1985 Tokai Love Rock goldtop-Was I asking too much?

[NoahNoahNoah]

hello all,
I have a question for you. I was trying to sell my Tokai 1985 LS=50 goldtop Love rock in the local paper for $800. It's in excellent condition. I thought it was a fair price since I've seen them go for higher.
Some guy wrote me and said that was way overpriced because they go for about 450 on Ebay.

I wrote him back and said I'd personally never seen one like this on Ebay for that price, and he might be thinking of the Korean made Love Rocks.

He answered in a bit of a nasty tone and wrote this,
"I bought an LS 80, with a figured top on harmony-central for 550. Date codes on the pots were from 83, and in perfect shape. The only Tokai's that hold any value are the Custom shop models from 79'-81'. This is the LS-320 model or the Reborn models. I am very familiar with Tokai's, and they are all produced in Japan at the same factory that they have always been produced at."


I would like to know if I was asking too much, or is this guy is being a jerk? I looked for a long time before I ever found this goldtop, so I would be surprised if he was correct.
Please help. Thanks!

 

[Paladin2019]

He got a great deal before and he's being an arse and a know-it-all trying to get another. Everything tokai made up to the mid 80's is very collectable right now (late 70's to early 80s in particular) but the 320 wasn't even made in the era he claims - in fact, the only "custom shop" models ever made were produced in 2003 and were "custom shop" in name only, being made in Korea (yes, a few models are made outside japan and have been for quite some time).

I'm not sure what a fair price would be for yours - run an ebay search on completed items to see in anything like yours has come up recently. But this guy either a prat who doesn't have a clue or a prat who is trying to rip you off.

Come to think of it, the poor fool may not even own a real '83 if he's only going by the pots. He should have known to check the serial number if he really knew anything about tokai.

 

[Novosel]

Any guitar player with half a clue knows that Tokai's are made in both Japan and Korea - it's in their catalogue, for crying out loud.

I wonder if there will ever come a day when there is definitive pricing on used Tokai's? The prices are all over the map. To the uninformed, they are just another Japanese copy, one of a seemingly endless parade of poly-coated clones of dubious quality and confusing origins. To those of use that know, $800 is a bargain.

Here's a story you may find applicable, if not interesting. As a teen in 1969, I was able to procure an original '59 sunburst Les Paul, just like my idol, Mike Bloomfield. I paid $400 for it (a fortune for an unemployed kid). A year later a guy in a music store told me, "Wow, you could get $1000 for that thing!" Another year later, the same guy said, "Nah, you missed the peak, everybody wants Strats now". So I sold it for $600 and was happy with the profit.

Flash forward to the present...

I've got an 84 LS60 that I paid, if memory serves me correctly, something like $700 for brand new. Over the years, it's been dissed at guitar shows, it's been praised at guitar shows, I've had guys turn their noses up at it, I've had guys offer me $1000 for it. The only thing I know for certain is - this time I'm holding on to this sucker! The worst that could happen is that I'm "stuck" with a top quality instrument. :wink:

 

[ian]

Quote (Novosel) - " the only thing I know .. the worst that could happen is that I'm "stuck" with a top quality instrument ". Ha,.. that about it sums it up :lol: .

Ian.

 

[ned]

A 85 LS60 Gold Top that was in near mint condition went for $811 which was to much for me by a good bit - and I'm dying for a 85 or earlier Gold Top.

Ned

 

[javelin70]

Well, I wouldn't sell my 1984 TLS-50 gold top for $800, it's a great guitar. I bought it new in '84 and it's still like new, not a scratch on it or the original case! It has a one piece neck and it came with the TLS-80 PAF pickups from the factory. I was able to choose from a batch of guitars that had just arrived to my local store (they were the Swedish importer) from the Tokai factory and the box was still unopened. I picked this one because of it's light weight and the excellent tone and sustain.

I think this one will stay with me until I quit playing guitar !

Mike