DISCLAIMER: I'm going to make some sweeping assumptions just for the sake of discussion. I suspect there's some guidelines that are applicable though... i.e. if repairs <= 50% of presumed market value then retire.
Specifically, here's what I'm looking at: an Ibanez F5 artist model from the mid-70s (I don't have the fancy fretboard inlays so I wonder if it's a slightly lesser but serial places it in 1976).
Good overall condition. Frets are low and flat. Binding around body is denigrating at the tips. Nut is chipped. Bridge needs fitted and/or replaced.
Sounds fine. I don't have enough experience with higher-tier mandolins to say.
I think, generally, the 70s weren't the high water mark for instrument building. So already I'm thinking retire. I do not suffer from MAS so I'm not looking for an excuse to get a new one.
Here's the ballpark:
Re-fret (has binding): $300
Nut: $60
Bridge Replacement/Fitting: $100
Binding Repair: $60
Sentimental Value: Limited (grandfather-in-law's, purchased new in 70s after his Gibson was stolen).
Historic Value: Suspect (no inlay on headstock, yet serial # is Ibanez)
----------------------------------------
Here's my logic, and I am no mandolin expert. The Ibanez is a cool instrument. People like it. They can tell it's old.
But I could put a nice down payment on a potentially superior contemporary instrument for what this one will cost to rehab. And since I'm a one-instrument kind of guy, I'd probably spend $1500-$2000 to get a nice A style.
But I'm also pretty certain I'm not considering something obvious. That's why I'm bugging you guys!
Thanks for reading this far. I appreciate it.
Bookmarks