to the original so that I didn't wear out the original. My '28 National came in a case that is literally held together by duct tape - it travels around town in a gig bag. So yeah, 2 otherwise identical vintage mandolins in the same condition, same price, and one has the original case - I'd buy the one with the case. Unless the one without the case sounded better.

I obtained my 1920 A2 (my regular player) that came with the original case in good condition. I definitely prefer having the case, but I don't keep the A2 in it...not enough protection and the case could also take on more damage. The case lives elsewhere with the original bridge and the original purchase order. Instead, I got a nice rectangular "Access" case that fits the instrument perfectly with room for other stuff. That is also one problem with the old cases...you can't carry strings, tuner, etc in the little box and you need to wrap in a towel etc to keep the instrument from rattling around.

It's really only important from a re-sale point of view IMHO.

Dave H

I like to have it (one of my bowlbacks came in an original case,) but it lives in a gig bag, and I have a hard case if I take it out. Not sure why I like to have it, I just do. I guess because it says to me that the person cared enough to keep the case, maybe they kept the instrument in good condition too.

I'd think any teens or 20s-era Gibson - very important. Clearly, the F5 cases sell for $10K so the market says it's truth!

In buying a pre-Gibson Flatiron pancake, the 5-latch cases are just too cool not to want.

If I bought a Model 1 Gilchrist, getting the mint-green Calton would be cool and I'd pay more.

Otherwise, I don't really care. There are a few aftermarket cases I don't like; however.

For the mandolin hazards in my life, I'd likely be fine with a chipboard case!

f-d

I managed to find a 'period correct' old A case, for the Mandolin I bought , earlier , but it was not the original, is that not sufficient?

Old "original" cases have that cool factor, but they fail in protection. Instruments are loose and banging around inside. (I guess some of the old Loar cases were pretty protective, but they're out of my league.)

I have original cases for my F4, H4 and A2Z; the F4 lives in a Pegasus, the H4 stays in its somewhat shabby original, and the A2Z case is pretty near pristine. I'd like quality protective cases for the latter two, but I'm not aware of quality mandola cases for H4s. These guys seldom leave the house anyway. The L&H "A" came in an original, but it was falling apart, and it stank. It has a nice Calton, fits like a glove.

IMO, if I was purchasing a fine vintage instrument, there'd be no difference to me if it was in a VG original or a quality modern case - something like the ones mentioned above. If it was a museum-quality collectible, original would win. For something that was going to be taken around and played, new protective would be preferable, because I'd want to buy one anyway to carry the instrument around.

Regarding the question of "original cases": Did prewar instruments "come with" a case? Before the 70's or later instruments were nearly always priced separately from the case. That does not mean they came without a case. On the contrary, I would be surprised to find a Gibson guitar or mandolin in the prewar era that was not purchased with a Gibson supplied case. The buyer paid $x for the instrument and an additional $x for the case. But they got to choose the grade of case and bought the instrument and case together. The first situation I know of where the instrument price INCLUDED the case was the Gibson Super 400 guitar, which was $400 and the price included the deluxe leather covered Geib case. But by 1941 Gibson started pricing the guitar and case separately. Today we see lots of prewar instruments that are not in the original case, usually because the original case wore out and a replacement was purchased. We see early Teens or earlier Gibson instruments in hard shell cases but they are not original, even though they appear to be. Gibson did NOT offer hard shell cases of any kind before 1914. (They were a brand new development that had just come into existence a few years earlier.) Look at the catalogs and you'll see I am correct. After hard shell cases were introduced many Gibson owners replaced their leather or canvas cases with the new style Faultless (hard shell) cases. Now, having said all that. In the post-war era larger music stores would often obtain cases from their regional music distributor and sell instruments in generic cases that were not from the instrument manufacturer. It was a money saving move and maybe let them be more flexible with their inventory. So, sometimes we see instruments in the cases they were originally sold in that were not from the manufacturer. For instance, I have a friend with a 1953 Martin D-28 in the original Lifton case, even though Martin never supplied Lifton cases. Obviously supplied by the music store. Still the original case in my opinion.

