Custom made - long term appreciation potential?

[jd1655]

Hey y'all

I've got a custom made CB Hill guitar. It is a Speedster and these things are custom made for around $3000.

It is a great guitar, solid ash, great components, Tom Short pickups etc... The match of any higher end solid body electric. It is mint condition

Almost no one has heard of these, and there are lots of custom builders. I wonder how much potential this guitar has for long term value appreciation

any thoughts?

thanks

Jeff

[DesmoDog]

Unless someone famous starts playing one I'd guess it'll be worth about half what you paid for quite a long time...

[dan1952]

My experience is that any custom made guitar or amp is very difficult to sell - at all. Makes no difference how good it is, if it doesn't say F***** or G***** on the headstock, people run the other way...

[jd1655]

Thanks for the responses. This is about what i reckoned.

The good news is that I bought second hand so I got a great little guitar at a significant discount.

I'll just keep holding and playing and hope for the fringe benefit of rising value

[Mudder]

It's worth what someone will pay. Find someone willing to pay $3k and there you go. The question is "where is that guy?"

[chillman]

That's why I don't baby my custom. I know I'll never be able to sell it for much, so I beat the crap out of it and don't look back.

[speedingjet]

Yep.....what they ^ said.

[BritishBluesBoy]

Originally Posted by jd1655

I wonder how much potential this guitar has for long term value appreciation

Unless your builder suddenly becomes very famous or a famous guitar player starts using his guitars I'd say you have no potential at all for appreciation. I'd suggest you just play the snot out of it and enjoy it for many years and forget about selling it.

[Joe-Bob]

Originally Posted by BritishBluesBoy

Unless your builder suddenly becomes very famous or a famous guitar player starts using his guitars I'd say you have no potential at all for appreciation. I'd suggest you just play the snot out of it and enjoy it for many years and forget about selling it.

This is about it in a nutshell. Sorry, but your custom guitar is worth almost nothing to anyone but you. Rarity does not equal value. Value depends on demand. This is why older Gibsons are worth so much; a lot of people want them

[LGOberean]

I don't quite get the concept of buying a guitar as a financial investment, hoping for some future financial appreciation in value.

I'm not saying I will never do that, but to date (38 + years) I have not purchased an instrument with a view towards its potential financial appreciation in value. I've never been able to afford to do that.

Every guitar I've ever bought (or that has been given to me as a gift) served a function; each was acquired to be played. I've sold a couple of guitars in 4 decades out of necessity, but never bought one thinking it wouldn't be a keeper.

[tucopeat]

As a builder I can attest to the fact that if it doesn't have a particular name on the headstock then there is little interest. I have yet to sell a single custom I have made although I get compliments all the time.
If I ever sell one great, but if not I will play them all and continue to make more. Having too many guitars is like saying a girl is too pretty....not possible.