D25 cost in 1973?

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ShowLowJim

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Having lost my receipt from my Guild D25 purchased new at Freedom guitars in San Diego in 1973, I'm curious as to what the retail price for that model may have been back then. Its a curiosity thing mostly. I still have it and still play it after 45 years! Its been all over the western states with me during my wandering years and has experienced extreme weather conditions from Idaho, Montana, Oregon to California & Arizona and still maintains a straight neck (as well as considerable nicks & dings) but still sounds warm & mellow. I actually prefer its sound to my Taylor 614 CE. If anyone has any idea of the original D25 cost it would be be a greatly appreciated deposit to the memory bank! Thanks in advance.
 
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dreadnut

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I paid $300.00 for my '76 D25M brand new with hardshell case.
 
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ShowLowJim

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dreadnut said:
I paid $300.00 for my '76 D25M brand new with hardshell case.
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Awesome! I wasn't as fortunate. My D25 came stand alone (no case) but I picked up a hardshell Martin case soon afterward. The Martin case bit the dust from travel but I now have the D25 in a guild HS case that was on my 90's D30. I tripped over the amp cord on the 30 and broke the neck & headstock both. Sad, sad day. Thanks for your input.
 
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Westerly Wood

Westerly Wood

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‘71 was $225. Probably not much more than that for a ‘73.
Remember, these were Guilds entry level acoustics.
 
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Just for a side; I paid 500 dollars for a new 1973 Martin D35 with case. I tried several before they brought out the one I bought, still in the original packaging. Most of the others had what they called at the time spider vains (checking). I still have it.

Ralph
 
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ShowLowJim

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F312 said:
Just for a side; I paid 500 dollars for a new 1973 Martin D35 with case. I tried several before they brought out the one I bought, still in the original packaging. Most of the others had what they called at the time spider vains (checking). I still have it.

Ralph
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Interesting, that D35 is money in the bank now. My Guild (1990's) D30 came from Florence state prison here in Arizona. A long term prisoner received it as a gift, never used it and put it up for sale in the prison outlet store where the convicts sold goods they make to the public for spending money. I spotted the case and asked to see it. After looking it over and seeing it was in mint condition I walked out with it after parting with $600. Glad I stopped in that day.
 
Guildedagain

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Very interesting. Thx GAD for the reference material.

The Spruce top D35 was $345 for NT, quite a chunk of change.

The all Mahogany D25 was $280 plain or $290 for Cherry.

Ok, so $280 in 1973, supposedly a great year for Guild flattops.

Are you ready for this?

"Adjusted for inflation, $280.00 in 1973 is equal to $1,693.01 in 2020. Annual inflation over this period was 3.90%."

See what I did there?

That's what you paid for it then, in a way. Adjusted for inflation.

And in turn it makes total sense that these guitars trade at around that value right now, the price is almost spot on because the value is still the same.

Except I'd prefer the Guild to any new $1600 guitar. You would need to pay two or three times now and the woods aren't the same, and they haven't aged, and they are not history you can hold and play in your hands.

PS I was 13 in '73. Too young to buy an expensive guitar but not too young to have a blast... so that year range is the dearest to me of all vintage things and instruments.
 
dreadnut

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At that time, Guild was offering a comparable product at a lower price than Gibson and Martin. I played all 3 of their mahogany dreads and I was more drawn to the Guild D25M.
 
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