My mandolin is a 1977 Ibanez  model 524 F-style which looks just like new. How old does it need to be before i can consider it a collector's item, if ever. I'm going to keep it forever (  well, until my son gets it), so it's not a money thing, but I was just curious.

I would think it's a collectors item only if collectors are interested in it.  I'm not sure age has anything to do with it.  The Ibanez mandolins from Japan are pretty highly regarded instruments.  I'd like to have on myself.  The 524 is one of the most common of the Ibanez models.  I'm not sure about how collectable these mandolins are.  I think these is somewhat of a demand for these, but by players, not collectors.

Thanks,Larry. that's pretty much all I wanted to know. I really like the looks of this mandolin, especially the fretboard and peghead inlay and it plays easy  and sounds GREAT. I'm going to keep it, just was curious. You gave me the info I wanted. Thanks, again.

If it was a Henderson or a Monteleoni and it was brand spankin, new it would already be a collector's item. Ebay lists anything pre-1980 as "vintage" but most of my new stuff is older than that. "Vintage" doesn't necessarily mean it is a collectors item. Desirability and rarity determine that. Somethings are rare because nobody wanted them and nobody might want them now even if they are old. Some of the best of the Japanese instruments from the 70's may become collectors item,it's hard to say. The Japanese payed a lot (like a couple of hundred dollars!) for a pair of old worn out jeans I had, so you can never tell what is going to be collectible and what will not.

Collector  mandolins usually have THE GIBSON on the peghead.  

That aside - -  I don't know if a Japanese (Asian) mandolin will ever be a "collector's item".
Vintage?  Yes. 1977 qualifies it for that title.   Collector? No.

Just my imo..  

"Vintage" has become a misused word. It is supposed to denote a level of age+ quality. Not just "OLD". It's misused anyway at that because it is a word used to denote the age of wine and that is any age. Wine has period when it is best --X number of years from the date that it was bottled depending on it's type. Drinkers of wine want to know that. "Collector" shouldn't mean anything. People collect string and matchbooks, there is no quality implied there. "Ummm good string!" "They sure don't make matchbooks like they used too!" So if someone wants to "collect" old 70's model Japanese instruments they can hang them on the wall with their "vintage" string or make a bonfire out of them and light them with their "vintage" matches..