Hello Ray,
I was a little confused about whether you thought the prices were high or low. From Brandons response it sounds like he quoted a little low.
On PBS the film might be quite old; 1980s potentially. They recycle video a lot.
I think a rideable highwheeler; original over 100 years old with good tires (!) would be worth a lot more than anything noted. The tires cost a mint and remember parts are "RARE, COLLECTABLE, DESIRABLE, HARD TO FIND, AND REAL OLD MAN." A cheap purchase of one can turn real expensive getting it road worthy. Like most of the manufacturers are out of business.
Of course this fellow might be the fellow to buy from if he really values bikes like this very low. He might also be trying to keep the market of potential sellers from overheating his chosen hobby by suggesting smaller dollar signs to be exchanged for some treasured family heirloom.
I suspect many of these Wheelman bikes are sold to other Wheelman as the elderly riders can no longer mount them for mobility or morbidity reasons and widows and estates have little emotional interest in them after their owners move on to heavenly velodromes.
Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson
North Road Bicycle Company
519 W. North St.
Raleigh, NC 27603
USA
Toll Free Ph: 800-321-5511 Local Ph: 919-828-8999
E-mail: cyclestore@aol.com
In a message dated 3/3/05 12:18:41 AM, classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
<< From: Brandon Ives <brandon@ivycycles.com>
To: wheelman@nac.net
Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]PBS show on bicycles
Message-ID: <735FBCEE-8BA3-11D9-8821-00039356BD92@ivycycles.com>
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Message: 18
I don't know what the show said but $600 "ordinaries" were not uncommon
when I was living in Indiana. Well the price wasn't uncommon though
the bikes were. Abet that was 6 years ago, but I can assure you the
prices paid in the mid-west are much cheaper than you'll find elsewhere
even today. Jersey is close to New York which is the largest market
for classic and antique bikes in the east so my guess is your prices
are as bit inflated. I can also say you'd be lucky to find ANY high
wheelers for sale on the west coast. You've just got to go where the
bikes are. It's the same story I was reporting from Belgium last year
about classic lightweights.
best,
Brandon"monkeyman"Ives
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
On Wednesday, Mar 2, 2005, at 18:03 US/Pacific, wheelman@nac.net wrote:
> Although I did enjoy the show tonight on PBS for bicycles I was
> shocked to
> hear a fellow Wheelman quote prices on a couple of bikes. Either this
> guy
> was on something or he is seriously misrepresenting the hobby. I will
> pay
> anyone on this or any other list who will bring me a rideable original
> high wheel for $700 or a likewise bone shaker for $1500. I almost
> needed
> resuscitation after that. His other price quotes on the other items
> were
> more reasonable but those first two were way out of line.
>>