You can get a lot better uke in better shape for less money, though I guess it's fun to repair old instruments and get them back in working order. Makes me glad I'm not interested though. Usually when collectors (as opposed to users) start grabbing things up, the price quickly goes to way more than they're worth. Users pay prices according to what use or functionality they receive from the product, where collectors are usually either interested in sentimental value of a no-longer-made item, or are looking to profit financially, and either case brings people willing to pay way more than something is really worth as far as functionality. If one is collecting for sentiment, it's too bad it's so hard to assemble a nice collection just to have and enjoy, but when you're competing with profiteers, greed is the standard, and they'll outbid you at the last fraction of a second if they can.