Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

No question, Andrew, that the LK is the Unholy Grail as far as the collectors' market for Rick basses goes. As it should be, from a craft standpoint, whether or not the aesthetics are your cuppa.

(The picture of the Lemmy on our current calendar, posed and photographed by good friend, customer, and owner Bob Combs, is one of the top ten static guitar photos I've ever encountered. It's Miss October, incidentally!)

But RIC only has one 75th Anniversary, the number of 4003DCMs is quite small, and demand was high from the get-go. While it may not match the Lemmy's performance in the collector marketplace, it stands to appreciate quickly, IMO.

Eddie, the seller is in the car biz, and doesn't have the mental block that some of us share against "flipping" for profit. Everything I acquire, for better or worse, in the RIC category, is doomed to remain as part of my family.

I don't understand why people get their knickers in a wad over the prices. Ed, I've seen several instruments change hands on this forum for prices I wouldn't pay. But I don't think the seller is evil, and I don't think the buyer is a sucker. Free will. If Ken can find someone to pay those prices then I say good for him. If he doesn't he will have to adjust his price. Who has the right to say that if he sells it for $5,800 that it isn't friendly or fair, as you say? Certainly not you or I.

Just an opinion.

I never thought the demand would be that high for the 75th guitars and basses.....I thought I'd wait a year or two and pick one up cheap.............someone called me an expert once.........what do I know

Uh-oh! Political content!

I'm thinking that when all the 4003 DCMs have reached the consumers and those who bought them just to flip them on ebay have finished doing so, the price they may fetch when they are rarely offered, will make $5800 look small. Just my humble opinion.

I gotta say, Ed, I agree with Mr. Simer. If someone is willing to pay X price, then that is what the item is worth. Isn't that capitalism in a relatively pure form?

If I had been quicker on the uptake and better at reading the tea leaves, I would have tried to get my hands on 2 DCM's, 1 to keep, 1 to sell.

The way I see it, the 75th Anny Ricks are an object. A possession that has its own market value just like any other thing that we can buy or sell.

If I bought a house in San Diego for $350,000 a couple of years ago and today that same house is worth $550,000, I'm not going to offer the house to any of my friends for the $350,000 I paid.

The same thing goes for stocks, bonds, soybean contracts, 1966 Corvettes, vintage GI Joe dolls(!), motorcycles, Schwinn Sting-Ray's, PEZ dispensers, baseball cards, stamps, coins, Picassos, Civil War weapons, and Rickenbacker bass guitars.

A precedent was set on the one transaction that has taken place in the market for 75th anniversary basses. The price that that bass sold for was the result of an open-market auction; the result of the prevailing supply and demand. Maybe the CURRENT market price is more and maybe it is less than that last 75th Anny bass traded for. But why is it unreasonable to ask the same price that the last unit sold for?

Personally, I don't see how the market can be "flooded" with them. Especially since I believe most of the people who bought them, wanted them as keepers.

I purchased two for two reasons. One, I wanted to be sure if I got screwed by a dealer, the other would come through. Second, I did have a goal that if they doubled in price, I would sell one, and the other would basically be free.

If my dealer ever allows me to get mine, like my CS, I will NEVER sell it.

True, the market is never going to be "flooded" with just 75 units produced.

If they do fetch around $5,000 on a consistent basis then I think you'll see quite a few for sale, including those who originally were keepers.

This is in effect a 1:10 ratio rerun of the CS market position. A standard 4003 bass with a custom paint job and hardware becoming a collectible.

If the 1000 unit produced CS basses fetch between $4-5,000 what will the market value be for a bass that is ten times as rare?

If you think that's bad how about a Lemmy bass (#4) for 9995.00 at the Rickenbacker page? Both of these basses are really no better than an ordinary 4003, collectors are buying these things not players. IMHO they both are kind of strange looking. I think an ordinary 4003 is much better looking than either of them.

"A standard 4003 bass with a custom paint job and hardware becoming a collectible."

Anyone remember the Yenko Camaros?

Better yet, the '64 Z-16 Chevelles.

I hope it sells very well. Good luck Ken.

IMO, The Lemmy is a very special bass because of rarity, and the carving craftsmanship. Not sure how Rickenbacker ever got those out the door. Well worth the wait for those who have them.

The DCM's are special because of the unique color, low production and awesome guard and trc.

BTW - I had Ted's redneck for about 10 minutes, and besides being just some "ordinary 4003" in a different color, I thought the sound and action were spectacular.

Part of what we're seeing here is the difference of opinion between true players, and collectors.