In a message dated 2/11/2005 9:13:57 PM Eastern Standard Time, LouDeeter writes: The author of this article, Brendon Quirk, worked at a Little Rock bike shop, Chainwheel I believe it was called, and was very active on the internet bicycle selling a few years ago. When I visited him, Chainwheel had two shops, both displaying the collection of Skip Lyle, a noted collector who was profiled in Bicycling Magazine many years ago. Skip collects the same size bike as I ride, so I have had a long fascination with his bikes that are on display in the Little Rock shops. I am also from Arkansas, but I don't visit much anymore. This article on Confente and collecting in general is on the mark in my opinion. Much like coin collecting, car collecting, or other collecting, the pristine "uncirculated" and rare examples will continue to appreciate, despite the roller coaster pattern of the investments in general. We talk on this list about originality. Original, pristine condition, will certainly get our attention--take the new in box Masi(s) that John Barron sold. In the case of high end bicycles, the market is thin as Brendon says. If you took the perfection of a Confente into a New York Art Gallery and displayed it as "sculpture", it would fetch many times the value it will fetch among the bicycle community, if people recognized it as art. Bicycles as art just haven't penetrated the art world. They are much appreciated by us. There are painters among us, Brian Baylis, Joe Bell, Peter Weigle to name a few, who have the eye for color and light that if put on canvas would multiply their income. I've often told Brian Baylis that he is the Van Gogh of bicycle painters. I truly believe that. The colors he selects are "different" from everyone else. I'm thankful I can afford to buy art of this caliber. I couldn't if the artists chose to go the route of the galleries. Lou Deeter, Orlando Fl