In a message dated 10/22/2003 6:07:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time, brucerobbins@supanet.com writes:
<< I can't remember seeing anything about this on the list before but there is a chap in England who is selling his late father's bike collection either as a single lot or individually. There are a few 1930s Hetchins, a Baines International TT, Viking Ian Steele, Hill Special track, Ellis Briggs, Humber, Bates, Penine, Holdsworth, Carlton and quite a few Sturmey hubs including some alloy ones.
Not being a bike collector, the seller is looking for offers and has already had some good ones. Unfortunately, the prices are out of my range but some well-heeled CR members might be interested and, indeed, some have already contacted him.
The seller, Tim Lawrence, said everyone who had been in touch with him had been very open and honest about their valuations of the bikes except for one UK CR member, who shall remain nameless, who tried to tell him that the bikes weren't worth much at all. Shame on you!
I can't vouch for Tim personally but I had a blether with him on the phone and he seems a genuine guy.
There are pictures of the bikes and more contact info at:
http://members.aol.com/
Bruce Dundee Scotland >>
Bruce and all: I also told this fellow what range I thought the bikes would sell for and I also told him they could not be listed nor mentioned on the CR list until he established a price for them. He certainly has had a lot of voluntary input thus far, so I assume he is conducting an effective highest-bidder auction of the bikes, precisely what I do not want on the CR! And you, Bruce, have now aided him in that very cause....
In regard to value, I would submit that is a hard issue as while these are old and interesting bikes, they are poorly repainted in many cases and those would represent a large investment of time and money to do again properly. Of course, ones man's trash is another's bounty.. (or whatever that phrase is..)
In any case, please let these persons "wanting to establish a fair value" (meaning maximize their personal gain via a CR fishing expedition) do it somewhere else. eBay does that every day.
In any case, please mind the CR list rules and do not post about bikes and components for sale without including a set price..
Thanks Dale
Dale Brown
List owner
Greensboro, NC