i educate myself about gears
(a) lessons
Stratocaster Database Fuzzfaced StratCollector
(b) market
Pipe Dream Fretworks Müb Custom
Carousell listings here Local instrument listings here Swee Lee Singapore
Well Played Gear Third Man Records Vintage Japanese guitars
PAF pickups ThroBak Norman’s Rare Guitars Wildwood Guitars
Reverb listings here
(c) useful tools
Check the age of a major label instrument here or there
Check Fender here