Thanks, I agree! This is why we had the discussion several months ago about the various factors of bikes and ages to draw some new solder into the tube mix. Ted Ernst Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Chuck's on the right path, but I think there is more to it too. I've been collecting lightweights, and bikes in general, for about 16 years and I'm also fairly young (35) so I have a lot of contact with younger cyclists and a serious interest in the collecting side of things. I believe that collecting of classic bikes in general are down from everything I'm seeing and the folks I talk to. On Sunday I was at the Seattle Bike Show and Swap and even though there was a classic lightweight display area in the swap hall and plenty of old parts and bikes they were just sitting on peoples benches. Campy NR and SR parts were going for 50%-60% of the prices I saw 10 years ago. Also if you look at the history of pricing on Ebay it's also been going down.
The guys I went to the swap were my age and at least 2 of them used to be interested in classic lightweights, but not now. At a grassroots level people my age like me who really fuel the collecting and popularity. This can be seen if you remember the Schwinn crate and Balloon tire boom 10 years ago. These young bucks used to have decent jobs, no kids and no mortgages to speak of and don't know enough to be too discerning in their collecting. This last part is the key. For those of us that have been collecting for years we don't just buy everything that looks like a good deal anymore, and once you have a good sized parts stash to do more trading anyway. The problem is most of these young bucks are more interested in other aspects of cycling and the job market is so bad anymore they don't have the disposable income to be indiscriminate in their buying anymore.
This brings me to my answer to Ray's question. During the high price times for collecting lightweights a few years ago lots of stuff was snapped up by indiscriminate buyers and the regulars alike. The crux of the problem is that as prices have plummeted and people are hanging on to their stuff so as not to actually lose money. In a few years I think we'll see stuff start coming back out of the woodwork, but only if people can make a profit. This last part is where the young undiscerning buyers come into play by driving prices back up and making people willing to sell off the things they've been hoarding.
It may seem that lightweight collecting is growing by looking at the CR list itself, but that's the wrong gauge to use. Even looking at the CR list if you represented growth as a percentage I would predict that the growth, percentage wise, has been shrinking the last two years. You need to look outside the basic insular CR community. These are just my thoughts based on years of collecting and living in 5 different U.S. states and Belgium over those years. If you want to grow the sport and see stuff come back out of basements and closets get some young folks interested. best, Brandon"monkeyman"Ives Coeur d'Alene, ID.
On Tuesday, Feb 22, 2005, at 11:08 US/Pacific, Chuck Schmidt wrote:
> Ray Homiski wrote:
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> (snip)
>> Why do you think that road/race bikes are few and far between at Copake.
>
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> eBay\u2122
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> Chuck Schmidt
> South Pasadena, Southern (rain most years 4", this year 3') California