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Who to believe?
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:54 pm
by DBR
Hello Folks,
I took my bass down to a store to determine the appraisal value for insurance purposes. I was told by the appraiser that it is a 1974 model. I looked up the Serial # on the serial # site and it reads as a '73. Who am I to believe? Thanks for any insight. I will happen to believe the Serial # site. Thanks
Re: Who to believe?
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:37 pm
by cjj
The serial number doesn't lie, if the RIC site says it's a '73, it's a '73. Just make sure you looked at the official site, others may be wrong.
Here's the official place to look it up:
http://www.rickenbacker.com/service_serials.asp
Re: Who to believe?
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 3:10 pm
by collin
Ask how your appraiser knows.
If he thinks he has any valid reason other than the serial number, then you can listen to him. If he is using the serial number to figure out the date, and still says it's a '74.......then get a new appraiser because your guy doesn't know what he is doing at all.
Re: Who to believe?
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:20 pm
by jwilli
You could always ask us!
Re: Who to believe?
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:48 pm
by winston
jwilli wrote:You could always ask us!
Exactly...........
Re: Who to believe?
Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 3:53 am
by wints
Without bragging too much, we are the experts!
Re: Who to believe?
Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 4:04 am
by DBR
Thanks Folks. That's what I thought.
Re: Who to believe?
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:30 pm
by buchrob
The "appraisers", supposedly god-like figures, can make mistakes, especially typos when a report is written up.
I once paid $400 to have a boat appraised for insurance by a marine surveyor. He reported the power as 30 hp, when it was 130 hp, missing a fire extinguisher when there was one on the spot and didn't catch a few other safety bugs I had to repair after his survey.
I just had a real estate transaction fall through because one appraiser says $450K and the other $280K.
The jerk they sent to appraise had to be led by the nose, and doesn't have tpo answer to anyone, even the guy paying for the appraisal.
Re: Who to believe?
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:38 pm
by xcoyle
The real question now is when was it made in 1973? 1973 was a transition year, and the early ones are worth much more than the later ones. M=1973, and the econd letter is the month. A=January - L=December.
Re: Who to believe?
Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:39 pm
by DBR
MD..it was made the same month as my original Ric. The inlays are full width. Yes it was made in April '73.
Re: Who to believe?
Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 6:45 pm
by seyesbass
Ric,
There are always issues involved when you take a guitar into a shop to get it valued.
Theres a chance that guys in music shops are hedging their bets by undervalueing a guitar that they might want for themselves.
For a fair and honest opinion,get a couple of photos and post them on the "Rickenbacker appraisals" section on this forum.