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Ever thought that a guitar might be a more reliable investment than the stock market?  Vintage guitars are becoming a hot item in the collectibles market, and there are few icons more recognizable to Americans than a rock star and his guitar.  While a few months’ savings might have bought a guitar in the 1960s, some of those instruments are selling for big bucks today.  Recently, George Harrison’s guitar sold for a little under six hundred thousand dollars, for instance.  Eric Clapton’s favorite Stratocaster from the 1970s, Blackie, sold for nearly a million.

While celebrity collectibles have been a good investment for years, guitars themselves have largely been overlooked.  However, the guitar was perfected between the 1930s and the 1960s, depending on the model, and instruments from this period are highly regarded.  Some people think that in fifty to a hundred years, guitars from the mid 20th century will be thought of in the same way as violins and cellos from the 17th and 18th century.

The appeal of any guitar grows over time, and there hasn’t yet been a period when the market sank.  That makes a vintage guitar a great investment choice, as well as a visually and emotionally rewarding collectible.  There’s nothing like being able to say that you own the guitar once played by a legend.

Values only continue to go up, too.  While a 1959 Fender Sunburst Stratocaster, one of the most famous types of guitar, originally cost about $250, it brought between eight and nine thousand dollars in 1997.  Today, you might have to pay seventeen thousand for a model with a slab fingerboard.

Recent stock market unpredictability has meant that people are more interested in guitar collecting.  These vintage instruments are a great type of protected investment.  For collectors who want to cover all the bases, consider a varied collection – acoustic, electric, exotic, antique, vintage, contemporary and even custom guitars.

What Defines A Vintage Guitar

To be a vintage guitar, an instrument needs to be more than just old.  It should be from a period that was influential.  Many good vintage guitars are made using techniques or materials that were discontinued, or made before a big change in the company.

For instance, Leo Fender, inventor of what we think of as an electric guitar, sold his company in 1965, a move which some think of as the death knell of Fender Musical Instruments.  Fender Telecasters and Stratocasters made before this time are in enormous demand.  Asking prices have risen into the five figure range.

It’s not just Fender, either.  C.F. Martin and Co. were the makers of the D-28, one of the most popular acoustic instruments ever.  Since 1969, Brazilian rosewood hasn’t been available as the standard wood.  Guitars produced by Martin after this period are considered inferior by many collectors.

Top Vintage Brands

The American brands that stand out when it comes to collecting vintage guitars as an investment (and also as a great guitar) are Guild, Martin, Gibson, Gretsch, and Fender.  Each of these manufacturers also has an era that collectors agree upon as having been the best.  Of course, make isn’t the only way you decide how much a guitar is worth.  The rarity and condition of the guitar are important, as is who’s owned the guitar and where it’s been.

If you want a great investment that’s also a piece of the past, look into vintage guitars.  Collecting them can be rewarding in many ways, and it’s a lot more stable than playing the stock market! A good place to begin your search would be Bob’s Vintage Guitars where you will find a large selection of vintage guitars and amplifiers. There is also a great deal of information about collecting vintage guitars.

About the Author:

The writer operates a blog and store about vintage guitars. The site,

Bob’s Vintage Guitars

has a lot of valuable information and a store that has hundreds of vintage electric, acoustic and bass guitars. The writer also has an online store focusing on newer new and used guitars, amplifiers, parts and accessories. The Best Guitar Picker is at
http://www.bestguitarpicker.com.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Collecting Vintage Guitars is a Financially Sound Investment

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Is one of your hobbies rebuilding and restoring classic cars?  There are many of us that love to do this.   Taking an older car, tearing it down, cleaning it up, fixing rust and then rebuilding it from the ground up.  This is a hobby a lot of us have.  We spend a lot of money in the process.  Sometimes that is the reason we may not go as elaborate as we may like to.   You can always make your money back plus some if you sell the car but part of the reason a lot of us restore cars is to keep them.   Is there a way to recoup some of that money while your building your dream car?

At our website, Fotometry.com, we are all about creating extra income from your hobbies.  Restoring classic cars is one hobby that a lot of people have and just seem to sink a ton of money into.  It would be nice to get some extra benefit in the form of extra income along with the feeling of restoring a car from junk to punk

Well, one way I’ll touch on here is the way that a lot of us monetize things.   We blog about it.  Now before you say “I can’t make one of them there websites”, give me a minute.   There of tons of folks out there who would love to see what other people are doing when they restore their cars.  It can give them ideas about restoring their own.   They can also see what you had to go through to restore that classic car back to showroom condition.

