So true! And it's sad.
Does PRS have such a model? Is there an investment quality that doesn't cost an arm and a leg currently. I know I'm not asking much LOL I just want one that plays and sounds fantastic and looks like a piece of art.
The best PRS Core values I've seen trolling Reverb are 2000-2010 models, especially the "hollow bird" ones from 2007-2008. Other than perhaps a general cold shoulder to the hollow bird aesthetics, there is literally no sane reason why these instruments are going for the prices they are. My 2008 SC-250 is easily the best guitar I've ever owned, it completely blows the doors off any Gibson I've ever owned or played. In terms of a new current-model PRS that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg, it'd be pretty hard to go wrong with an S2 or CE.
I think treating PRSi as an investment is a mistake from any sort of financial viewpoint. Barring a paradigm shift of ridiculous proportions, the best they'll ever do over time is hold steady, and even then you're technically losing whatever the annual inflation rate is. Even Dragons typically lose value over time once you adjust for inflation. The sole reason to buy a PRS is to play it; you'll never be disappointed in it as an instrument.