Does Your GAS Predate the Internet?

[Bluenose]

No I bought a Fender Strat in the 70's hoping to emulate the late J Hendrix. I was into blues but frankly was on a really steep learning curve. I took lessons and bought and read Guitar Player magazine religiously so I was aware of high end guitars but just couldn't afford to buy any.

About the time when the internet arrived I was finally making enough money to dip my toe into buying online. I've since bought close to a dozen including a Martin Authentic, a Modern Deluxe, and a National resonator. Gas seems to strike me every 3 years or so.

I got the National last December so I'll be good for a while. Those Sinker Mahogany guitars are really nice or maybe next will be an easy playing 12 string. I got the room.

[Pickcity]

I had GAS pre-internet, but these days I can afford way more, and places like this one make it much more tempting.

[catt]

Folks mentioned the paper publications/catalogs of yesteryear. The Lark in the Morning catalog was my catalyst - I poured through that thing for years.

And the cover of Chieftains 5.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

The AGF, and most instrument forums I visit, are Acquisition Enablers/Multipliers. My theory based on nothing but my limited brain and experience is that the hyper targeted ads and hours of screen time on enthusiast-driven forums and ease of online purchasing that accompanied the rise of the internet has increased GAS a bunch.

So to be honest, before 2008 I hadn't bought an instrument since 1983. 25 years. I'd always try out guitars whenever I'd go get picks or strings. Never a strong urge to buy anything. Then I started mandolin, started researching instruments, gigging again, surfing the web and looking at stuff....

In a 15 year span I bought or was gifted 23 stringed instruments and only sold 2. So in my case, I feel the internet helped drive my acquisition.

How about others? Were you GAS-free (or at least GAS-less) before you went online?

Yes my GAS predated the Internet and my joining AGF
BUT AGF certainly exacerbated it (been wanting to use that word in a post )

[Sponserv]

This is a no brainer. Of course the internet has radically changed the world of consumer behavior.

I belong to many affinity forums. They are full of folks with money burning a hole in their pocket trying to keep up on the latest products/trends.

I think there are a certain portion of us who would act more responsibly as consumers if we were not inundated with others purchases. I am by no means saying that this phenomenon is a bad thing. Everyone needs to make their own decisions about spending there money.

But these forums are full of rationalizations buoyed by peers.

LOL

[mawmow]

My GAS would never be born without the internet…

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Sponserv

This is a no brainer. Of course the internet has radically changed the world of consumer behavior.

I belong to many affinity forums. They are full of folks with money burning a hole in their pocket trying to keep up on the latest products/trends.

I think there are a certain portion of us who would act more responsibly as consumers if we were not inundated with others purchases. I am by no means saying that this phenomenon is a bad thing. Everyone needs to make their own decisions about spending there money.

But these forums are full of rationalizations buoyed by peers.

LOL

IMO both yes and no --Yes No doubt the internet has opened up most of the world for shopping/consuming and given us a much larger palette of choice

But No the internet and forums have little to do with the causation of "folks with money burning a hole in their pocket trying to keep up on the latest products/trends." A behavior that way way predates the internet and has been with us since at least the industrial revolution, if not before

And if there are a "certain portion of us who would act more responsibly as consumers if we were not inundated with others purchases."
I would posit that if some would indeed act more responsibly about purchases if they were not on said forums , than being on a forum and the internet is not really the underlying problem but more a symptom

[musicman1951]

No, I purchased lots of guitars before the internet. But the internet makes it worse. Back in the day it was hard to lust after something not available locally. I shopped at a very large store (worked there a couple of years during college) so there were plenty of choices.

[CharlieBman]

I'm old enough for that to be a silly question.

[Zissou Intern]

I started playing almost 30 years ago and worked in shop 20-25 years ago, which is about the same time Mass Street, Spruce Tree, Old Towne Pickin' Parlor, Great Divide, Elderly, Gruhn, Broido, Boyd, Sullivan, and Mandolin Brothers were all beginning their online presence, but I loved the Martin catalog and Sounding Board, as well as the Elderly mailers.

It was/is more the forums: AGF, UMGF, Vintage Guitar, 13th Fret, and flatpick-l that precipitated my GAS. One day, you are totally content with your GE, and the Authentic is introduced. Or a Collings Traditional is your jam, and then they offer a thin finish with a new truss rod design. Your Gibson Historic makes you really happy, but then three guys are raving about the Murphy Lab aging process. A new builder emerges on the scene, and you better get in that queue now, while you can still afford it. It's a nuclear arms race around here.

Personally, I have taken a few giant steps back.

[Mr Bojangles]

My first guitar came out of the Sears catalog. So did my first tube amp. After that, it was frequent train trips to NYC to guitar shop on 48th St. Also, I used to haunt the local mom and pop stores. All this years before the internet.

[Steve DeRosa]

Mine dates back to 1963...