Wow. That's a nice one then. I've seen quite a few with homemade pickups, restored necks, etc. All original is good. =)

Based on my records of recorded sales and auctions over the last 2 years, an original '52 Gold Top in very good to excellent condition should have current secondary market value in the range of about $22,000 to $28,000. They have been known to sell as high as $35,000, but, in the current market, that's uncommon.

You'll definitely get a higher value through a private sale.


This depends on the condition of the guitar (which you say is very good), whether it's playable, and where you're trying to sell it. I would check with local music shops. Guitar Center usually does well by sellers. I've always had great luck with local/indie type of guitar shops if you don't want to try dealing with a chain like Guitar Center. Most shops will sell on consignment and just take a percentage of your final sale, plus they'll know if anyone is looking for a guitar like yours.

Rock N Roll Village is a store out of Chicago. They buy and sell. They even keep a list of wants.

There's also Rivington Guitars in NYC.

You can also put out an ad in your local paper or craigslist.

http://www.guitarads.net/ is an online classified ad type of place for guitars.

Axebay is an online guitar community where you can buy/sell/trade. It's worth checking out.

As far as auctions go, it really depends on the people bidding. Generally, private sales and items sold through music stores, tend to go higher. They can go as much as 15% to 30% higher. The internet for being as connected as it is, also means you deal with more competition than if you try to sell locally.

You might also consider an auction house like Heritage, They definitely have experience with these.

If I can be of any further help or if you have anymore questions, don't hesitate to contact me. If there is a problem with my answer, please contact me before leaving any neutral or negative feedback. I want to make sure you're satisfied.

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Thanks and have a great weekend!
Diana