I have been wondering whether it is worth putting money into a bass as an investment, not a custom or a generic Fender etc, I was thinking about ‘signature’ lines such as the Purple Glen Hughes O-Bass?
Is this a worthwhile idea or am I barking up the wrong tree here?
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With few exceptions, for models currently in production the more expensive and esoteric a bass is, the more value it loses the moment you buy it new.
Used is a different story 
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Unless you get really famous!
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As we’ve previously discussed, there is money to be made buying second hand and selling on, if you can find a bargain in the first place.
Regarding investment pieces, I’d assume, like most things, you’d really have to know your stuff…
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Can I buy one because I want it and tell my wife it is an investment and will increase in value?
If I do this am I allowed to play it?
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It’s what I’ve been doing the last few years. Seems to work. At least she knows I’m now too broke to blow $$$ on cheap booze and cigars…(and yes - you can play it. At home. On weekends, in the evening - so she knows exactly where you are. In time, she’ll positively BEAM when you tell her of your next “investment purchase.” Happy wife, happy life…)
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In all seriousness buying used you’ll easily turn a profit if you put thought in to it - I have a few times.
New is just burning money though.
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Paging @Al1885 for insights into this. Would be great to give us all some insight in what you do and how you make a couple bucks vs investment?
I do this with vintage saxes, but basses as investments - I think trickier. I haven’t lost money on a bass I sold yet, however, I’m not making it rain over here either.
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LOL…you can try. Just how gullible is she? 
Here’s my thoughts on it. Any increase in value would come from two factors.
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You bought it far below it’s market value to begin with or by virtue of the annual (or even more frequent) price increases in new gear which tend to pull the values of used gear up along with them. I’ve made profits selling gear from both.
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You spend a whole lot more money on a vintage instrument or a very rare one of a kind one and you hope the demand for it continues to increase it’s market value over time. That may work or it may not but in either case your initial investment will be pretty costly.
I typically think that any time I’ve sold an instrument for more than I have in it as a happy accident made possible by not having overpaid to begin with. Sometimes I have and sometimes I have not. But if I work the numbers computing how much I gained over what period of time I’ve owned it as an investment I would’ve done better had I put the money I purchased it with in a top grade mutual fund.
I think it’s safe to say that most of us don’t buy our gear as an investment for anything more than the personal enjoyment of learning to play it better. JMHO
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Oh, thanks for clarifying what your real question is.
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Basses are great investments but it’s not what you think. Dollar wise your profits comes from affordable instruments mainly from one brand, Fender/ Squier. Maybe MusicMan/ Sterling but that mostly comes from the second stage.
Look out for best deal second hand basses or guitars then modded it or clean it up and turn it. You can double your money and more on the “investment”. You don’t need to appeal to the mass just the one person who can’t live without it and they’ll pay for what you ask.
What you’ll do to the profit is another story, for me I just buy things I want next thing I know I have a shed full of basses, 
Buying, modding and selling then upgrading is fun and the most fun is trading up your premiums. If/ when you buy your premium if it’s rare enough you’ll get your trade up very handsomely. There are some learning curves some are steep.
Other brands are great but they don’t have the resale value as the Fender or Squier. That said MusicMan has the best trade value especially the rare color or model.
Here are some of the mod
I did.
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No Harley Benton, I presume?
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Can you? But of course!
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The problem with HB in the US is that people would look them up on Thomann and see the price but they don’t take into the account that it cost nearly $150 to ship to me. All they see are the ridiculously low price. Now I’m behind on the price before I even started.
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Yeah, you might not get those fine Harley Benton instruments for cheap in the US of A, but at least you can get the Reverend Dub King and some other cool basses for a good price
EDIT But HB really has some fine models:
Pity that’s not a short scale!
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I’ve bought two Sire models from Thomann. Shipping to Austin from Germany was only $64 each time, and each bass was on my doorstep within four days of when I clicked the Buy button.
Yep, just checked: I threw a Sire V8 (just like the one I own) into the Thomann cart, and shipping to me was $73.
Considering the great prices Thomann regularly offers, plus the cheap shipping and superb customer service, it’s a no-brainer vendor. 
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It’s like any collectable investment. If there’s a lot of them out there you’re unlikely to make much money, sure you might turn a profit but an investment; no. If it’s rare then you might but probably needs to be well known and rare.
To a certain extent it really doesn’t matter how good an instrument it is; if it’s not rare no, it it’s rare maybe. Obviously helps if it’s has been provably owned by someone famous…because now it’s rare!
It’s the same formula for pretty much anything you’re thinking of as a collectable investment.
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Turning a profit on used instruments is really quite easy, as @Al1885 says. it’s just like any other kind of flipping. I’ve turned a profit several times and I wasn’t even trying; if I were doing serious market arbitrage like Al it could be a lot more profitable.
Just don’t buy new and expect to ever see that money again.
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Ok Al you are speaking my language here
I tend to buy things I like (if I can afford them) and end up with “too many”, I also like to tinker and mod.
What got this thought pattern started was thinking about the Purple O-Bass, which I want, not necessarily to play. I was wondering if these as a ‘signature’ from a manufacturer other than Fender would have potential collector value down the track?
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Al on a tangent- are you making the clear cavity covers and pickguards?
If not where are you getting them? I want similar for my latest build
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