Follows are just my opinion. Most of thirties or fourties Japanese collectors are slightly poor. They have no money for buy a house. Japan are too small for one's population. Land and house are very expensive. Many of young Japanese are give up the idea of getting house. Since garage cost is too much expensive, they can not collect some automobiles. Thereupon, little money remain in their wallet. The money that they have are short for buy house or collect automobiles, but enough for collect vintage bicycles and components. They are very busy. They work hard till late at night. Poor Japanese are relieving their heart by devoting oneself to a hobby. Since they live in just small collector's society, they don't know about non-Japanese collectors are sad.
Kenji Fusejima Tokyo Japan
At 5:38 PM -0400 01.4.10, Huemax@aol.com wrote:
>Doland wrote;
><<BTW, what exactly is the obsession with Japanese collectors and
>French-style touring bikes? Is it a reliving their childhood type thing?>>
>
>f you can imagine physical condition of Japan, having 5 to 6000 people in
>each SQ-mile, squeeze 120+ million people in island size of CA, OR, ans WA
>states, also 90 % is mountain. Touring bike is their classic car as US.
>There is no room for Autos
>to collect and store, and gas cost 4.50 to 5.00 per gallon.
>
>We American put perspective of transportation as automobles while Japanese
>have motor cycle or bicycle. I used to pay 250.00 to 300.00 per month to
>garage car in Japan, and you will not be able to BUY a car unless you have a
>garage to store it.
>
>French raundnuer is Artistic Machine, while Motor cycle is regarded as POWER
>thurst, mean people's trasportation, therefore; naturally, they put their
>BUCKs in touring bicycles. Price tags as 5K, 10K, 20K are very cheap while a
>car collector
>has to pay 3 to 4000.00 year to store it. They can store bikes in their
>living room
>or hall way even though their home are usually high rise condu's.
>
>The fender/mud gurds also almost necessity. It rains a lot in Japan avarage
>50 inch+ per year, not like in California. Their street bikes are usually
>made of S/S or aluminum, moisture in general is very very high, rust will eat
>up any older steel bikes.
>
>Hope you can visit Japan sometime to get see and fel those ideas I tried to
>explain.
>
>Best Regards,
>
>KEN TODA, Record heat in North Carolina, 89' summer is here!