By learning a couple of chords and getting your favorite Bob Dylan book you can be playing relatively quickly. Once you get your fingers to go to the right place, you can get to understand how to play. Collecting Guitars I have been seeing many guitar collectors and the instruments they collect. A collection can be different for different people. Alot of people just buy what is within their budget, with no real focus.
People try to replace the guitars of their youth.
As the Baby boomers mature and have more disposable income, the first instruments they search out are ones that they may associate with their youth. We all grew up with the rock and roll of the 50's and 60's so these are the most sought after guitars. The Gibsons, Fenders, Martins, Gretches, that we associate with our guitar heroes tend to be the most in demand. Players, who also collect, find instruments that suit their music style. There are guitars that fit different styles of music and sound right for the players' style of playing.