Hey you crazy cats!
Here’s the scenario. Spotted something on another forum I rather liked the look of. Fellow’s up for trades with Custom Shop Strats, among other ephemera.
So I engage, tarting my own strat in a rather fetching shade of Daphne Blue, the one I said I’d keep forever, etc., as pictured.
https://imgur.com/a/QklWkThe chap’s really interested, all going well, until we get to the show and tell stage. I bought it from a v reputable place: think I still have the receipt, but there was no Certificate when I got it, and no original case. It does have a new Hiscox to live in, and more to the point I have - and disclose - an email exchange with a helpful chap at Fender head office in the US confirming the serial number and specs. of the instrument, which I checked out before I bought it.
Well you can see what’s coming: fellow wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole.
Is a bit of paper that anyone with 20 mins and a decent bit of editing software could rattle off really THAT important?
Well, clearly. But why, really? Can people not trust the evidence of their eyes, ears, hands. Backed up by a whole load of circumstantial corroboration?
Not annoyed or upset. Deals get done or they don’t. Just genuinely a bit baffled.
Inactivist Lefty Lawyer
Comments
I think finding the receipt could be critical for some buyers in this situation. It would help to eliminate the possibility that the guitar was stolen... say, from a gig - when it was not in its case (and the certificate wasn't present). I think there are a fair few guitars being sold in that kind of scenario.
If I was the buyer, I'd be suspicious if there was no cert, no original case and no receipt.
The point is, most people who own things like this know that buyers would be suspicious if they’re missing - hence would keep them.
If they’re not with the guitar, there would have to be a plausible reason - and an appropriate discount.
The standard cases weigh the same as the moon and aren't all that. Sorry, but its true... I've never liked them, and having seen one that has been dropped and t it split open, spilling the guitar onto a concrete floor they offer as much protection as a bin bag. The Hiscox *is* an upgrade if you actually want to play the guitar outside of your house.
Bloody "certificates of authenticity" are dumb. Its marketting bollocks and once you've read it once, it goes back in the case/drawer/box in the loft. Its a piece of paper that means *nothing* really.
However, if you have such a guitar... they become as important as the guitar itself.
More shit to store, IMHO - as I'd never use a CS case (or AVRI one) and the certificate means bog all to me. In fact, I know someone who is using the CoA from their Gibson 345 as a coaster in their home studio right now... a good use for it IMHO.
Sadly, though, if I was paying CS prices for something, I'd expect this junk to be with the guitar. Even though once I'd bought it, I'd have no interest in it. It helps to prove its story - and helps to prove its story should you want to sell it in the future. If the guitar were cheap enough (reflecting the lack of CoA, case and other associated junk) I'd consider buying it... without, it becomes incredibly hard to sell and therefore it needs to be cheap.
I sympathise... but sadly that's the way it is.
In the 60's and 70's many brought a new Fender without a USA case - In the 60's and many purchased a Selmer case - in the 70's they purchased whatever home grown UK case was available so in some era's an original case is often rare
But if that Strat is the one you said you would keep forever, maybe you should just avoid the problem entirely and do so .
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Don't forget any future seller will need to go through the same rigmarole of convincing a buyer its all okay and not stolen..
The first owner may have a good believable reason for ditching the case and certificate. The second owner will likely just say the previous owner ditched them. The story sounds a bit more dodgy each time its retold no matter how genuine the deal actually is.
I would find that receipt.
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Guess I really need to find that receipt if I wanna flip the thing
Ditto re COAs being marketing bollocks. But, as this thread demonstrates, of no little importance ... But I kinda like it that I'm so damn rock n roll I didn't insist on having one. Even if it does now mean my guitar is practically unsellable
This isn’t about whether the guitar is a fake - it’s whether it’s stolen goods....
Because of this, moving it on will always be an issue. Did you pay the ‘full’ second hand price, or get something off?
I think buying anything that ‘should’ come with certain things but doesn’t, is always a risk. Personally I wouldn’t touch it either....
We're a pretty nerdy bunch on here, but how many average punters can identify a Custom Shop body, scratchplate or pickups from the outside? I know I can't.
A COA and original case with tools, receipts and everything else are certainly not absolute proof of authenticity, but if they're all there combined with a nice, normal seller it's good enough to get full market value.