You can create a blog at no cost to you at wordpress.com or blogger.com (my preference).  So all of this so far has cost you nothing except for your car.  It’s very easy to create a blog and keep it updated. 

When you start into tearing apart your car, takes photos of every steps of the process.   Everyday, hop onto your blog and write down what you did that day to the car.   Include any photos you have taken.  You may find that people will follow your daily updates.  As you tear appart and start the rebuild, document your whole process.   If you’re taking the engine apart, tell the blog.   You don’t have to be as detailed as telling every bolt you turned.  Just let people know what went well, what didn’t and how it turned out so far.

Now that you’re blogging daily about your restoration, where’s the extra income?  Well your not going to make a fortune off of this but there is a few things you can do.   The first thing is google adsense.   If you don’t know what that is, google will pay you to host advertisements on your site or blog and if someone clicks on one of them, you make some money.  The amount per click varies from a couple of cents to dollars but the more people that read your blog and click on ads, the more you make.

To add adsense to your blog, blogger is about the easiest and just takes a few clicks and it’s done if you have an adsense account already.  If not, it takes a few minutes to set one up.    Once your blog gets popular and you have lots of reader, you could make a bit of money off of it.

Another way to make some extra money if you restore a lot of cars is take photos of each one and make a calendar on cafepress.  It won’t cost you anything and you get money everytime one is sold.

You can also put your restored car on tshirts, mousepads, clocks and a lot more.  You can then lso take all of that infomation and photos you blogged and put them into a book for no cost at Cafepress and sell your “how to restore a 68 Cacaro”.   You make the profit, Cafepress does the selling.

You may want to promote those items for even more sales and I’ll get into that in future Articles.

Happy restoring.

About the Author:

Douglas Puckett: Author of Self-Help, Hobby and Home Business Articles and Websites. Visit 
http://Fotometry.com
for more information.To Convert Gas Car to Electric, visit 
http://fotometry.com/go/electricity-4-gas-electric-car-conversion-manual

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Earn Extra Income While Restoring Classic Cars

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Golf shirts have definitely made their mark, and their reach extends far beyond the golf course. These comfortable, sport-friendly shirts have become almost a staple of the business casual world. You can find salesmen and even saleswomen sporting golf shirts in a variety of industries, including auto parts stores, personal care spas and the telemarketing company just down the street.

So, what is it about golf shirts that are so appealing? Perhaps it could be the materials they’re made out of. Golf shirts are often 100% cotton, or at the very least made up of a lot of cotton with some other breathable materials mixed in. Half button-up top and pointed collar provide a crisp, professional look that is perfect on the golf course, or in the office or out on the sales floor. A golf shirt is a wonderful piece of apparel that you should have regardless of your preferences for golf. If you are a true golfer, then you will enjoy the benefits of having such a comfortable piece of clothing to wear. Men and women alike will enjoy their time on the golf course and on the green in the shirts, many of which are both comfortable and made with a UVA and UVB ray repellent.

So, what type of golf shirts would be best for you? With so many colors and styles out there, you can mix and match throughout the year to create a wearable, stylish wardrobe. The colors that these shirts come in run the entire span of the rainbow and back again. Choose a short-sleeved golf shirt to wear in warm weather, and pair it with a hoodie or long-sleeved undergarment on cooler days and evenings. Better still, buy a few long-sleeved golf shirts to stock your wardrobe with.

Often times you’ll see logos on golf shirts, either screen printed or embroidered. They make a great promotional piece to hand out, giving your organization more exposure. Another option could be to personalize it with a name or position. These shirts are truly versatile.

Golf Shirts are comfortable. The material moves with you, while still being snug enough to provide a comfortable, attractive fit that fits all parts of your torso just right. Shirts made especially for men and especially for women ensure proper fitting around the chest and waist. Sizing of golf shirts is generous, which means that no matter what your height and weight, there are shirts that will fit you perfectly.

Best of all, Golf Shirts are affordable and commonly found in many stores. This means that adding this stylish piece to your wardrobe should be an easy feat! Buying your own Golf Shirt is as simple as hitting up the mall or the internet.

About the Author:

Kim Green points out the wide use of Golf Shirts and the many benefits of making a Golf Shirt part of your wardrobe.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Golf Shirts are a Versatile Choice for Many an Occasion

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