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Guitar Appraisals and Appraisersby Allen Chiles
First of all, if someone is advertising themselves as a certified guitar appraiser, a warning bell should ring in your head. Do you really want someone to appraise your guitar who sent $39.95 to some mysterious entity for a certificate in order to make money? Who is this entity and how do they go about testing your knowledge on the thousands of different makers and models? And how on earth do they do it for $39.95? Earl Scheib would be proud. When looking for an appraiser, you look for someone with a collection of years in the business, not a collection of "how to" books. While books are handy for a quick reference - i.e. to refresh the memory and confirm serial numbers - they are no substitute for years of hands-on experience with the instruments. "Free Appraisal" - Beware Oft times a free appraisal will cost you plenty. A free appraisal is generally a ploy by a dealer to separate a guitar owner from his instrument for far less than its actual value. If you want to sell your guitar, first get a real appraisal so you'll know going into the sale what to expect to get for it. Dealers will not buy for full value. A private sale will result in your best bet for getting near full value. Plus, having a legitimate hard copy appraisal along with the guitar for sale won't hurt any either. Being an Appraiser So you want to become a guitar appraiser? First let me re-address the myriad short-cut appraisal training programs available on the web these days. Spending a couple of weeks taking an online course in appraising does not an appraiser make. From what I've seen these courses are quite general and cover appraising everything from glassware to guitars. Sure, you end up with a nice little piece of paper stating you are now an official appraiser, but how can you seriously have learned anywhere close to what you need to do it right? Anyone can assign themselves the title "appraiser" and probably get away with it for a while. But to do this would set you up for a terrible crash landing before long - then there goes your career. A reputation is the most important thing to build in this business, and once you screw it up, you may never salvage it. The best way to become an appraiser, and the only legitimate way as I see it, is to get a job and STAY at a reputable vintage shop where you can spend hands-on time with the instruments, studying and learning about each as it comes through. A good appraiser also knows you never stop learning, and even the best in the business right now have a network of knowledgeable people, in different areas of guitar specialty, that they will consult from time to time. Avoid "Chain" Stores Chain stores are fine if you want to work with new equipment and instruments in a retail environment. They will not, however, provide you with an adequate education on vintage instruments, nor will you ever find a good deal on one. I've seen many guitars for sale at these places either way over-priced or misrepresented - or both. I saw one guitar for sale as a 1962 Fender Stratocaster which, in fact, had a 1964 neck, a reissue two-tone 1957 body, an All-Parts green pick guard, and one lace sensor pickup. In their defense, it did appear to have a circa 1962 bridge and two stagger pole pickups. I later found out that the store sold this guitar to some poor schmuck for $7,500. Unfortunate, but true. Oft times, people at these places believe they are selling the real McCoy, but they have no clue. A chain store is no place to buy vintage instruments, no place to get an appraisal (see free appraisal above), and no place to acquire any sort of usable education on vintage instruments. In closing Whether you seek a reliable appraiser or wish to become one, experience and reputation are the keys. ------------------------------------------------ Allen has 25 years of experience working with guitars and welcomes questions from our site visitors. To read all about him, see our About Us page. If you'd like information on an appraisal from us, visit our Appraisals page. |
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