[CR]value in vintage lightweights

(Example: Framebuilders:Alex Singer)

Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2005 14:19:40 -0700 (GMT-07:00)
From: <chasds@mindspring.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]value in vintage lightweights

I've had an interesting education lately, and I thought some here might find it equally interesting.

As some in our area-of-interest (and in the vintage car biz) are fond of saying "you never pay too much, you only pay too soon." Or something like that, anyway.

I've occasionally spent what seemed, to me, a great deal of money on a bike. Only to keep it for a year, or two, and discover that said bike, or frame, or part, has increased in value by 50%, or 100%. Sometimes I have gone ahead and cashed in on said bike. More often I keep it, because, fortunately, I have no special need to sell it at the time. Or, more often, because I like it, and don't care to forego the consistent pleasure it provides.

And sometimes I make a good deal to friends.

Sure, it's hard to know, exactly, what bikes/frames/parts are going to increase in value like that, but things that are very rare, highly desired by some critical mass of buyers (no matter how modest that mass might be), or both, are pretty good bets.

In the wake of the early 70s De Rosa auction, it has occured to me that the winning buyer probably didn't pay too much. They just paid too soon. The bike might be worth $15K in five or six years. Or not, but it will at least keep up with inflation, assuming any seller finds the right buyer.

I recently had a Masi frame and fork up for auction on ebay. I cancelled the auction--not because I had sold the frame--but because I just could not bear to part with it. There was a lot of interest in it, as it turns out, and I probably would have made a nice return on my original investment, an investment that, at the time I bought it, seemed pure craziness.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, if you really desire a very rare, and very desirable bike, and you have a chance to buy one, close to your size, for a price that bears some nodding relationship to actual market value, just buy it, if you can, because it's unlikely you'll lose money on it. It may take awhile to make your money back in a sale, if you pay a premium..but in the case of things like early 70s Masis, Colnagos, Cinellis, Pogliaghis, and De Rosas, it seems quite likely they will continue to increase in value, at least until all of us who know and love these marques as they were, have gone to our rewards..<g>

And entirely aside from making your investment back, or not, there is a lot of pleasure in owning something that few others have, or can have. Egoboo has its value too, whatever the trivial cost of vanity.

Of course, something can be too rare. Like my Argos criterium frame. Very cool piece--mid 70s and I'm the original owner-- but so completely obscure that it's worth essentially nothing...<g>

Charles "prolix today" Andrews
soCal