Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Man.....looks like there are Rickenbackers all over the TV these days.....is it a RIC bubble ? Is now the time to sell ? Those of you who have owned RICs for a long time ...have you ever seen the prices drop ? I feel like I could get maximum $$$$ for my V63 Right now !

Ricks overall have never lost value. I say overall because some models have dropped or fluctuated a bit. For example, Squires lately seem to be coming down to earth. I think the model was a bit overvalued the last few years and the prices are now leveling off. The way I see it, unless you pay way too much in the first place you won't loose money on any RIC model.

Ted,
I'm not sure about that. In the late 80's and early 90's they were almost free on the used market. That how, by almost accident that I "took off their hands" my first 4001. I never intended to even play it, just keep it as a spare...until I played it.......

Ricks have finally come up to the value that they should be. I don't think they have ever really dropped in value. Ebay has really been weird lately. Bad time of the year and people worried about the economy. Even if they do drop in value, it wouldn't be by much and would be until people felt more comfortable about buying again.

rickfan60 wrote: The way I see it, unless you pay way too much in the first place you won't loose money on any RIC model.

That's been my experience too Ted!

looks like there are Rickenbackers all over the TV these days.....is it a RIC bubble

Rics seem to be in vogue right now. It will go eventually, only to come back after a few more years.

Part of the reason Rickenbacker bass prices are going up all the time is the wait for a new bass. Unless RIC starts manufacturing in east Asia, I don't see the prices changing direction. But I could be wrong, of course.

Yeah, Ricks are definitely one of the "in" things right now. However, every time I play my 4001, I am reminded of just how little of it is hype and how much is reality. They really are fantastic instruments.
I'm sure it'll drop off as far as popularity goes, after a while, but they're on the vintage market now, just like so many other things, and they're not going away. They may wane for some other "in" thing, maybe pointy 80s stuff. But, I think that for the most part, they're not going back down the "it's just an old Rick, let's drill it for a P-bass pickup right in the middle" road again.

I think it is supply and demand. Not enough Rics are produced. Some spare/replacement parts are not available, and others are in short supply. When third parties make spare parts they are shut down for trademark infringement, and those who make lower priced copies of rics are shut down for trademark infringement. All of those factors make for a market where the price of Rics will go up. Then you add the collector mentality into the equation and you have old Rics going for insane prices. When you test an old Ric next to a new Ric the new one plays and sounds better, but collectors will pay 10 times what a new one costs to get an old one. That also drives up the price of Rics from the 70s and 80s and 90s and now. I find the over-inflation of prices annoying.

S basses should be cheaper but they cost more. The 4005 wouldn't sell but now they command high prices. The 4002 wouldn't sell but now everybody wants one. The V63 and 4001cs did ok but as soon as they were discontinued the price doubled or quadrupled. The TRCs that used to sell for $10 now are approaching $200. The new horseshoe pickups used to sell for under $200. Now you can't get them, and if you can they will be a lot more.

We the consumers are getting squeezed by various market forces.

Do some people buy Ricks because they love them or just for the investment?

or because they are greedy

A lot of late 70's instruments have gone up in value lately. Have you priced a 78 P Bass lately?


IMO, it's because in the collectibles business, people are always trying to buy back their youth. With the 40's plus crowd in the best position to spend...they are going to buy stuff from that era.

rikk wrote:Ted,
I'm not sure about that. In the late 80's and early 90's they were almost free on the used market. That how, by almost accident that I "took off their hands" my first 4001. I never intended to even play it, just keep it as a spare...until I played it.......

I bought a lot of Rickenbacker basses over the last 30 years. While I have never taken the time to adjust for inflation or the strength of the dollar at any point along the line, the prices did not drop. They did not grow as fast during certain times, namely the time period you mentioned but they did not drop. In the Chicago area (assuming the Chicago market was representative of the national market) during from the 70's to the mid 80's a used 4001/3 could be had for $300 to $325. The word "vintage" was only appled to pre CBS Fenders and 50's Gibsons so that did not factor in. Prices rose to the $375 $400 range by the late 80's. During the 90's typical prices for used basses rose from $400 to the $650 - $750 range. They are almost double that today. I did not buy or price RIC guitars during that time so I don't know if they followed similar paths.

rickenbrother wrote:Do some people buy Ricks because they love them or just for the investment?

Yes.


I love 'em, and for me, they are an investment. Our stock portfolios took a $30g hit just for this last month, but the value of Rick basses continues to go up. So I have no problem rationalizing a Rick bass purchase. As always, "market performance is not necessarily an indicator of the future . . . ", but for all the other reasons given here, I feel pretty comfortable collecting at this time.

rickenbrother wrote:Do some people buy Ricks because they love them or just for the investment?

Both for me.

marc61 wrote:A lot of late 70's instruments have gone up in value lately. Have you priced a 78 P Bass lately?


IMO, it's because in the collectibles business, people are always trying to buy back their youth. With the 40's plus crowd in the best position to spend...they are going to buy stuff from that era.

I remember in the 70s everybody complained how cheap the instruments had gotten.

each decade people seem to think that things from the previous decade were better.