If you're a recent vintage guitar collector, the stories you've heard are true. You once could step into pawn shops or flea markets and find vintage Gibson Les Pauls and Fender Stratocasters for $50 to $100. True. These guitars now sell for thousands of dollars on Ebay and Gbase. Those days are gone -- but there are still deals if you know what to look for. The simple thing to remember in vintage guitar collecting is ... American guitars. Not to say Japanese or European luthiers haven't made .