"Rare" - overused or not?

[kiramdear]

How about the use of the word, "upgrade"?

[fluffy]

How about the use of the word, "upgrade"?

because I doubt it would sell if you wrote : for sale ... Epiphone Les Paul-ished turd. I've "upgraded" the stock humbuckers with a vintage style P.A.F. in the bridge and Motherbucker in the neck, added real Gibson strings and Gibson strap . now she screams like the real thing for only $500.99

[cjj]

And then there's "relic", which somehow became so desirable that people actually make 'em look that way in a factory...

[fluffy]

And then there's "relic", which somehow became so desirable that people actually make 'em look that way in a factory...

don't even get me started on that!!!!! uhhh yeah, we took an already overpriced guitar, rubbed off half the paint , rusted the hardware, made it look like it's been recently discovered in a closet after 30 years AND TACKED ON ANOTHER THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THE PRICE TAG!!!!!!!!!
is this really what the other companies have to resort to?!?!? what happened to just building great gear???

[IHeartRics]

Also consider shows on cable for antiques, pawn shops, and garbage pickers that get people all fired up.

But as my dear ol' dad says, "something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it". If people would quit over-paying for stuff ("this same model sold on eBay last month for $xxxx......"), maybe some of this would stop.

[collin]

If people would quit over-paying for stuff ("this same model sold on eBay last month for $xxxx......"), maybe some of this would stop.

yeeeeeah.....thatsnotgonnahappen.

[scott_s]

While we're whining about overused terms, I'll add "NOS" to the list. If you don't know whether or not the tube has been used, it's not NOS! I don't care if it tests "green" on your (suspect) tube tester!

- Scott

[elreydlp]

...........and the #1 overused term:

NEAR MINT! WTF does THAT mean. I assume that means the owner is located in San Francisco, Denver, or Philadelphia.

Collin eloquently defined what "Rare" is, but to me, it also requires the element of desirability. I have the prototype Pignose Guitar with built-in 7-100 Pignose amp. It is a full-size guitar; unlike the production models which were travel-sized and was made by Aria. It is one-of-a-kind. The only thing more rare might be an original Gibson Moderne with somewhere between 0 and 1 produced. What it isn't is desirable. It's a basic mid-90's Japanese-made, slab-bodied electric guitar with a non-funtioning built-in amp. When I advertised it for sale, I started to use "rare' to describe it, but changed to "one-of-a-kind".

[IHeartRics]

If people would quit over-paying for stuff ("this same model sold on eBay last month for $xxxx......"), maybe some of this would stop.

yeeeeeah.....thatsnotgonnahappen.

I can dream can't I?

[fluffy]

If people would quit over-paying for stuff ("this same model sold on eBay last month for $xxxx......"), maybe some of this would stop.

yeeeeeah.....thatsnotgonnahappen.

I can dream can't I?

if your gonna dream , do it right... like I dream about that(hypothetical)sweet little old lady down the street whose husband just passed, but as a thank you for me helping with the lawn and fix-its gives me the old 4005 just collecting dust in the attic ... or the yard sale with the mystery case that was "Grandpas old beat up guitar that he hasn't touched in years because he broke a string and never got around to replacing it" and you open it up to find a old "Frying Pan" for only $10.00

[elreydlp]

Nice dream!
Back when newspaper ads were still a good source of gear (late 80's), I used to look in the San Diego paper every morning, and since I'm an early bird, got the jump on some neat finds.
One morning, I had an early appointment and skipped reading the paper. The appointment ran long, and it was around 10:00 before I got around to looking at the ads. The first one read:
"Fender guitar and amplifier, 1957 models-$250.00" and from the phone number, I knew it wasn't far from where I was. A "little old lady" answered the phone and informed me that they had been sold about 2 hours earlier to a "nice youg man", and she thought she might not have asked enough, since her phone had been ringing non-stop since about 8:30.
About an hour later, my friend Steve (a surfboard shaper) called and announced that he was the "nice young man" and that the guitar was a Sunburst Strat and the amp was a tweed Deluxe and both were in mint condition. They usual story-her husband always wanted to play; bought a guitar and amp, and never got around to it. What killed me was when Steve told me he was surprised that I hadn't gotten it. Most days, I'd have been at her door at 6:30 AM.
I got even with Steve though. I ran the following ad in all the "throw aways", Peenysaver, Recycler, Reader, etc.:
"1959 Les Paul. Like new, $150.00" and put his number in the ad.

[beatbyrd]

I had a dream that an obviously blind man held out a hundred dollar bill and asked me if I had a five and 5 ones. I told him that he didn't know it, but he was holding a hundred dollar bill. Was that the right thing to do? Then, I woke up, thinking about it.
Tom

[doctorwho]

... I got even with Steve though. I ran the following ad in all the "throw aways", Peenysaver, Recycler, Reader, etc.: "1959 Les Paul. Like new, $150.00" and put his number in the ad.

Almost cruel, but funny!

I had a dream that an obviously blind man held out a hundred dollar bill and asked me if I had a five and 5 ones. I told him that he didn't know it, but he was holding a hundred dollar bill. Was that the right thing to do? Then, I woke up, thinking about it. Tom

I got an extra $20 at the credit union in grad school and I took it back once I realized it (the next day). The manager and tellers seemed stunned that I was giving money back (I know what a shortage can do, so I didn't want the teller to be in trouble over it).

Although I've been fortunate to get a good share of bargains, I have at times opted to help the seller out when an item was underpriced. A number of years ago, a seller on eBay put a 325v63 Fireglo (in fantastic shape, IIRC, with original silver reissue case) with a starting price of something like $900 and a BIN of $950. I decided to bid at the minimum, which got rid of the BIN, so that the auction would run according to the actual market. IIRC at that time it wound up selling for $1200-$1400, so I helped the seller make a little more on it.

Back on original topic:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Rickenbacker-3 ... 3f00c3b247

Based on the information we have gathered we are confident that this is the 325V63 which is no longer in production therefore making it very rare.

A 325v63 JG is not rare, and being a discontinued model doesn't make it rare, either. (IMO)

[IHeartRics]

"Here we have a RARE, ONE-OF-A-KIND, VERY COLLECTABLE, VOXENBENDER! This guitar was a CUSTOM PROTOTYPE made from NOS PARTS for a little old lady that only played it at church on Sundays! If you're looking at this, you obviously know its true value and that the reserve will never be met! Thanks for looking."

[fluffy]

"Here we have a RARE, ONE-OF-A-KIND, VERY COLLECTABLE, VOXENBENDER! This guitar was a CUSTOM PROTOTYPE made from NOS PARTS for a little old lady that only played it at church on Sundays! If you're looking at this, you obviously know its true value and that the reserve will never be met! Thanks for looking."

beautiful!!!! I would play that to death!!!!!!