Guitar Trader in New Jersey 1978, 1979, 1980 Prices

[IPLAYLOUD]

Prepare to get sick, guys. If I only had even $2,000 to spend at the time!!
One of the top stores at the time.
I still have many of these original fold-out mailers.

June 1, 1980:
Jazzmaster 1966, original blonde finish, dot-inlay fingerboard, very good condition with some belt buckle wear  $350
Jaguar 1965, Pre-cbs, rare original custom black finish on body and headstock, excellent "like new" condition  $495
Jaguar, 1966, early CBS model, original custom red metalloic finish on both body and headstock, excellent condition  $450
Jaguar, 1966, early CBS model, original Sherwood Green custom color body and headstock, excellent original condition, rare  $450

February 6, 1979
Jaguar 1966, early CBS, sunburst, dot-inlaid fingerboard, very good condition  $275
Jazzmaster 1962 , Pre CBS, refinished Walnut several years ago, very good condition with some worn finish, original brown case  $250

April 18, 1979
Electric XII 1966, sunburst, dot-inlay fingerboard with no binding, early CBS production  $350
Jazzmaster 1963 red-orange metallic finish. Pre-CBS, "L-series" serial number, very good original condition  $395 

March 3, 1978
'62 Jazzmaster, pre-CBS, plays well but has terrible amateur paint job that defies brief description (blue), plays fin despite it, N/C  $125 
'65 Jazz Bass, pre-cbs, red-metallic original finish, excellent  $550

Feb. 14, 1980
Jazz Bass, 1966, rare all-gold edition with metallic gold finish on body and headstock, excellent condition  $850

Don't even ask about Strats, Esquires, and 'Bursts.
OK...

March 3, 1978
'59 Les Paul Standard, orig. cherry-sunburst finish has turned deep brown, tiger-striped maple top, very good condition except has substantial wear in finish, PAF pickups, orig. case    $3500  (yup....TWO ZEROS)
'58 Flying "V" , excellent original condition, rare guitar with Korina body, PAF humbuckers, collector's item  $3000

[blacktiger]

Painful.

[donnyII]

someone  invent a time machine. now.

[daydreamdelay]

someone just shoot me in the damn head 

[jcyphe]

Ed's Guitar in Miami now defunct, but I found this picture on the website from the 70's.

[fullerplast]

I was 17 -20 during those years and could not have afforded them anyway.

Even odder/sadder than those low prices back then is how relatively little the prices changed for the next 15 years. Sure, you could say they "doubled"... but $275 x 2 is still not a whole helluva lot. Regardless, $550 - $800 was alot for me to spend on a guitar in the 90s. By the 2000s, custom color originals were $1500 - $1800, still pretty much out of my grasp. And now? fogeddabouddit...

It almost seems they have increased in jumps associated with the average baby-boomer's earning power throughout their careers.


Just another example of 'the man' holding us down... 

[andrewaward]

I owned a 59 Jazzmaster that had its original purchase receipt................it cost $275 back then 

[aen]

I'd like to have a talk with my parents about how irresponsible they were in those days.

"Mom, dad, I'm really disappointed that you didn't buy ANY of the sweetest guitars of all time for dirt freaking cheap.  All you can do to make up for it is buy me a vintage Jazzmaster."

My dad didn't get ANY guitars at that time!  NOw he plays a commanche!  come on, old man!

[Naturality]

I owned a 59 Jazzmaster that had its original purchase receipt................it cost $275 back then 

Holy crap! My crappy squier strat cost more than that!

[StevenO]

I owned a 59 Jazzmaster that had its original purchase receipt................it cost $275 back then 

Holy crap! My crappy squier strat cost more than that!

Hold on to it, it might be worth something in like 60 years or so.
I'm guessing it's not a 59' squier strat? 

[mezcalhead]

$275 in 1959 .. allowing for inflation is about $1800 today.

[cmatthes]

I just came across a few stocklists from various dealers and a few old VG mags from the late '80s/mid '90s...

Jags & JMs for $750 and less all day long.  Custom colors may have pushed them up in the $1,200-$1,500 range, but that was typically for really clean examples.  I did grab a great deal back then on a purty Jag, but I'm wishing now that I had blown a little more cash on some others!

Stripped and refinned ones were bringing $350-$475 well into 1999...

I'm going to stop living in the past now - it's far too depressing!

[serial]

All I want for Christmas this year is a functioning time machine...  Not too much to ask.