I get the distinct impression, that many buyers in the 1930s or early 40s when times had been very hard, that with a limited budget, most was spent on the instrument and although the case was not an "after thought" it was often a fairly low cost item as the priority was to get the best instrument from the budget. As we know, cases can take a real battering and the lower cost examples would not stand the test of time- and were replaced. I think that having a good contemporary case for a vintage instrument is really great, it is not totally essential. We all heard about Byron Berline's F5 and how it survived a fire because it had the ultimate protection from its modern case. He may, of course, also have an old G & S case for it but it survived the fire in a modern case. In simple economic terms, you might sell your instrument and old case separately and make more money that way than selling the two together. It's a funny old world...

As hinted above one never knows if the case is exactly the one it came with from the factory (or store). I had three nearly identical Gibson A's 30 years ago. All likely had original cases since they were in "attic found" condition when I purchased them (50+ year old unused strings included etc). I sold two of them several years back. I have no idea which case went with which mandolin. Cases seemed identical except for perhaps lining color.

If you check old catalogs, the cost of a hardshell case was often as much as 25 percent of the instrument's cost, that is, in addition to what the instrument cost. Therefore it was often a dealbreaker to also get the case -- at least at the time of the initial purchase.

I do guitar repair and it amazes me how often "granddaddy's old guitar" is brought in for repair WITHOUT a case of any kind! Some of those old guitars are now worth $8-10K........first thing I tell them is buy a case.....

Another, puzzlement finally got figured out while I was working for a vintage guitar shop. Often, a guy would bring in his old guitar, let's say a 50's Gibson in a 40's Martin case, or vice versa......I never understood that. It was explained to me -- simple economics -- when the guy wanted a new guitar he brought in his old one with its case, wanted to do a trade-in plus cash, found out he didn't have enough cash to get the new guitar AND case, so he got the new guitar and KEPT the old case. Problem solved. It took me years to figure that one out.......:cool:

Exactly, I ordered a Martin D18 in 1974. When I picked it up, I took my old case to bring it home in.

Interestingly, the Martin cost me £190. Two years later I got a Calton case for it and that cost £80. I wonder how that compares with today’s prices?

Martins Old ones have increased in resale values..

SF bay area house prices,Northern California bubble; Dad bought in 47 $6K, sold at his death in 2000, for $200K

looked at zillow, it's valued, now @ $750K

All that you need is to walk into a big jam one time with one of these in tow and the reaction of every instrument nerd in the room will have you hooked for life.

I bought my first vintage tweed one in the '80s when they were no cool for $300, with a nice old vintage Martin included. I never once questioned if it was the "correct"case for that old guitar ....

Who doesn't want a trio of cool old A cases?

I believe your question has been answered. But, I find the case to be equally important to a vintage instrument as the various parts attached to the instrument itself. Anything short of the complete package is a downer/hit to the price to me. But on the other hand, I weigh the cost and effort of obtaining the case or part, whether or not I have an extra of that part into the equation.

But, let's say I buy a refinished and repaired 1918 A2 mandolin. It is missing the case and some parts. Let's say it has the tailpiece and tuners, wrong bridge and no pickguard. Would I install my extra original parts I have on that mandolin? NO. It would not be financially feasible and the next guy would be buying the package to get the parts. In this instance I would replace the original parts with high quality new nicely functional parts, put it in a decent case and keep the tailpiece and tuners for the clean nice mandolin that needs to become the complete package. This allows the mandolin to be sold at an attractive, low entry level price.

Some folks balk at "robbing parts". But my intention is to get those parts on the mandolins that need them. I would rather see more mandolins with all original parts than to see half of them with something missing and those parts would be prioritized toward the nicer clean examples

When a vintage mandolin has that original case and has continued to be stored in that case, it does help add to that "vintage" smell. Put it in a new case and you will loose some of that smell.

By the time my mandolins are truly vintage, I'll be dead so who cares.