[Dacious]

The pre-'99 model was 1302, which you won't find anywhere on the guitar except maybe a stamp in the neck pocket.

My own personal take is: they are all good guitars, some will be better than others. You may like the slimmer neck of the '90's, some people do. It makes not much difference to value - they are more valued by condition and originality. The later ones have a similar neck profile to a 1969 RI Thinline or a 70's Tele or the 70's MIM reissues. It is slightly slimmer than the slugger on the 50's Classic Tele.

Some of the early ones are getting some really great player wear on the fretboards, like real 50's and around the upper bouts.

There's been heavier and lighter ones, some with better figure. Some are reckoned to be better colours - nobody really knows. After about 2002 they toned down the orangey neck tint which is better IMO. But some really old Teles have very orange necks.

The pickups did change, from alnico 5 to alnico 3 but stayed the same for windings and impedance, inductance changed ever so slightly; but I have/had both versions and there is not that much difference in tone really. You can buy the new ones and stick them in if you want, they look exactly the same.

The interesting thing is, if you count the 1982-'86 or thereabouts ones made in Japan, the 52Ri had it's own 25th Anniversary last year, which makes it a very long lasting model!

IMO they're a bit like a Harley - with no planned obsolesence, they all look very similar, so the older ones retain virtually the same value as newer ones, and a cherry old model with case and case candy can still be a $1000-1100 guitar.

Find one you like, don't worry about the year. There's plenty of good Tele models - they are one of them as long as you want a vintage-type Tele.