I'm impressed that the forged signature manages to look so
unlike the signature printed right next to it which should have served as a reference.
I've also noted an uptick in sellers disingenuously upgrading the listed conditions of their pick-swirled, buckle-rashed, and/or chipped Flys to "mint" (one even had the disclaimer that the guitar is merely "
nearly mint" in the listing body) and raising their asking prices for no reason other than to stand out amongst competing listings for guitars of the same model, color, and/or comparable condition.
This white '09 Classic (serial P0904081) was listed for $3,600 and sold after four offers, only to
immediately be flipped for $4,575 after taking photos of the guitar next to a swimming pool apparently caused it to both greatly appreciate in value
and become a "Rare Collectors"...something or another.
I mention it here (and not just in the "What's this worth?" thread) because I expect to see more sellers recognize that demand has slowed to a point where only collectors and flippers looking for "mint" listings seem to be willing to buy these guitars at high prices. And I don't expect many of them to respond to any perceived decrease in demand by
lowering prices; because we've come out of a three year bubble in which people were buying these guitars under pretensions of "investment."
Because the Parker Guitars community is small enough for acts of short term greed to be readily apparent, I anticipate seeing listings managing to be even more egregiously anachronistic than this (poorly) forged production signature and number to pop up as certain sellers attempt to move away from playing hot potato with this particular brand.
