Guns: the new gold.

Hi ATS,

I love blowing off steam with you guys. It's so cathartic. So here goes. I made a teensy weensy mistake in my checking account, and needed to take a pawn loan for just a week til the next paycheck arrives. All I needed was $300 to make ends meet. I have a 1969 Gibson Heritage 12 string guitar. It is very rare, the serial # is 3817. No, that's not a typo. It is worth a couple grand easy. If you know anything about guitars you should be drooling now.

Anywho, went to the best pawn shop in town(most reputable, knowledgeable etc...) Took the old Gibson in. The guy behind the counter takes a 2 second look at it and says "not interested." My jaw hit the floor! I said "I only need a $300 loan." He said "Sorry dude, we only take guitars in mint condition." My jaw went through to the basement(if they have one). It has some mild crows feet in the "sunburst" finish from age. Which is normal, unavoidable, and does not affect the sound or value of the instrument in the least, and is actually termed "character" and adds authenticity to the instrument. So more than mildly perterbed I said. "So you have no interest in a $300 loan on a $2000(minimum, quick sale) piece of collateral?" He said "You can't prove that, that is the value." - OMG!!!! That is YOUR job, to know what the hell you are looking at!!! No I didn't say that. I just politely said "Thank you for your time, I guess no one can be an expert at everything."

As I was headed back to the truck I remembered my old Isreali Arms Jericho pistol(not Mag. Research a real IMI.) in the glove box. I thought "What the hell, I don't want to make another trip." I gave $375 for it brand new nearly 10 years ago. I took it in, and the guy grinned from ear to ear. "I'll give you a $300 loan on that, sure!" So I looked it up when I got home, and they sell for $430 now, brand new. What the.... REALLY? I can get a 80% retail value loan on a common gun, but not a 15% retail value loan on a rare guitar.

Even if you don't like guns, stock up on them anyway. People are stupid enough to give you too much money for them. Even pawn brokers, who'd a thunk it?

Rare guitar: "Not interested."

Common gun: "Gyuh hick!!! Itsh a GUN!!!!" (while ejaculating in trousers) "Give him all da money!"

Crazy F'd up world.....

Haha nice. I would agree that 'lead' will become if not already quite a valuable commodity to hedge against the loss of your other precious commodities.

reply to post by Anonymous Avatar


I agree that "lead" has become quite the commodity, and I'm quite the gun nut. The Jericho is just what I had in the truck at the time. But to snub an extremely valuable item out of ?ignorance? or maybe just turn around time. I dunno.

Yah no one cares about guitars anymore, the lala bamba days are over.

Originally posted by Binder
I have a 1969 Gibson Heritage 12 string guitar. It is very rare, the serial # is 3817. No, that's not a typo. It is worth a couple grand easy. If you know anything about guitars you should be drooling now.

I'm super jealous, and would gladly pay upwards of 3K for that guitar...if I had that kind of $$.

Common gun: "Gyuh hick!!! Itsh a GUN!!!!" (while ejaculating in trousers) "Give him all da money!"

LOLOL - You couldn't have painted this description any better

reply to post by thegoods724


This is the type of guitar that any country & western, blue grass, or folk artist would give 3/4 of there left nut sack, just to touch. Let alone own, or play. It sounds unbelievably sweet. Strumming a rhythm on this baby is like a sexual encounter to a guitarist.

I like guns, but I LOVE my old guitars. They create instead of destroy. Even though destruction is at times necessary, I love not the sword for it's sharpness, nor the arrow for it's swiftness, but rather that which it protects. I'm still smart enough to have lots of swords, and arrows. Literally, and figuratively.

reply to post by neOrevolutionist


LOL, Thanks dude, You "gets it." Unfortunately it was inherited from a deceased relative, and I will never part with it. I know it sounds hooky, and I have no way to prove it, but legend goes it was played once for a few minutes by Elvis Presley amongst initmate friends. Doesn't add to value, as like I said, I can't "prove it." Still makes it just a tad more special to me. Said relative might be making that story up, but not likely, and I wouldn't want to know different anyway. It's sentiment, don't screw with sentiment.