Collector's strat on UK ebay - legit?

[chris p]

A Sydney seller wants lots of money for a 3 digit serial number strat on UK ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Stratocaster-Vintage-1954_W0QQitemZ330035283219QQihZ014QQcategoryZ33039QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Hmm, the seller has a rating of 9 obtained by buying a number of cheap items (looks like $50 would cover the lot), and has only been around for 3 months. No other lots for sale. Bit of a step up to ask $180k for an item, I would have thought. Anyone know anything about this before I let my guitar collector friend know about it?

[Jason Dirckze]

Looks legit, but I'd still be wary. I'd ask if you could go and inspect the guitar, and pay on pickup

[Kris]

the guy is dreaming if he thinks he'll get that much for it.

save your money and go and buy the 1962 strat that jacksons rare guitars has got going for $20,000 aud.

If this was really serious/legit I think he would have been to jackson's anyway. maybe give them a call and see if they know anything about it.

it's possible the guitar is hot, when taking into account his ebay history.

but if you do decide to blow that much on an axe, make it COD to protect yourself.

[kassonica]

Being a fender lover from way way back i noticed one thing, there is NO close up photo of the serial number. Also There is very little fretboard wear & unless it's being stored since 1962 Mmmmmm

Kassonica

[Howard Jones]

Does your friend have that sort of money to spend on a guitar?

[smash]

If it is legit...

I bet somebody is regretting giving it a re-fininsh right about now...

[Ausrock]

The "sellers" eBay history is based on purchases of books (by the same author) and CDs (mainly by the same artist)............unusual? Maybe. A credible history for this sale? Not likely!

I find this kinda scary..............I remember an Aust., guy (a singer/songwriter) who severely scammed on eBay, mainly selling non-existant sports tickets to people in the US, he was caught and jailed in the US, and was apparently released not long before this "seller" registered on eBay. The similarity for me is that as well as sports tickets, he also tried (unsuccesfully) to sell a Strat that had alledgedly been owned by one J. Hendrix......for this he used the business name of a "known" studio where he had been recording.

Coincidence...........I hope so.

[Simon B]

Steve jackson was on abc collectors tonight.......

He said that guitars are the most exspensive collectable now in the US..... or them most return for a collectable.... something along those lines

He had some nice guitars and said some guitars are going over $300,000 now.

his most expsensive guitar was a les paul tht he didnt say how much it was.

He then goes on to say a guy came in with a 1960 les paul insured for 6k, and steve told him it was worth bout $300k.

After watching this show, if it is legit it seems cheap for what it is........

[Kris]

the thing that bothers me about "collectible" guitars is that they will more than likely be bought by some guy with too much money and will then be placed on a wall or behind glass as some kind of status symbol. While I would probably do the very thing I despise if I had the resources, it still irks me. A guitar is meant to be played, not hidden away in some private, nigel tufnel style collection.

[BCains]

not that these could be related or anything, but theres been over 500K worth of guitars stolen in Italy
(gearslutz has a thread), just abit odd its on a UK ebay on not an aussie ebay (where the aparent seller is from)
also i think there was a 1954 strat stolen, you'll have to double check thread.

[mfdu]

yeah - why is a sydney seller selling on UK ebay?

just because that's the only place where they'd pay that kind of money?
(exchange rates being what they are, what would $120K australian rupees be in UK moula?)

mmmm.

chris.

[philly]

Actually, it is on Australian ebay.
He's had 5 offers too.
I think I know the Jimi Hendrix strat that was mentioned. A guy I knew had it in his shop in Bondi Junction for about $3k fifteen years or so ago. Even tho it may not have been Hendrixs there were a few
US mags that had articles debating it. Still would have been a canny invenstment.

[Ausrock]

The aforementioned Hendrix/eBay thang occurred about 3 years ago and was an attempted scam. I remember seeing the eBay listing at the time and didn't really suspect anything as I recognised the seller name as a studio I was acquainted with. The supposed truth came out some time later when the crap hit the proverbial fan for the scammer..........at the time, the studio was totally oblivious to the fact that their name had been used.

I seriously doubt that there is any connection between the past Hendrix thing and this current Strat, I just found it strangely coincidental that this new seller's appearance on eBay kinda roughly coincides with the reported release date from jail of the scammer.

[philly]

I dont really understand that aspect of ebaying. People won't go to a dealer and try out some sort of rare guitar and check it over in person but theyll buy something sight unseen from someone they dont know?
I suppose for the seller its a way of getting attention. There's a good chance David Gilmour or Eric Claptons roadie comes across it and gets in touch.
As i said. ...dunno really... :-)