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April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | In another thread, someone wanted price info on a used O, and a response was 'soft market for O's recently. In my opinion, the market will always be soft, unless they go out of business and become rare. Look at any 30 year old Gibson or Martin in mint condition, and it will bring a huge price. Meanwhile a 30 year old Ovation in mint condition will be lucky to bring what the original owner paid for it. I got my 1619 Custom Legend new in '83(from the factory with an employees discount) for 600 and change, and I probably wouldn't even get that much for it now, even though it still looks great (pics in the gallery). Kind of a shame really. I don't think this will ever change, because the market is now flooded with overseas built Matrix, Ultra, Applause, Celebrity, and numerous copy-cats, and look alikes. A lot of people try one of these and are dissapointed, and turn to a flat guitar. If Ovation just kept producing top quality USA made guitars, they would have a better reputation, and vintage guitars would bring a much fatter price. It's like driving a new car off the lot. It's almost guaranteed to depreciate. |
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February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | That phrase was mine, and is always relative. A few years ago, Pinnacles were selling for $400 and Elite Standards could bring $500, while Legends and Elites in great shape were going for up to $600. By comparison, the market is very soft right now. What you are talking about is a more general trend, and what Ovations are really worth has been discussed over and over and over again in many threads since this board was established.
Welcome to OUR world. :( |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Only true when you are trying to sell.
Fantastic when looking to increase the collection with some truly wonderful sounding guitars. If the market was where these guitars should really be selling at, I for one would have a fifth of my current collection (and be the sadder for it!) |
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February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | I don't think Kaman is concerned with building a strategy based on ensuring high resale value. I'm sure they make a good buck on all those imports...considering they don't have to do anything.
Our perspective will never be their perspective. I just love my Ovations. John <>{ |
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February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | Stephen makes a great point! It is definitely more of a buyer's market than a seller's. |
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October 2005
Posts: 5332
Location: Bluffton, SC | (Shh, Paul...we try to keep it quiet when he does. Telling him that only encourages him.) ;) |
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October 2005
Posts: 4081
Location: Utah | My baby is an Alvarez 12 string that I bought new for about $350 in 1978. That was a lot of money for a high school kid back then! The guitar sounds better than ever, even if my skills are no better than ever. Yet the resale is only $350 for this mint and beautiful guitar. Taking inflation into account, it's lost about half it's monetary value. |
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July 2002
Posts: 1900
| I have heard good things about the 'Pinnacles', perhaps the best of the non-USA O's...but I'm still a USA Ovation snob, it's too late to change now... |
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August 2003
Posts: 396
| I buy guitars looking for the sound, looks,feel, playability, and the "vibe" that will make me happy. I have bought 4 guitars in my life and have never sold one of them, although I'm thinking of selling my Martin d15 as it gets the least play. I have no intentions of selling my 2 Ovations (1861 and elite lx). For me, and I could be wrong, a guitar is a lousy investment if you are looking to save it and make profit down the road somewhere. If I were very concerned with resale profit several years down the road, I wouldn't be buying Ovations because they don't appear to, generally speaking, get better resale than say a Martin or a Taylor. I just play'em. |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Let's not forget the slotheads, in 76 they were $2200 and now they will bring $10,000+. Bauerhillboy is right, the only focus is this quarter but it's just a business afterall. These other examples are usually single product companies with family and or founder involvement still.
On the other side of the coin it used to be that you couldn't really find many Ovations used, people just held onto them. |
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August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | eBay has released a lot of upper end Ovations that sat in G-Daddy's closet...now that he is gone and the estate is in probate, someone is selling. Notice that most 30-34 year old O's are in pretty good shape. If not, the factory is fantastic. Ever see most 30 year old Martinis? Sure, ok for a collector but not for serious play.
Over the next few years, I believe we will continue to see good markets in the older O's and A's. Think about it...four or five years ago, what was the price for an excellent 1687? A lot more expensive now. It would be more interesting to see what the average price would have been five years ago (assuming there was the same internet and eBay sales as there is now) v. comparing the original sales price. What will happen when all of the guitars that were found in G-Daddy's closet are sold (supply and demand)?
How many deep bowl/"A" brace Custom Legend or Adamas textured top do you see each year...less and less each year.
Guitars, rarely an investment unless you stole it. Play it, enjoy it, and possibly have a better return than other low-risk investments. Again, Moody a couple of years ago said that, in his opinion, Ovations were appreciating at about 20%...I agree. If buying to sell for profit, buy in "buyer's market", hold and sell in "seller's market" - simple, sounds like real estate. |
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Always a Soft Market for O's
