Value of an autographed guitar?

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kingnimrod
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Value of an autographed guitar?

Post by kingnimrod » Wed Aug 16, 2006 4:50 pm

I picked up a guitar through craigslist today, and discovered after the sort of long drive to check it out that it was autographed by someone.

It's a Hondo Revival 935 (es335 copy), pretty decent guitar with bound neck and grover tuners. Looks new, but the decal inside has a ?1981 on it.

Image

So I figured for the pretty cheap price it was worth it for the guitar and a little peavey practice amp, and it would be pretty easy to rub out the autograph.

This evening I popped open the (nice) hardcase to show it to my wife, and we both quickly read the autograph and realized it was that of Neil Finn of Split Enz / Squeeze / Crowded House Fame. Wow. A quick check of the internet confirmed that the autograph matches. You can't see it in the picture here, but it's on the body near the stop bar.

So, the question is - what is this thing worth? I'd rather sell it to some Finn Fanatic who really appreciates it and replace it with something else.... I don't want to just stick it on ebay without knowing, because if it's not really worth anything I'll play it...

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inverseroom
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Post by inverseroom » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:21 pm

RefD is a Neil Finn maniac, the only one I know.

Personally, I think an autograph of any kind immediately decreases the instrument's value.

philbo
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Post by philbo » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:40 pm

Like anything else, it's worth what you can get somebody to pay for it...

Now, if it had J. Lennon's autograph, maybe you could turn over a healthy profit... I myself wouldn't pay anything extra for it, but there are a lot of people who think they can buy into greatness.
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Last edited by philbo on Sun Mar 20, 2011 12:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

fromthecurve
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Post by fromthecurve » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:45 pm

Can you play it and enjoy it without destroying the autograph?

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inverseroom
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Post by inverseroom » Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:48 pm

philbo wrote:Now, if it had J. Lennon's autograph, maybe you could turn over a healthy profit...
OK, send it to me then...

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kingnimrod
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Post by kingnimrod » Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:10 pm

My original thought was to get out the rubbing compound and get rid of it, until I recognized the signature. I don't want to do that if it's worth something...

hammertime
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Post by hammertime » Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:41 pm

I'd actually pay less money if someone scribbled his name on a guitar unless it's Elvis or Marilyn Monroe or even some tragically dead second or third-tier star. But if that guy's still alive, and he hasn't gone insane or something, I wouldn't think it's worth anything, at least not yet.

hammertime
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Post by hammertime » Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:42 pm

Not until he OD's or gets shot by a cop or something.

RefD
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Post by RefD » Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:48 pm

inverseroom wrote:RefD is a Neil Finn maniac, the only one I know.

Personally, I think an autograph of any kind immediately decreases the instrument's value.
heh, there are more than a few Enz/CH/Finn fans who would sell their car to buy that guitar.

i'm not one of them, tho. :wink:
?What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears.? -- Seneca

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kingnimrod
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Post by kingnimrod » Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:06 pm

ok, someone hook me up with either some of these crazy fans or an angry cop, heheh.

hammertime
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Post by hammertime » Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:17 pm

Maybe it's worth something, then. I've never even heard of the guy. If he's still alive and gigging it will probably be worth less than if he's dead, though, because any fan could probably walk up to him and get an autograph, and unless he's a totall asshole, he'd probably sign their guitar for nothing. Maybe you should go kill him.
kingnimrod wrote:ok, someone hook me up with either some of these crazy fans or an angry cop, heheh.

RefD
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Post by RefD » Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:19 pm

waitaminute...!

maniac?!?
?What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears.? -- Seneca

dub3000
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Post by dub3000 » Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:24 pm

there's a lot of love and respect for neil finn - i think that guitar would be very valuable to split enz or crowded house fan

you might find some interest on the frenz forums:

http://frenzforum.com/groupee

--dan

RefD
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Post by RefD » Wed Aug 16, 2006 9:22 pm

hammertime wrote:Maybe it's worth something, then. I've never even heard of the guy. If he's still alive and gigging it will probably be worth less than if he's dead, though, because any fan could probably walk up to him and get an autograph, and unless he's a totall asshole, he'd probably sign their guitar for nothing. Maybe you should go kill him.
someone should do you first, sunshine.
?What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears.? -- Seneca

hammertime
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Post by hammertime » Wed Aug 16, 2006 9:32 pm

Maybe only after someone does yo mama.
RefD wrote:
hammertime wrote:Maybe it's worth something, then. I've never even heard of the guy. If he's still alive and gigging it will probably be worth less than if he's dead, though, because any fan could probably walk up to him and get an autograph, and unless he's a totall asshole, he'd probably sign their guitar for nothing. Maybe you should go kill him.
someone should do you first, sunshine.

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