Help pricing my 1979 Martin D-28 (5/10)

Odraca · #1 02-16-2015, 12:13 PM

Hi, I am new here and was hoping I could get some feedback regarding my Martin D-28 that I wish to sell. I'm not sure how to go about pricing it, I can't find similar guitars with the type of cosmetic damage this one has so it's hard to tell what range I should be looking for. It's 1979 D-28 and the headstock was repaired by martin before I got it (don't have paperwork for repairs). Functionally everything is really good on the guitar, it was not played as much as it was transported it seems like, all the damage is bumps and scrapes from whatever but has very little wear from actual play. Comes with the original hard shell case which is in really good condition. This guitar is really, really amazing sounding and produces the best kind of acoustic sound (that I could afford anyway). I have owned it for almost ten years but I need to sell it to help out a family member, so any input on what range of price I should be looking for would be really appreciated.

It is listed on eBay if people want to see pictures, I wasn't sure if it's appropriate to link that here or not but if you search 1979 Martin D-28 it's starting at $999 buy it now $1,999. I'm not sure if this is high price for the condition, please let me know what you guys think in today's market. Thanks

nbdeweese · #2 02-16-2015, 12:36 PM

Hard to say... A head stock repair could be pretty significant. Are you talking about where the head meets the neck? If so, I've seen similar condition guitars go for less than a grand... 1999 would be for a mint '79 model IMO.

Odraca · #3 02-16-2015, 12:49 PM

Yeah it looks like it had cracking in that area, thanks for input, I have been seeing 8/10 condition d-28's from the 70s going for around 2.5-3.5k, so I wasn't sure how much that repair was going to hurt it.

Napman41 · #4 02-16-2015, 12:54 PM

Looking at the pictures of the headstock repair and comparing it to a few recently ended auctions I'd say you're starting price is pretty close to the selling price unfortunately.

kydave · #5 02-16-2015, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Napman41

Looking at the pictures of the headstock repair and comparing it to a few recently ended auctions I'd say you're starting price is pretty close to the selling price unfortunately.

I don't see a link to photos, but even without seeing them, Napman is spot on.

I've seen non-vintage D-28s without repairs as low as $1200 around here occasionally. Generally, a little patience will find you one for $1500. Start getting into repaired ones (and I've had a stable headstock repair on my '71 for about 30 years, so it doesn't personally bother me) people get squirrely and will move on to another if the price isn't right.

Good luck!

sausgirl · #6 02-16-2015, 01:06 PM

Hey there,
KY Dave is spot on.I would suggest you go over to the UMGF and ask around there.
UMGF is the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum and here is the link.

http://theunofficialmartinguitarforum.yuku.com/

They know Martin guitars!

Good luck on your journey to finding that guitar,

Jan

StrumFu · #7 02-16-2015, 01:15 PM

Welcome to the forum!

Unfortunately, seeing what good to great condition ones from the 70's have been going for lately (have not seen any 70's models sell for $2,500-$3,500 range in any condition). I would have to say you will have to end up letting that one go for under your starting bid. There is quite a decent amount of condition issues on it, plus the multiple breaks in the headstock (the repair looks fairly solid and all), and the fact that it's the least expensive era for those guitars as well.

Hope everything works out for you! And obviously, it's actually worth whatever you can get someone to pay for it while being upfront about its issues.

#8 02-16-2015, 01:39 PM

Despite the headstock break, it's a good looking (worn) guitar. Not clean and sparkling, but not mangled either. I'd say you could get $1200 or so if your patient, $900 or thereabouts if you needed to sell quickly.

As noted, this is not Martin's most collectible period, and so many guitars from that era were never really played. There are just too many clean ones for lesser condition examples to bring big money.

Odraca · #9 02-16-2015, 01:40 PM

Thanks a bunch, everyone, appreciate the feedback a lot. Changing the starting bid to $669 with BIN at $1449, hopefully I'll see some action on it now. Thanks

Lacks Focus · #10 02-17-2015, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Odraca

Yeah it looks like it had cracking in that area, thanks for input, I have been seeing 8/10 condition d-28's from the 70s going for around 2.5-3.5k, so I wasn't sure how much that repair was going to hurt it.

Where have you been seeing prices like that? My '77 M-38 is about a 9.5/10, and I've been told by people at Gruhn that it would likely appraise for somewhere in the mid $2Ks, though they admitted it would take about $3K-$3.5K to replace it with a comparable-quality instrument.

DanPanther · #11 02-17-2015, 01:24 PM

Does anyone have a link to where the guitar is shown.
Dan

StrumFu · #12 02-17-2015, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanPanther

Does anyone have a link to where the guitar is shown.
Dan

You need a link to Ebay?

Just kidding Dan. Just do a search for 1979 D28

DanPanther · #13 02-17-2015, 01:40 PM

I did the search for 1979 D-28, Martin, nothing matching the description here shows.
Unfortunately I wish I didn't know the link to Ebay.

I just tried again, BOOM the first one up.

Dan

DanPanther · #14 02-17-2015, 01:43 PM

I notice Vashon Washington, Is this by any chance VashonDan ?
Dan

StrumFu · #15 02-17-2015, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanPanther

I did the search for 1979 D-28, Martin, nothing matching the description here shows.
Unfortunately I wish I didn't know the link to Ebay.

I just tried again, BOOM the first one up.

Dan

I don't know Dan. Try again? It comes up when I search. Just tried it right now. Didn't even need to type in Martin.