Beautiful R9!
I paid $8,500 US for my '59 in 1981. Bought at Guitar Trader in Red Bank, NJ, one of the few vintage stores at that time. Same place I bought my '52 Tele, '61 ES-335, '56 Strat, and '57 Gretsch 6120 (transition year, so Dynasonic pickups, but thumbnail fret markers).
Got $270K Canadian for the Les Paul in 2010, when the Canadian dollar was actually a bit higher than the US dollar. Early '59 so small frets. OK flame, good colour, sweet player, killer "brighter than you would expect" PAF tone. Only issue was the tuner heads shrinking problem.
Sad story. The guy who bought it was an young investment banker. A couple of years later he went to England with his family to celebrate his 10th wedding anniversary. Looked the wrong way while crossing a busy London Street and got killed instantly by a car coming from his right.
At one time I had around 30 guitars, including several vintage National Duolians, Style O's and a Style 1, all bought at Mandolin Bros. in Staten Island. Was never much into wooden acoustics.
All gone now, except for a 15 year old Gibson SG, and a 2 year old Fender Vintera Tele, made in Mexico with an ash body & maple neck. Both bought at good old Long & McQuade. I don't even have callouses on my left hand finger tips any more cuz I play so rarely.