> Frankly, to try to compare this era DeRosa with Peugeot or Bianchi is
> absolutely silly. Those are huge companies with hundreds of employees who
mostly
> could give a crap about the look of a lug or the author's signature.
Well, Dale... I don't think I was doing that! I rather thought I was following the thread that the DeRosa was more valuable because of its rarity in the U.S. and my observation that top-end Bianchi racing machines, too, did not seem to be imported into the U.S. during the bike boom. And were they as coveted? They, too, had a racing history I believe. So Dale, a question or series of questions, not assertions!
And I certainly don't begrudge anyone spending $7 k on a bike. How much would a DeRosa cost c. 1975? I suspect $800-900. Convert that into today's dollars and appreciate that $7 k represents about a 50 per cent or less increase in its original value in real dollar terms over a 30 year period. Maybe we can say DeRosas like most classic lightweights are undervalued not pverpriced.
Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA