Is an alembic a good financial investment?

[jazzyvee]

Ive been watching a 1991 europa on ebay and it has just sold for over ?1000 more than i paid 6 years ago for my bocate europa which is a newer 1997 model.  It made me wonder whether this is i sign of price bouyancy  generally in the market for these used instruments or whether it was a one off battle of wits between keen bidders.  Anyone else noticed this kind of activity?
I remember maybe 3 yrs ago prices were pretty low and many unsold alembics on ebay were the ones where sellers  had underestimated the market and were asking for too much with a high reserve.  
 
Jazzyvee

[tmoney61092]

Prices have shot up quite a bit lately. A Europa sold last week for $3600(US) which is more than I've ever seen a used one sell for, it use to be you could get a Series 1 for around that price. But I do think I read somewhere that Alembic's prices have gone up which could be effecting the used instrument market. I may be attacked for saying this but I will anyway, a used Alembic is a good invest in times like we're in now, I don't see Alembic bringing their prices back down so they will only sell for more, but buying a new or custom Alembic is not so much...like the Tributes in eBay for roughly $10,000 I doubt if someone bought it they would be able to get that back out and with buying a custom, say you spend $15,000 on one made to you're liking, you may only be able to sell it for about the used market value of that model depending on woods and such of course.
 
~Taylor

[811952]

Buying new, I don't think so.  Buying used certainly seems like a good investment.  I believe it was James (Malthumb) who invested his way up to his current stable of Series and Signature 5-strings in this way.  There are times when the market is down, but Alembics are what I would consider an heirloom instrument with a supply that doesn't begin to match demand, especially on the used market.
 
John

[tubeperson]

Most elite items, such as boats, cars, audio etc. are a better value when purchased used.  The Pre CBS Fenders, tubed Marantz stereo equipment and such are the exception.  Half of my Alembic stock was purchase used and half new.  I love them all, investment value or not.  I am happy to see that used Alembics are starting to increase in value, even though it may cost me more today than it did a few years ago.

[hammer]

Being on the lookout for a SC since I purchased my Distillate almost 4-years ago, I can attest to prices going up significantly in recent months. I have recently seen people attempting to sell Spoilers and Distillates for $2,500-$3,000 and SCs from $4,000-$4,500. Now whether they actually get that much when they do sell is another story. I've seen a heck of a lot of gear being listed and relisted over a period of 9-12 months that is still up for sale.  I guess it comes down to how badly someone needs the cash and wants to sell versus the degree to which another person lusts for a specific Alembic. I'd agree that there is one thing for sure and that is you'll probably never get back the $$$ you put down on a new instrument, but then again that's not why most people purchase them.

[jazzyvee]

Yeah It's interesting times in the marketplace. As was pointed out by Taylor, there is very little chance of new prices coming down. Things like as the cost of construction, R&D, salaries and business costs etc still has to be recovered somehow. I guess the world is just becoming more expensive for everything. Over here we generally pay a premium for buying used and new alembics this side of the pond but even taking that into account the prices of that particular instrument i started the thread with is more than I would expect to pay here for an alembic of that age. But it sold and there were 46 bidders in it so there are at least 45 bidders from that one auction still looking for a used alembics.  
 
But as has been echoed here many times.... they are only worth as much as someone wants to pay and I too have seen many instruments relished over months and years. There is, for example, a series triple omega that appears on ebay virtually every year recently with the same photo's on the auction and clearly never gets sold.  So i guess really there is a ceiling price for everything and that one is too high.  
 
Like most of us I didn't buy mine as an investment. If the time comes to sell I'm happy to take the market value whatever it is at that time, appreciation or depreciation value. The depreciation matters less than the enjoyment of ownership? But its good to know they are on the up.  
 
I bet No:12 has appreciated in value .  
 
 
Jazzyvee
 
(Message edited by jazzyvee on February 27, 2012)

[lbpesq]

Are Alembics a good financial investment?  From my zen hippie perspective, absolutely!  How many other things can you spend your money on that give you as much pleasure as playing an Alembic?
 
'nuff said.
 
Bill, tgo

[dela217]

My first new Alembic was a Series 1 that I bought in 1978.  I paid $1550.00 for it.  Today it would probably be worth twice that.  So is doubling your money in 34 years a good investment?
 
But looking at it another way - I picked up a 1975 Series 1 this past summer for $3000.00.  Since then with the gigs I have played, it has more than paid for itself.  And I feel I could at least sell it for what I paid for it.  So thinking of it that way the bass is free!

[oujeebass]

Dela that Series cost you @ $5200 in 2012 dollars. Which was a great price. Compare that to the $14800 that one would cost now, well you got a awesome deal. You've got a great streak of luck with buying Alembics. Now if you invested that $1550 into something else back in '78 you might have come ahead even more.

[terryc]

My Alembic MK Standard was bought in New York in 1998 for a mere $1800(around ?900 then), the price of a new one runs at ?5000 and it has paid for itself many times over..a good investment?? the sound and playability alone is a good investment but I agree it is money well worth spent

[sonicus]

YES , My Alembic is the best Sonic Paint Brush that I could find.

[malthumb]

811952 wrote...Buying new, I don't think so. Buying used certainly seems like a good investment. I believe it was James (Malthumb) who invested his way up to his current stable of Series and Signature 5-strings in this way.
 
 
Sorta yes, sorta no.....
 
There were more than Alembics that got caught up in my ferris wheel of used instrument buying / selling / moving up.  And in all fairness, 2000 was a phenomenal bonus year, so when I ordered my Mark King / Series II 5-string, I just wrote the check from my bonus money.  The bass I bought from Stanley was funded by selling a 4-string Series II and a 1987 Stanley Clarke Signature (ironically).
 
I do keep track of what sells for what and I am very pleased to see 5-String Series basses sell for more than I paid for my MK / SII.  Not that I ever think of selling it, it's just good to know.
 
Peace,
 
James

[bigredbass]

For me it's a great investment.  Anytime I'd be ready to sell mine, I'd break even.  Last year.  Next year.  Five years from now.  I don't own a single other thing that's like that.
 
J o e y

[slawie]

I guess I was really lucky.
My 1975 series I fretless was purchased in 1988 for $1000.
I have been offered $5000 but really don't think I will ever sell it.
I am leaving it to my bass player nephew when the time comes.
 
slawie

[jazzyvee]

here is that triple omega i referred to earlier on sale on ebay again.  
http://bit.ly/FPHcb3
Jazzyvee