Most guitar lovers buy several over the years, until they have built up a substantial collection. Guitar collecting can be an extremely costly hobby, especially when you consider the brands involved. Some guitars are just expensive to begin with, but they grow cheaper once they have been used for a couple of years. On the other hand, some guitars become more expensive once time moves onwards. For instance, an older, authenticated Les Paul is more valuable as an antique then many Yamahas are as brand new instruments. Still, guitar collectors are always on the prowl for a good deal.

As with most collecting hobbies, a good place to start would be the Internet, especially if you are looking for cheap guitars. There are a variety of ways to set about looking, too. Most would assume that auction sites like eBay would be home to great deals. This is partly true. Sometimes, you find a good instrument at a “stealing” price. They owners do not care for its value and it’s an item that they want to be rid of, only they do not want to chuck it into the dumpster. Other times, bidding wars can break out, and what once started out as a bargain could easily climb in price and become unaffordable. This is likely to happen any time a rarer, hard to find electric guitar surfaces.

The other option includes online classifieds like Craigslist. There are a few possible drawbacks though. Craigslist is known as a home for some kooks and scam artists, but those are relatively few and far between. The other problem is a little simpler. Classified ads are text only, and if a seller says “pink acoustic guitar” you have to take them at their word. There will likely not be a picture to look at. To see the item, you will have to contact the seller and meet them in person.

Either way, the Internet is filled with hundreds of different possibilities. Plus, it is ever changing. New items are added and removed from various sites on a daily basis. Auctions and classifieds are only two options in a longer list of possibilities.