Collectible Strats

MisterE

MisterE

Fractal Fanatic
My first good guitar was a '78 strat that I totally messed up and sold.
I keep going back to the Stratocaster, even after owning 30+ guitars.
After getting the 1980 Strat and reading all the topics about Strats, I got interested in maybe collecting Strats.
That is, the ones that are worth collecting.
The Pre-CBS are an obvious but not affordable choice.
So I was wondering which other models are.
I looked at the values on the Blue Book website but I don't think that's a good reference.
 
If you are willing to look at more recent models, check out the Select series Strats first released in around 2012. I have an SSS model that I'm quite fond of.

They are an interesting blend of vintage - 2 point blade type trem but with bent steel saddles, nice single coils
and modern - contoured heel, locking tuners, compound radius neck, no load tone pot

Fender used nicer than standard/deluxe line woods and finishes with flame, quilt, and birdseye tops and necks available in various models and nitro finishes on all. (There are Teles and Jazzmasters as well as some basses in this series too.) I think since these models weren't around for a super long time and are higher spec, they'll appreciate as time goes on.

https://www.premierguitar.com/gear/fender-select-stratocaster-review

Of course that could just be wishful thinking on my part. I probably ruined the resale value on mine because I stripped the nitro off the neck and replaced it with tung oil, but it's my Strat life partner so I didn't care about that.
 
The Select Series look very nice and I'm fond of figured wood.
I've got a 35th anniversary Stratocaster with quilted maple top and, besides playing like a dream, it looks absolutely wonderful.
I also got a FSR Mahogany Strat. But I ruined the resale value by installing a Graphtech Ghost bridge and second output for the piëzo's.
 
Strats will always be collectable but it's not easy to preempt which. Limited editions and special runs are almost never collectable in the long run.
 
Here are a few that people look for;
Dan Smith strat (82 standard), Fullerton Vintage reissues 82~84, International colours ,Jewel colours (80~81) The very first run Am Std (wood screw studs old Elite Strat tuners and EE or E4 prefix. Rare colour Strat plus with Sperzel tuners (Graffiti Yellow etc), First run relic Strats (Cunetto) 95~7. There are others but this is a start in the more recent years. Forget Japan and others.
 
I don’t think anything modern will be collectible in the same sense a pre cbs era was.

difference was no one bought those and saved them for future value. Now days people buy things for the purpose of investment, likely without even an interest in playing it.

as such, because limited editions can be seen as a commodity, and the overall scarcity really isn’t an issue as it’s rather easy to know the value, it’s not like they are going to end up in an uninformed pawn shop for pennies on the dollar like pre internet era finds.

as the saying goes, past results don’t guarantee future outcomes.

so buy what you enjoy and like to play, but thinking keeping something under the bed for 30 years and then retiring off the profits isn’t going to happen again
 
If nobody cares about a particular limited edition it won't be valuable even if it is a rare as hens teeth. This is not the whole story. It usually goes by someone famous starts using something discontinued and then it is supply and demand.
 
Oh, and I like big head Strats and I'm particularly fond of the Antigua finishes.
In fact, back in '78 when I bought my Stratocaster at the Fender Soundhouse in London, they just had those in and I was seriously thinking about buying that instead of the natural one.
 
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MisterE said:
Oh, and I like big head Strats and I'm particularly fond of the Antigua finishes.
In fact, back in '78 when I bought my Stratocaster at the Fender Soundhouse in London, they just had those in and I was seriously thinking about buying that instead of the natural one.
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That's what I have. When I was young and stupid, I had a Floyd Rose installed on it, so I'm pretty sure I screwed myself.....
 
so buy what you enjoy and like to play, but thinking keeping something under the bed for 30 years and then retiring off the profits isn’t going to happen again
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That's what I'm planning to do.
And I'm not buying these as sort of an investment for me but for my (only) son.
The way I figure is, all I'm buying is with money that would have gone to him eventually when I croke - minus taxes :mad:
So I was thinking, why not buy a couple of geetars I can enjoy now and - after I'm gone - he can sell if he doesn't want to keep them.
 
Andy Eagle said:
Here are a few that people look for;
Dan Smith strat (82 standard), Fullerton Vintage reissues 82~84, International colours ,Jewel colours (80~81) The very first run Am Std (wood screw studs old Elite Strat tuners and EE or E4 prefix. Rare colour Strat plus with Sperzel tuners (Graffiti Yellow etc), First run relic Strats (Cunetto) 95~7. There are others but this is a start in the more recent years. Forget Japan and others.
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Dude, those Fullerton RI’s are going for insane prices. Did you see that ‘82 neck on Reverb the guy was trying to get like $5K for or something because it was close in serial numbers to Gilmour’s? :D I think the cheapest one I’ve seen was around $3.5K and that’s just too rich for my blood!
 
RevDrucifer said:
Dude, those Fullerton RI’s are going for insane prices. Did you see that ‘82 neck on Reverb the guy was trying to get like $5K for or something because it was close in serial numbers to Gilmour’s? :D I think the cheapest one I’ve seen was around $3.5K and that’s just too rich for my blood!
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Didn't Fluff have that lunatic on his Insane Reverb Listings segment?

It always makes my laugh and shake my head when people price things ludicrously and reference how many of the same are on Reverb/Ebay for the same price when questioned. The asking price is irrelevant, its the selling price that counts and if you're number 5 of 5 duplicate listings that aren't selling or eventually sold for substantially less then its a good indicator that you're priced way too high!
 
Man, there’s so many places to get Strat bodies and necks I’d just go crazy putting together Partscasters.

I was going to get a ‘57 VR for my Gilmour CAR Strat replica, but after some time on a 7.5” neck, screw that. I’m going to just have a neck made for me with a 12” radius and jumbo frets because I actually want to play the thing after I put it together.
 
Romo82 said:
Didn't Fluff have that lunatic on his Insane Reverb Listings segment?

It always makes my laugh and shake my head when people price things ludicrously and reference how many of the same are on Reverb/Ebay for the same price when questioned. The asking price is irrelevant, its the selling price that counts and if you're number 5 of 5 duplicate listings that aren't selling or eventually sold for substantially less then its a good indicator that you're priced way too high!
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It’d definitely be a perfect listing for that segment, but I haven’t seen all of them. Too funny!

He’s had it up there for months now and while I understand the appeal of wanting to sell something at that price, especially after how much Gilmour’s guitars sold for, it’s just silly. There’s an ‘85 ‘57 RI on there now someone is trying to sell for over $5K and I‘m pretty sure Andy’s right, the ‘special’ ones were from 82-84.
 
The late 80's strat plus seem to generate buzz. I have a 87-88 that's the best strat I've owned. The stock lace sensors aren't my favorite though.
 
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