1923 Fern Loar F5

[Darryl Wolfe]

Reversed labels...Yes...quite a few July 9's. Also that way on the June 1, 22

[Darryl Wolfe]

[QUOTE=f5loar;1072235]

What was the going price for a Loar in 72'? I was one but am just curious. I thought there was a thread about Loar values over years somewhere but am too lazy too find it. If there isn't I'd love to see something like this;
Median Loar values by decade from 1920's to 2010's
1920's - $250
1930's - $250
1940's - $150
1950's - $500
1960's - $1000
1970's - $2000
1980's - $8000
1990's - $25000
2000's - $150000
2010's - $200000
That's my guess from memory. Darryl Wolfe may have more exact figures

Thats close for say the exact year next to the number listed, but the decades had a large range. For example 1500-2000 is correct in 1970, but 6000-7500 was correct for 1976 to 1979. I sold 2 for 13,000 each in 1989. The price was into the 40K range before the 1990's were over

[JeffD]

I purchased my 1923 A2 snakehead for a thousand bucks in 1985. I have a memory of an F5 of the same year, that I looked at but turned down.

Now memory is really a funny thing. I seem to remember that it was sheridan brown, which now seems very unlikely. It was a very dark instrument. I also seem to remember that it as selling for something under $2000, but I couldn't swing the difference. That price seems low considering what we see in this thread.

And to show you how naive I was, the scroll and points seemed kind of garish to me at the time. I remember looking at pictures in Mandolin World News, which is the first place I ever really looked at an F style, and thinking "who would want to play something as squirrely looking as that".

[pfox14]

The Loar F-5 that very recently sold at Skinner's auctions went for only $100K, so the prices of these rare mandos has certainly dropped relative to the prices they were going for prior to 2008 when they were fetching $250K or more.

[JFDilmando]

lets make that $126k with tax and fees... but who is counting...
for sure Loars have been selling for in the 100's rather than the 200's, but as others have noted, they are still selling... we know that Theile dropped $200k on his first Feb 18 and $180k on his second, just weeks ago... I personally know of three that have sold recently for $140 - $190 range...

Apple was selling for $720/sh a bit a go, and today is $600/share.... things go up, things go down... and then up... and then down...
I love the idea of owning something like this and playing it !!! I can't get much of a rush playing an Apple share...

[kudzugypsy]

lets make that $126k with tax and fees... but who is counting...
for sure Loars have been selling for in the 100's rather than the 200's, but as others have noted, they are still selling... we know that Theile dropped $200k on his first Feb 18 and $180k on his second, just weeks ago... I personally know of three that have sold recently for $140 - $190 range...

Apple was selling for $720/sh a bit a go, and today is $600/share.... things go up, things go down... and then up... and then down...
I love the idea of owning something like this and playing it !!! I can't get much of a rush playing an Apple share...

dont forget though, Theile gets to write that off on taxes, i'm sure he is set up to take advantage of that just like someone in the lawncare business pays $20k for a lawnmower and depreciates it off / or as a bus expense against earnings. i'm just pointing out its different to compare a hobby picker with what a pro buys for his career.

i was somehow "at the right place and time" to pick up AAPL back in the '90's when Jobs came back - sunk my entire $1800 savings in it to the absolute hysteria of my dads stockbroker who said i was crazy and throwing my money away. i could by quite a few Loars now! - thats just how it goes, you get in when no one wants in and you get out when everyone wants in - i see this with ANY speculation - be it stocks, RE or Loar mandolins. back when they were going up 15%+ a year, it was a no-brainer, they would last online as quickly as it took your home equity credit line to wire the funds. i personally think that we will settle in the low $100K range for a long time, as this last auction points to.

[Glassweb]

Sorry to disagree, but all this auction price points to is this particular auction day... nothing more. Several Loar F5s have changed hands this past year for over $180K so it's those prices that truly reflect the current market. I will say that buyers are being very particular as to which Loars they'll drop the big money on, (as they should be) but in general the cleaner, better-sounding examples will always seem to bring the highest prices.

[JFDilmando]

Does anyone know the history of this instrument before it was "incovered" by the "treasure" outfit in NC? I heard that it was a one owner deal. I know that it was originally wa sold out of a store in Maryland I believe.

Love to know what info on this instrument might be floating around in our Cafe community.

