Value is something very hard to assume, considering that something is ultimately only worth what somebody is willing to pay. However on this page hopefully you’ll learn what a Super Flighter is likely to set you back, and why you’re getting an outstanding bargain!

Selling History
Since 2010, I’ve found record of almost 30 Super Flighters selling on eBay. There will undoubtedly be some I’ve not seen, and plenty sold privately or through other sources like Gumtree (in the UK) and Craigslist. However it’s probably safe to assume the average prices I can calculate from eBay history is a fairly good estimate. This is what I can tell you about the average sale prices since 2010…

SF500   – £350
SF700   – £550
SF1000 – £800

Naturally these guitars were sold in varying conditions, some with hard cases and some without, so you can assume that a good condition model with hard case would be more expensive than the average. Now consider the quality of these guitars, and how much you might pay for something of equal quality today. Why are these guitars so cheap?!

Theoretical Value
The value of these guitars could potential be much greater than represented by the sales history in the last few years. A huge contributor to the low selling prices would be the fact that they were discontinued in 1980. This naturally means that the cost wouldn’t have ever increased due to inflation of materials costs as they were no longer being made, so they were effectively being sold at the same price (or lower) than they were initially purchased. If you look at Yamaha’s Japanese archives you’ll see that the SG2000 was the same price as an SF1000 when they were launched. An equivalent SG today will cost you in the region of £2000/€2400/$3250. By comparison, the logical assumption would be that an SF1000 would cost the same price should they have continued production.

Even without the inflated cost of materials, the rate of economic inflation should surely increase the price, considering currency is worth more now than it was 30 years ago? Apparently not! If you look at the rates of inflation since 1980, the resulting price would be even higher than the cost resulting from inflated cost of materials. If we take the total inflation of GBP since (263.74%) this is what we should be paying…

SF500   – £1270 / €1535 / $2070
SF700   – £1740 / €2100 / $2840
SF1000 – £2540 / €3065 / $4140

Maybe now you’re seeing why a Super Flighter at the prices we see on eBay, is a fantastic bargain! If Yamaha had continued production these guitars would be significantly more expensive, and likely to have decreased in quality as many instruments have over recent years.

Drop In Price
As most of us will know, a second hand item is usually worth less than a brand new item. However when it comes to rare and collectible items, it’s assumed that they will be second hand and the value is found in its rarity and condition rather than how many previous owners there have been. Yet Super Flighters actually sell for less than they were launched at 30 years ago! Looking back at what we’ve just discovered about the theoretical value if we were to apply inflation of the last 30 years to the launch prices, the reality of it is quite surprising! These are the launch prices based on conversion rates at the time…

SF500   – £350 / €420 / $570
SF700   – £480 / €580 / $785
SF1000 – £700 / €845 / $1140

Where the theory would suggest that an SF1000’s value should’ve inflated by over 300%, on average we’re paying approximately 20% less than the launch prices.

If you’re looking for a quality guitar, remember these figures next time you see a Super Flighter on eBay or in your local guitar store. It might seem like a lot of money to pay out at the time, but remember what they could be worth…