I try hard not to criticize someone's decision about how they spend their money, and I make an honest effort not to criticize seller's prices - even when I think they are exhorbitant. It's far better to assume that the person selling the item at a high price knows something about selling that I _do not know_.
Having said that, why would someone criticize the purchaser of a $10,000 bicycle ?? Would it be too much to suggest that these bikes may not get ridden as much as the $300.00 student bicycles sold today? Just read the profiles of the people buying these bikes in the NYT article. These bikes are likely going to be in pristine condition 30 years from now. Whose bike will you be buying for $10,000 in 2036 (at a time when most people will gross $10,000+ a week ??)
IMHO, criticizing the $10,000 bike today is tantamount to biting the hand that feeds our hobby ...
Did the 1970's collectors of 1940's bikes similarly trash the buyers of 1970's Colnagos ??
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA, USA