[Links]

dont forget though, Theile gets to write that off on taxes, i'm sure he is set up to take advantage of that just like someone in the lawncare business pays $20k for a lawnmower and depreciates it off / or as a bus expense against earnings. i'm just pointing out its different to compare a hobby picker with what a pro buys for his career.

i was somehow "at the right place and time" to pick up AAPL back in the '90's when Jobs came back - sunk my entire $1800 savings in it to the absolute hysteria of my dads stockbroker who said i was crazy and throwing my money away. i could by quite a few Loars now! - thats just how it goes, you get in when no one wants in and you get out when everyone wants in - i see this with ANY speculation - be it stocks, RE or Loar mandolins. back when they were going up 15%+ a year, it was a no-brainer, they would last online as quickly as it took your home equity credit line to wire the funds. i personally think that we will settle in the low $100K range for a long time, as this last auction points to.

Thta's all true Kudzu - but Thile still had to shell out the cash for the Loar and after he depreciates it over ten years (or how many you can depreciate it over) and then sells it for 400K, he will have quite a tax bill come due. As you may know, any great tax advantage that seems good at the time eventually comes back to bite you on the hiney!

[Darryl Wolfe]

The actual mando in question, the 23 Fern Loar has been returned to the consignee and sold.

[JFDilmando]

I have been snooping about and have found some bit of background on this particular mandolin:
The consignee that Darryl mentions, was "We Buy Treasure" out of North Carolina. Back in 2011 they got a call in response to one of their advertisements in Delaware. Apparently there was an individual that claimed to have a mandolin that looked just like their picture in the ad.

After contacting by phone, and traveling to see the instrument, pictures were sent off to George Gruhn who confirmed the unique nature of the '23 June 9 Loar. After negotiations that lasted a couple of weeks a deal was made.

The mandolin was purchased by the fellow's Mom, early in the 50's, so that he might learn to play. She was apparently into antiques, and was aware that this was a "good" mandolin at the time. The gentleman did not really get into playing at all, and the Loar found a place behind the sofa, for the next sixty years.

It probably never left Delaware, as the dealer's sticker inside the case reads from a store in Wilmington, Delaware.

It is interesting that according to Gruhn, and Darryl, Sam Bush, and Adam Steffey remarked about the remarkable sound from this Load as it has been "sleeping" for 60 years.

[JFDilmando]

Attachment 94643I'll put up this photo of this particular mandolin, 73755, as well as placing it the Loar pics for enjoyment.
The framed picture is a photo of the Gruhn article published in "Vintage Guitar".... F5 thanks for turning me onto the article

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving !

[Andrew B. Carlson]

Attachment 94643I'll put up this photo of this particular mandolin, 73755, as well as placing it the Loar pics for enjoyment.
The framed picture is a photo of the Gruhn article published in "Vintage Guitar".... F5 thanks for turning me onto the article

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving !

Am I right in my assumption that your post in the Loar pic of the day thread means that this beautiful Fern is now in your possession? If so, a video is in order I do believe.

[JFDilmando]

It is in my household and a video would be a great idea.... I will try and get on that and will post in the Holidays !! just add to the festivities, and joyous times....

[JFDilmando]

This is a snap of the mitre in the scroll of this 9 July, 23 Fern.... I will post in Loar pics with comparison with a Feb 18

[Mike Romkey]

Yikes! Low blow. You talking about Chris?

Later: Dang. This didn't go where it was supposed to go in the above. Never mind.

[Mike Romkey]

don't forget those 1% folks. They spend $225K on home security.

Note my comment above, incompetently posted as it was.

With all due respect to the more learned and distinguished person who posted this, I don't think class warfare is at all the point. Owning an "expensive" mandolin is beyond comprehension for the typical person (or his wife). The owner of a Master Model or Duff, or a Gilchrist, would be shipped off to re-education camp, along with the Loar owners, after the revolution.

But as I hope you agree, it's about mandolins, not money.

I love all mandolins, and all mandolin owners, rich or poor.

[JFDilmando]

where did this come from and to what does it refer ?? class warfare ?? re-educatioin camps ?? after the revolution ?? are we talking about this thread, or is this a total misdirected post from some other thread in some other dimension ??

[Mike Romkey]

My apologies, JFDilmando. I read this thread today and reacted to how it veered away from the instrument and onto so-called 1 percenters (of which I am not one), who "spend more on home security" than it would cost to buy an upper-end Loar, Chris Thile's taxes, etc. If you'd like to continue this discussion, please PM me.

[JFDilmando]

Ok I see. Yeah it was quite a digression for sure and that tends to happen in threads. Yields some interesting commentary from time to time. Other times. Hmmmm. Not so much.

[Hallmark498]

Lets get this back on track!

How about some more pictures of the Fern and a video with smell "ah" vision...

[JFDilmando]

just another pic of the tailpiece cover of this mandolin...
Enjoy...