Relatively expensive mandolins

[Ray(T)]

I've always subscribed to the theory that life boils down to three things - health, money and time. In your youth, you have the health and the time but not the money. In your middle years you still have the health and you're making the money but you don't have the time. In your later years, you're likely to have the money and the time but not the health to enjoy it.

I started to plan my retirement at the age of 18 and the secret is to try to break the cycle I've outlined above.

[Br1ck]

I came to a different conclusion. The biggest money pit of all is children. At least the automobile gets you to and from work so you can make money. All kids do is cost money!

Ha, ha, ha. Truer words were never spoken. However, if you play your cards right, and they and you are lucky, you end up with grandchildren, and each new one cuts the per capita cost down considerably.

ALL my friends who have retired with enough money to indulge in luxury cars, extensive travel, paid off homes, etc. are all childless by choice. Really, I applaud them for knowing what they did and did not want. Saved some kid from a miserable life. Yes, the big buck instruments I've bought were for my children, and the conservatory educations saved them both from working in a soulless corporation. Probably the most costly thing I did was tell my youngest that as long as she was in school, I'd pay her car insurance and cellphone. Little did I imagine she'd wind up with a doctorate. Ouch.

[nickster60]

I don't have a 7500 mandolin. But I have many instruments and other toys. I am semi-retired, I work because I like too. I sold my house in Florida and moved to Idaho. What did I give? Warm weather, palm trees and not much else. What did I gain? A nice town, no crime, low taxes, low insurance costs, the Teton's, Yellowstone and a much lower cost of living. Now I have more money for instuments since I am not giving it the municipality I ounce lived. My brother is considering the same plan he lives in Ventura

[Tom Sanderson]

I think you just answered your own question

[red7flag]

I have followed this thread for a while with interest. I have two +$7500 instruments. When my primary picking was bluegrass related in jams and in sessions, I played these almost exclusively. As my playing has become more eclectic and mostly at home (not in the studio that is also there), I find that I am playing more non-grass related instruments. Since I got the Nyberg mandola, my Ellis and Hester have collected dust. I know this will change too, especially when my temporary back to work experience ends. Do I regret spending that much on two instruments that I am not playing very much, at least at the moment? No. I have two extremely delightful instruments that have provided much joy to me and will in the future. Both are worth close to what I paid for them and were I to sell them, most of the money spent would be returned and I still have the joy that they provided. I feel blessed.

[mando_dan]

Yeah, this is a touchy issue for a lot of us who want a better instrument and swim in the midst of Gibson, Ellis, Collings, Gil, etc. owners. And the Loar owners! Another breed entirely. As many have written, a strong desire coupled with some strategic saving, patience, and good luck can move you into the mid- or upper echelon of mandolin ownership. That's my story- single, saved, took some some cash from credit card and became a Buckeye owner! It's great, I love it, and it's my forever mandolin. I was very fortunate that circumstance aligned in my favor.

Now? Married, two babies and a four year old, a tiny house, bigger home prices outta site... There's absolutely no way I could get another Buckeye or even a pancake for that matter. But I own the Buckeye and I've been straight up that it's not going anywhere unless we're getting foreclosed upon. As much as I love Bucky, the folks who own a beater and can play like the breeze and smile the whole time, well, they're the real winner in my opinion.

So the folks who can order a custom Gil and a high end Gibson while the wait- good for them. I'm envious for sure, but more so, I just can't relate to that level of disposable cash. Accepting donations.

[Mando-Mauler]

Nice comment Man, from the heart...you read as if you have come to terms with life on the positive side, without mandolins or whatever dominating or becoming an obsession. A low key, mature attitude. If I wasn't thousands of miles away, I would like to spend a quiet afternoon yarning, swapping stories and swapping a few licks...I,m sure I could come away a wiser man.

[Caleb]

As much as I love Bucky, the folks who own a beater and can play like the breeze and smile the whole time, well, they're the real winner in my opinion.

I've always enjoyed when I see a documentary or something with old time musicians and notice how they are often playing whatever they could get their hands on. Like the fiddlers from the old days who played the same fiddle for all of life, and likely one that they'd gotten somewhere for $10 or so.

[OlDanTucker]

I'm from the "Gin Rummy School". $100 per month plus money made playing (HA!) in instrument savings account. Every couple of years I go up a notch, discard. The good thing is this tends to parallel my improvement in ability. By the time I'm ready to trade up and better instrument is actually a factor. And there are great deals to be had on the Café Classified ads. Haven't gotten up to the rarefied heights yet, and may not since there are quite a few great sub $5K options now, but of all the money I have spent on "stuff" I have gotten the most use, and satisfaction, out of better instruments.