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Collecting Vintage guitars probably requires more knowledge than the average person will have but it can be a very fun and lucrative collectibles hobby or profit making venture if you’re willing to spend the time to research.

If you are like many collectors that are just starting out, you may not know where to focus your attention, so we hope to offer helpful advice.

There are avid collectors of vintage guitars that are interested in a variety of brands from different time periods, while there are some that focus on particular brand names or types of guitars.

How Do You Define “Vintage”?

Unlike many collectibles, antique guitars may not be as desirable to own as “vintage” guitars. Most guitar collectors consider instruments manufactured before the 1920′s to be too primitive, so guitars manufactured between the 1920′s and the 1970′s seem to be the most popular with collectors. Most price guitar price guides will cover those years so that makes it easy to focus on the more popular vintage instruments.

The Most Desirable Features:

When collecting these types of guitars, the materials they are made of can be part of the appeal. Production was of higher quality than you will find in today’s guitars. For this reason, carefully examine the condition of the wood that is used for the body of the guitar to ensure it isn’t splitting or cracked. The soundboard and fretboard should be in good condition. Keep in mind that rare doesn’t always mean more valuable, because there are some limited production models that were limited, because they weren’t desirable.

Should I Consider Top Names In Vintage Guitars?

Gibson, Fender, National, Marshall, Martin and Dobro are just a few of the most popular vintage guitar brands to consider. Some people might say the “pop culture icons” are the most popular because of a “herd mentality” with collectors, but the top brands have an active marketplace. Another consideration is whether to focus on electric guitars or acoustic guitars. There are more working parts to be concerned with on electric guitars, but they are popular with collectors. The 1954 Fender Stratocaster and the 1958 Fender Jazzmaster are “first year” production models that are highly prized and sought after with collectors, for example. Gibson guitars feature popular collector models, including the Firebird series from the 1960′s.

Should I Consider Little Known Names Of Vintage Guitars?

There are some collectors of vintage guitars that consider the little known names because they are rare specimens that might have interesting features. Consider the Hofner, Gretsch or Rickenbacker guitars from Germany. There seems to have been a parallel universe in classic guitars that were made by European and German names after the Wars. The long-standing relationship between American and German guitar-makers means you can find some interesting vintage guitars, made by either. When searching for these European or German collectible guitars, it is possible you may need to go outside of America because they are popular in Canada and Europe, but the Internet provides helpful resources.

Do Your Research!

One guitar store owner I know had an old guitar in her store for several years. She had bought it from a local who needed the money. There were no markings on the guitar to indicate the manufacturer, so she gave it the normal 50% markup and displayed it for several years. It was back in a dusty corner so she forgot about it until one day she received a phone call from someone in another state asking about the old guitar in the corner. He wanted to know if it was still there and if the price was still $15o. She said, yes and agreed to hold it for him until he could get there.

He showed up the next day and purchased the old guitar.

A few weeks later he called the store owner and told her he had sold the guitar for over a $1000 and wanted to thank her for the good deal she had given him! When she queried him about the guitar and how he had recognized it without any markings he simply said, “Old guitars is my business. After I saw that one in your store I did my research and took a chance. I bought it, took out the electronics and found what I was looking for.”

Of course the store owner was glad to have a happy customer – and kicked herself for not knowing the guitar was worth 10 times what she had sold it for!

No matter where you decide to place your focus, collecting vintage guitars can be an interesting hobby that may be profitable, too. If you have an interest in musical instruments from past years, there are many fine specimens of classic guitars you can collect.