Up for sale is a 1972 Gibson Les Paul.  Although I am not an expert on Les Paul guitars, I am basing the year on the serial number, which is 118482.  I looked this number up in several references, and these sources all indicated that it is a 1972 guitar.  Also, several persons more knowledgeable than myself have confirmed this date by the serial number.I have owned this guitar for 25plus years, and will be sad to see it go.  The tuning peg machines are not original, the originals were changed out prior to my owning the instrument. These are Grover machines.Also, the bottom pickup was changed out by a relative of mine, who owned the guitar for a period before me.  I do not recall the brand or model pickup, but supposedly it was some expensive hotrod pickup.  I am not knowledgeable enough to determine whether the top pickup is original, or whether that to was changed out too.I gigged with this guitar in various bars during the nineties, and the instrument has some minor wear and scratches, mainly on the back, such as the wear on the back of the neck, and some scratches on the heel of the neck where it meets the body. There is some wear on the top back of the headstock.The most notable flaw is that there is a hairline crack in the back of the neck, just below the headstock.  This occurred when the guitar was knocked over from its guitar stand during a barroom brawl. The neck was professionally repaired by a luthier, and the instrument has continued to give good service for two decades.The guitar is missing the button peg on the bottom that holds a guitar strap on, and is also missing one of the teenie screws that holds on the small circular plastic cover that goes over a switch routing in the back.  It should not be too difficult for the buyer to find suitable replacements for these items.I have not played this guitar for two or more years.  It definitely needs a new set of strings, and probably could use a setup adjustment.  I showed it to a local guitar repairman this morning, and he said the neck looks straight and true.There is a Gibson case that comes with the guitar.  The case is well worn on the outside.I took the guitar & case over to the UPS Store.  The told me that a suitable box would be $21 and that packing the guitar with bubble wrap and foam peanuts would be $30.  They said that ground shipping from here to California would be $80.  So I'm estimating that I could send it nearly anywhere in the lower 48 states for about $130.  IGNORE THE SHIPPING FEE ABOVE WHERE IT STATES THE SHIPPING WILL BE AROUND $25. They told me that insurance would be about $2 per $100 of value.  So if the guitar went for $1600, insurance would be about $32.  Probably money well spent.  I am not looking to make money off of the shipping, so if the buyer is substantially closer to my location than California, and if the shipping fee is less than the quoted $80, I will apply the left over money toward the insurance fee. If it turns out that the buyer is in Washington state, and if that shipping fee is more than $80, then the buyer is expected to cover the difference.  In every case the buyer will be expected to cover the cost of shipping, packing and insurance.If the buyer wants to pick up the guitar here at this location, then there is no shipping and handling charge.PAYMENT OF BID PRICE BY PAYPAL ONLY WITHIN 48 HOURS OF AUCTION CLOSING EXCEPT FOR BUY IT NOW , WHICH REQUIRES IMMEDIATE PAYMENT.  PAYMENT OF SHIPPING, HANDLING AND INSURANCE WILL PROBABLY BY SEPARATE INVOICE WHEN COSTS ARE FINALIZED.IF BUYER RESIDES IN VERMONT, THE SALES TAX IS 6%.