Well Lloyd... a lot sure has changed in the last 12 years.

[MojoMando]

This is a screen grab of something I stumbled upon while surfing. In only 12 years it seems like a real bargain. And that price includes the buyer's premium.

[RichM]

This is a screen grab of something I stumbled upon while surfing. In only 12 years it seems like a real bargain. And that price includes the buyer's premium.

I remember when a mint issue of Action Comics #1 sold for $2800 in the 1970's. Everybody thought it was ridiculous that a 10 cent comic could sell for that price. When one sold for $30,000 some years later, everyone regretted that they didn't get in at $2800, and was sure the market had reached the top. A near mint issue sold in 2011 for $2.16 million. Yeah, things change!

[MojoMando]

Yeah, things change!

Yes, but the Loars seemed to have their own a unique cycle. Today a Loar is about double the 2002 price, but not too long ago they were about triple.

It would be interesting to see a year by year Loar price chart. For example, I saw one for sale around 1976 for $8000.

[Tom C]

in 1997, they were about $40K. Look in the backs of the old "Mandolin World News" and you can lots of good deals.

[Jim Garber]

I could have bought one in the mid 1980s for about $12,000. So what... Too bad I only had about $3,000 to my name in all my accounts.

[sgrexa]

Coulda, shoulda, woulda. Someone occasionally asks, what mandolins will be the next Lloyd Loars of the future? These things are often never obvious, but I think for the next 100 years, Lloyd Loars will be the next Lloyd Loars. I am not involved in these high level instrument transactions, but I do pay attention. It looks like they have retreated a bit over the last 5 years or so by about 25%. The long term chart will likely prove this to be a good period to buy. The other "obvious" call IMO would be Stephen Gilchrist. He is the undisputed master and while his numbers have eclipsed the number of Loars, there still aren't many and they are truly works of art. In many ways, they even surpass the originals in quality. A Gilchrist F5 is on my bucket list and still somewhat in reach. Of course we are very lucky to have him alive and well and still cranking out mandolins down in Lake Gnotuk and I think history will be kind to him and his creations.

Here is a great read:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ilchrist-story

Sean

[Jeff Mando]

I could have bought one in the mid 1980s for about $12,000. So what... Too bad I only had about $3,000 to my name in all my accounts.

That's been my experience, too, Jim. The good stuff is always just out of reach....

[mandobassman]

I played one at Mandolin Bros in 1984 that was selling for $8000.

[Spruce]

Look in the backs of the old "Mandolin World News" and you can lots of good deals.

I recently stumbled across the Loar A5 ad in MWN, selling for 10K...
This was about the time that an F5 was 7.5K...

[sgrexa]

BTW, the title of this thread reminds my of another "Lloyd", a somewhat famous bartender at the Overlook Hotel in Colorado in the mid 20s. Pictured here with caretaker Jack Torrance



Sean