Would like to sell my Gibson Loar A-Jr circa 1927 - how?

[Bill Kammerzell]

A quick glance thru the Spann Guide shows Factory Order Numbers, with the "A-jr" designation, until at least 1930.

[mrmando]

8712 is the FON for an A-jr made in 1927. From Spann's Guide.

Right, and Spann would also put the serial number in 1927.

Obviously not all the experts are in 100% agreement.

Note that this has a screw-in pickguard bracket rather than a cam clamp, which would argue for a later date; it's consistent with 1927 but not with 1925.

[BradKlein]

Thank you one and all!!! Much appreciated. I had it appraised back in 2008 for $2,300.

It’s not going to bring close to that price. I’m not up on the pricing and I haven’t looked at detailed photos carefully if you have posted them. Others will chime in on current price range.

edit: Glanced at photos. Depending on the tuners (you have to show them clearly to buyers) and how they were installed, $900 to $1600 will get it sold. I love the A-Jrs.

[PJ Doland]

Really depends on how well it plays and how clean it is. Probably somewhere between $1250 and $1750. Would be better if it had the original tuners.

[Bill Kammerzell]

Right, and Spann would also put the serial number in 1927.

Obviously not all the experts are in 100% agreement.

Note that this has a screw-in pickguard bracket rather than a cam clamp, which would argue for a later date; it's consistent with 1927 but not with 1925.

I agree. What I like about using the FON though, is those cases where the instrument type, or model isn't easily identifiable. No label, maybe it's been refinished or altered in some way. The FON can give you that info.

[MikeEdgerton]

Appraisals are generally sketchy but the snakehead part of this the thing that will make it more desirable than the paddlehead. We tend to tell folks that what they have is worth more than they'll ever get for it. Nobody here would ever pay as much as some folks tell people their instruments are worth.

[BradKlein]

We tend to tell folks that what they have is worth more than they'll ever get for it. Nobody here would ever pay as much as some folks tell people their instruments are worth.

Agree. It’s confusing to a novice who doesn’t spend a lot of time buying and selling. They don’t realize how many instruments remain in inventory for years. I think the intentions of Café regulárs are good. They don’t want novices to be taken advantage of. But if you want a realistic price discovery, ebay’s recent sales are the only publicly available source. And using it wisely depends on knowing EXACTLY what you have, and what you’re looking at on line.

20% consignment fee at a reputable shop, or ebay/paypal’s 13% is no rip-off for most casual sellers.

[Bill Kammerzell]

As far as I can tell, not too many sellers start out at the bottom end of the price range to begin with. Unless of course they desperately want to unload the instrument. I know I start out high. You can always lower it. Probably goes for anything I would sell. House, car, etc.

[Jeff Mando]

An appraisal from 2008 was at the peak of the vintage market before the economy tanked. It would be hard to get those prices today. And, as previously discussed here and elsewhere, for 25 years prior to that vintage instruments were pretty much recession-proof.

[MikeEdgerton]

There is a 24 AJr. Snakehead in the Classifieds for $900.00. That's pretty low. If I hadn't just grabbed a guitar that I wanted I'd probably be all over that.

I have no problem with a seller trying to get the most for their product but telling someone that hasn't got a whole lot of experience in the field what they have is worth more than they will ever get is a disservice.

If someone really wants to know what the market value of their instrument is they should put it on eBay with a ridiculously high reserve and a low starting price. If it hits the reserve great. If not the price it ends up at is what it will most likely sell for.

[BradKlein]

If someone really wants to know what the market value of their instrument is they should put it on eBay with a ridiculously high reserve and a low starting price. If it hits the reserve great. If not the price it ends up at is what it will most likely sell for.

Mike and I are in agreement for the most part. Except, I personally would not advise the 'list with unreasonable reserve on ebay' approach to price discovery. I can't be the only one who NEVER bids on ebay reserve items unless the seller reveals the reserve to me via PM. And removing just one or two bidders from the process may change the 'result' by a lot. (How many times have you been second highest on ebay in cases showing there were only two serious bidders? I have been there many times)

Price discovery is more accurate looking at past SOLD items if there are comprables. If not, pay for an appraisal at a reputable dealer, and let them know you want the realistic retail seller's price, not the 'insurance value'. Or sell it on eBay no reserve. Or consign in a vintage shop. Or list in classifieds asking for 'best offer'. But don't expect random opinions to be meaningful. (Facebook forums are much worse than the Cafe, and i've been here so long, I have some idea whose opinions align with mine ;-) )

And by the way, I don't think that the recession of 2008 had a huge affect on teens and twenties Gibson A models. It's not like Loars, or early strats or LPs. I bought an A-0 paddle head 30 years ago for $500, it's probably worth $750 today. Similarly my A-Jr snakehead bought back in the early 90s for maybe $750 and sold in the early 2000s for about $1K, now 'worth' about the same.