Somewhere there is a fuzzy line between a banjo & a collectible.
Banjos are fun to play. Collectibles collect dust.
Banjos making music are priceless.
Collectibles have a shifting value. Expensive today often have no value tomorrow.They are only worth what a collector is willing to pay.
I hope Steve has to deal with the headache of a bidding war.

That refinish doesn't look right. It looks like a modern finish. I'm surprised extra care wasn't taken with an instrument of such value.

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Originally posted by NNYJoe

Somewhere there is a fuzzy line between a banjo & a collectible.
Banjos are fun to play. Collectibles collect dust.
Banjos making music are priceless.
Collectibles have a shifting value. Expensive today often have no value tomorrow.They are only worth what a collector is willing to pay.
I hope Steve has to deal with the headache of a bidding war.

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The typical determining factor of 'instrument' or 'collectible' is the buyer. Almost invariably and by definition non-players acquire collections. Players acquire instruments.

As a separate category, investors have no interest in the intrinsic nature of an acquisition whatsoever. Their sole criteria is accrued value i.e. the realisation at some future point of financial profit.

beautiful tone but kinda short sustain--I would not part with my personal life long banjo for it-- not to diss it at all--just not my familiar territory--150'' grand'' means very little to some folks but 150 is a nice amount to me --good luck Mr.Huber you serve the community in a great manner

Someone with too much money will buy it . It may appear that I am trying to throw off on it but I want everyone to realize. The flange isn’t original, it’s from the 60s. We all know quality wasn’t at its best at Gibson during that period. The heel was broken and repaired the neck and resonator were refinished and could’ve been matched a little better for that price . The inside wall of the resonator is coming apart . With all that said ,If this was any other banjo we would all take second and third thoughts before we bought such but this is not any other banjo. For that price ? I’m buying land . That’s my 2 cents. God bless

You probably also get an invite to Banjothon if you bring it. Most of us just have to press our noses to the window to see what is going on in there.

I'm sure Steve has priced it lower than top of the market, based on the replaced flange and neck break/repair. Whether there are any buyers for this, or even the London Granada, is another question.

I can remember 20 years ago a lovely flat head TB Granada was offered at $250,000. I don't know what ever happened to it.

Obviously it is a desirable banjo. It seems amazing that it has a replaced flange and broken neck with perhaps a refinish and is worth that much. Reminds me of Antiques Roadshow recaps when things go way down in price. How awful would it be to buy a banjo for over $100k and see it's value drop. That being said, they ain't making antique Gibsons. Fun to watch, regardless.

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Originally posted by lazlototh

Reminds me of Antiques Roadshow recaps when things go way down in price. How awful would it be to buy a banjo for over $100k and see it's value drop. That being said, they ain't making antique Gibsons. Fun to watch, regardless.

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Antiques Roadshow valuations are typically for items that stay in the owner's family. The occasional high value find is often sold to a museum as a heritage purchase.

These high price banjos have long moved beyond individual buyers. Group or corporate investors spread their investment funds across a variety of sectors rather than fall prey to the "all my eggs in one basket" trap.

Popular culture items have a habit of peaking within the lifetimes of people who had a direct connection with that culture. Rarity will always impart value, but who can predict whether in 100 years from now Bluegrass will have meaning for our descendants other than as a distant curiosity. Today's auction prices for Beatles memorabilia, post-war sports memorabilia, vintage clothing and video games - all mass produced - are vulnerable to a steep decline when that generation is gone.

Nowhere for that price to go but down. Same as everything else baby boomers collect. Sell your Harley now if you want to get anything out of it. Young people don't care about the same stuff old people care about. Everyone I know wants a Prucha banjo and an Indian motorcycle. To most folks under 40, "Gibson" is synonymous with overpriced and low quality. Same as Harley. It's a bit of a meme at this point. 

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Originally posted by KCJones

Nowhere for that price to go but down. Same as everything else baby boomers collect. Sell your Harley now if you want to get anything out of it. Young people don't care about the same stuff old people care about. Everyone I know wants a Prucha banjo and an Indian motorcycle. To most folks under 40, "Gibson" is synonymous with overpriced and low quality. Same as Harley. It's a bit of a meme at this point. 

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I can't agree that Gibson is synonymous with "low quality," although there is a 20 year period where they were not that great.  But there are some hard truths in the rest of what you say.  If you love your Gibson banjo for what it is, hold it tight and play the hell out of it.  If you are holding it for investment value, sell sell sell.  The younger players won't pay the headstock premium, even when they get to the age where they have disposable income.  Gruhn noted that you can tell what middle-aged people with disposable income will want by looking at what they coveted, but could not afford when they were younger.  That is dead on, and applicable to many things.  And I don't think younger players covet Gibson banjos as much as we did.  They won't pile up unwanted like Hummel figurines or depression glass, but the premium isn't going to be there.   

As for this particular banjo, my speakers might not be producing the full sound, but that is Russ Carson playing (I believe), and I would not have be money that it was a rare, pre-war flathead just by listening.  And if that is Russ Carson playing it, it isn't going to sound near that good with me playing it.

@Brian_Murphy You're right on. I don't think it's your speakers; this banjo doesn't sound great to me either. Several others going for much less on Huber's site sound better in their accompanying videos. As far as younger players and Gibsons: I'm a very late Gen X / very early Millennial. If I hadn't inherited my dad's prewar Gibson, I would've sought out an original Gold Star. Gold Stars check a lot of boxes for me personally: high quality, good sound, could've gotten one made in my birth year, AND made in Japan. Other than prewar Gibsons, I have no covetous feelings towards Gibsons at all and would just as soon have something else.

You can't properly evaluate the tone of an acoustic instrument by listening to an audio or video recording of it.

I’m curious why this 5 is named after Porter Church. Did he own said banjo at one time? I used to hang with Porter at the Partners 2, he never made mention of this banjo.

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Originally posted by Gary Lee

I’m curious why this 5 is named after Porter Church. Did he own said banjo at one time? I used to hang with Porter at the Partners 2, he never made mention of this banjo.

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I think it's the banjo discussed around 56:50:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0nzFu1qfFQ

Price tag now a mere $135K

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Originally posted by Tractor1

beautiful tone but kinda short sustain--I would not part with my personal life long banjo for it-- not to diss it at all--just not my familiar territory--150'' grand'' means very little to some folks but 150 is a nice amount to me --good luck Mr.Huber you serve the community in a great manner

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a lot of those older gold tone rings especially the full weight long skirt ones have a quick decay... i kinda like it but not 135,000 like.  crowe liked that dryer tone... i think thats why he wanted 9584-1 ,,, it had the quick decay to it also.

Well I thought that pinch to kick of Blue Ridge Cabin Home sounded JUST GREAT, even through my crappy speakers.

I don't have $135,000 to spend, or I'd buy the thing! In the end someone out there will offer Huber a price he will accept. And Best Wishes to both of them.

Someone mentioned disposable income -- that is the key to future antique banjo pricing. Especially if anyone has shot their credit wad on college loans already. Not gonna be enough disposable income to swing for these wonderful OLD banjos.

I did not say it did not sound just great ---I always call joe Drumwrights RB3 on ''roll on buddy'' the kill for--''fire crackers in a
wash tub sound--
i just said It would not work that way under my limited abilities

If I was to say that on this topic--I would be smart enough to ''pad my punch '' a lot and play hookie for a while