All of my axes are old, dating back to the 80's. And all of them look well-cared-for. Not brand-new. There are tiny scratches on the pick guards from some exhuberant strumming. The backs show some dulling of the finish from rubbing against my clothes. No belt buckle rash! I wear my belt set off to the side so that the buckle never gets near the guitar. The frets don't show much wear, because I routinely have them re-crowned. I think a battered guitar shows a player's lack of respect for the instrument. "Battle scars" don't show that you've been through a lot - they show that you have failed to protect your guitar from damage!