I’m not much of a gambler. Even in elementary and junior high I never participated when my brother and friends entered the mall arcade. I didn’t understand sending quarters down a slot for a thrill that lasted through a five minute game of Galaga. But I do like nice things and often invest when I can. To be honest, I call it investing to appease my conscience.

Late in the 1990’s I sold off my entry level Kentucky mandolin and got a Gibson f-style mandolin. Gibson mandolins are like the Martin of guitars. They are well-built, sound terrific, fetch a hefty price, and retain their value.

I paid $1000.00 for my Gibson. That was cheap, though it had issues. Some of the pearl inlays set into the neck had fallen out and were missing. Worse, it was a 1970’s model which, unbeknownst to me, weren’t great years for Gibson. It didn’t have the deep bark sound for which Gibson’s were famous. I was happy just to have it in my possession and played it for several years.

When my ear became more discerning, I decided to stir the value waters and put my frumpy Gibson on eBay. It sold quickly for $2500.00. I was shocked and thrilled. But I didn’t intend to be without a mandolin, so my dreaming began.

Why not use the total amount to get another nicer mandolin? After all, I was playing regularly with the Hinds County Revelers at a local Jackson, Mississippi BBQ joint. This seemed like a good reason to go big. I began my instrument research.

The Westel exit is one of the first as you top the Cumberland plateau heading west between Knoxville and Nashville, Tennessee. Not far off the exit lives an older gentleman named Charles Horner. He is known for his excellent luthier skills for both fiddle and mandolin. $2500.00 later and I was the proud owner of a brand new Horner mandolin. To this day the remembrance of the fragrance upon opening that case brings me joy.

In 2002 we moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas. I was dismayed when I searched and found very few people who played the old-time music I was accustomed to playing. Bluegrass, yes. Old-time, no. It’s not very thrilling to play a mandolin solo. My beautiful Charles Horner mandolin sat brooding in the corner of the closet.

If I couldn’t play mandolin out solo, I could learn clawhammer-style banjo. After all, I did like the softer thwump sound of old-time banjo as opposed to the twang of the bluegrass banjo. I went on another investigative binge and tested eBay for larger fish by putting my Horner mandolin on auction. $3800.00 later and it was on its way to Alaska hopefully to be played by an Eskimo in mukluks.

I then bought a clawhammer banjo for $800.00 and a 1966 Volvo for $2000.00. With $1000.00 in the bank, I would call that an investment.