1930's Martins - How much did they cost at the time?

[AJW]

I heard somewhere that the numbering suffixes for Martin models are derived from what was a wholesale price to dealers, i.e. a D-18 costed the dealer $18 from the factory, etc. Unsure the era/accuracy of this information.

But my question is, what was retail and/or MAP pricing for Martins in the 1930's? Does anyone have an idea? Additionally, does anyone know if this fluctuated greatly during the decade of the Depression?

[Mattface]

Originally that was the logic behind the Style numbers, but I think that was in the late 1800s. By 1930 the wholesale price was more like $50 for a 000-18. According to this 1930 catalog from Chicago Musical Instrument Company which was a wholesaler. Presumably it would have retailed somewhere in the $75-$100 range.

[JKMartin]

This site has PDF copies of catalogs, including Martin

https://acousticmusic.org/research/g...tion/catalogs/

[Robin, Wales]

The 00-17 was $35 all the way through the 1930s up to 1941. That would have felt like spending about $600 at today's prices / wages.

Interestingly, Martin monel strings (their cheapest sets) were $1.00 (about $18 today). So the cost of strings has come down due to more efficient manufacturing but the price of Martin guitars has gone up considerably. They are obviously far less efficient at making guitars today; it must be all those PLEK machines!

[Brucebubs]

I believe Gibson guitar numbers are related to their cost when they were first released - so a J-45 was $45.00.

[Quake17]

GrandDad bought the 0-17 in 1940 new for $30. He paid $10 a month for three months. Gave it to Mom for her 16th birthday. It’s actually a late ‘39 model but it must have arrived in Central California at the shop some time later. Been in the family for 81 years now!

[Mattface]

Originally Posted by JKMartin

This site has PDF copies of catalogs, including Martin

https://acousticmusic.org/research/g...tion/catalogs/

So were those wholesale or retail prices? I was assuming the CMI catalog I was looking at was wholesale, but the 1930 Martin Catalog at that link has the same prices and has the 0-17 at $30. So if Quake17's grandfather bouight one 10 years later at that price I have to assume that was the retail price.

Originally Posted by Quake17

GrandDad bought the 0-17 in 1940 new for $30. He paid $10 a month for three months. Gave it to Mom for her 16th birthday. It’s actually a late ‘39 model but it must have arrived in Central California at the shop some time later. Been in the family for 81 years now!

[AJW]

Thanks everyone for the great information and the link to the catalogues--super neat and I'll be checking them out.

What a great snippet of family history! 81 years in the family it's essentially a member at this point!

To the point of the strings, yeah it's very interesting how that process has been streamlined and made more efficient with the economy of scale, technology, etc. Whereas the extend of those factors play less of a role with the actual guitars--I'm sure the cost of raw materials (dwindling supplies, more regulation, etc.), shipping, etc has gone through the roof in the past 80+ years.

Do you think that part of the higher cost of Martins today relative to wages and inflation is also partly due to Martin's recognition going beyond the world of musicians? What I mean to say is, back in the 1930's I would be hard pressed to believe a musician in Argentina, for example, would know about Martin while that is not the case today--so the Martin name has also expanded allowing them to capitalize upon that. Thoughts?

[Jerry D]

Quae in foro tibi sarra.