You may never have thought about it before, but a safe and reliable place to invest money is by purchasing a vintage acoustic guitar. There are lots of different places to put your investments, stocks, bonds, artwork, and property. Vintage acoustic guitars are a very stable and rewarding investment that most people don’t consider. Over time, via the prices they fetch at auction and the people who invest in them know, vintage guitars increase their value. Unlike the soaring and plummeting stock market, the only way an acoustic guitar loses its value is by being damaged or destroyed.
Serious collectors and investors put their money into acoustic guitars because of their value and their inherent beauty as an art piece. Each guitar has a unique, elegant quality and sound, so their additional benefit of being a functioning musical instrument adds to their worth. Some collectors prefer purchasing paintings to hang on their walls, others would rather buy vintage guitars to decorate their homes and be the centerpiece, as well as to have a great story to tell.
When you have found a vintage acoustic guitar that interests you, make sure you have the expertise of someone who understands luthierie (the making of musical instruments) to confirm that it is authentic. As with all expensive items, replica guitars are made and sold as vintage guitars to inexperienced buyers. The condition and quality of the guitar are also important. The vintage acoustic guitar you are looking at may be considered valuable, but if it is not in playable condition, that will decrease its worth. You, or your expert, should play the guitar to confirm that it sounds good and is functioning correctly. A guitar is worth much more when it can be played than when it is just a bunch of shaped pieces of wood.
A vintage acoustic guitars history and lineage also affect its value. Gibson and Martin are very well known and established names in the guitar business, so a vintage acoustic guitar from one of these makers will be a better investment than one of a lesser known brand. A guitar can also come with its own story, some being owned by famous musicians or celebrities. If the claim is made that the guitar was owned and/or played by a big name, ask the person selling it to provide some sort of proof or certification of this fact. Being able to prove that the guitar was owned by “such and such a person” adds to its value in the long run.
A vintage guitar is a long term investment, as it isn’t something that you can turn around and sell at a higher price very easily, but over time its value will increase and its decorative potential in your home or office is huge. As with any alternative investment, a vintage acoustic guitar is something much more tangible than stocks or bonds and more involving, active, and tactile than a painting or sculpture. It is an investment with a story, and that one can create music, which is a gift in and of itself.