Guitar buying/selling curiosity

Not sure why it would matter unless the item is stolen and they don't want cops seeing the serial number.

 

Maybe they think that someone might report it stolen to the police and they will use the serial number as evidence it once belonged to them???

 

If the serial is covered or they will not divulge, I assume the guitar is hot and move on.

 

Interesting take on the stolen thing. Could be.

 

Any pictures you put up on the internet are forever, I just figure it's a good idea not to put my serial numbers out there in the world. If the guitar was hot, I just wouldn't provide pictures showing the area of the serial at all.

For a $300 Fender it's probably not a big deal, but if I had something really valuable that someone might be tempted to pull a scam over, definitely.

 

I also think some people cover the serial so that a fake can't be made of the guitar that then becomes harder to trace.

You sell a black american tele and show the serial in a common web picture and someone can then slap the same serial on a black tele fake, and anyone who looks up the serial will get 'black american tele' and think it's legit.

 

There is a trend of listing your guitar on website registries like http://www.theguitarvaults.com/ ostensibly with other user data. So a person could connect the sale guitar to the owner through such a website if it was listed on it.

Maybe?

 

This'n. Serial spoofing is getting more and more popular with counterfeit builders as it's easy to go to any listing and steal a serial and slap it on their next Chinese Gibson. I've always covered the model/unit serials in photos and put in the description why I'm doing it and that I'm happy to provide the full serial in text or photo form for anyone that asks. I'll also always send an image to anyone discussing ponying up cash for a guitar, whether they request it or not. I'd hate to get fleeced by somebody and really hate feeling like I was on the other end of it.

 

I don't immediatlly think it could be stolen. I think is wise as a seller to not show it widely. If a buyer wants it, then send them a pic. I feel it does protect the seller in some small way. I wouldn't want my serial number to be on someone else's insurance policy in an act of fraud as proof of coverage.

It the same with pics of automobiles with license plates for sale or showing off. I'm not going to give out that info willy nilly even if you can drive by my home or pass me on the road and get it easily. As a car guy, I can say that half the folks don't and the other laugh at them for covering it up in photos.

Don't give bad guys any easy info, even if they could get. Make'm work for it. Thats how I look at it.

 

Think about all the scammers that join this site to post a pic and ask "What makes you think this is fake?"

 

Like backporch says, folks take that serial number and make mucho fake guitars with it.