I really like Bob's explanation on the plight of Masi frames as people modified them for functionality as time went by. I also noticed the lament that lead him to write his response. Funny thing about collectors, the original in most anything is usually desireable so making modifications takes away from that "as born" look and feel. Still if no one made these modifications then the "value" of the originals would be worth less, maybe far less. The ol' supply and demand rule takes hold. More originals, less demand and prices drop. Sometimes the modification becomes the minority and commands a better price. Think about it, in those days when these modifications were taking place the owner valued them more than an original set up which was considered a pain. At that time if you had money, walked into a bike shop for a new bike and saw one of the older models with clamp on components and the newer one with integrated components which would you have chosen. You have to look at it as a buyer user not a buyer collector. This upgrade as you may call it probably happened to hundreds of bicycles that to this day no one cares about. Only the marquee names that collectors value seem to drum up this lament. My wife has a way of putting things into perspective and I am sure some of you have experienced this also. When I pay big money for a bike and show it to her she usually say's...So another bike, so what. That is all she sees and many who have bought bikes in the past have no clearer vision than that.
Oh, by the way. If you swapped out that hard drive or sound card on the computer you are looking at right now, you modified it. Some collector down the road will wonder, why did you ever do that? Hope you saved the components and have them wrapped up in case you ever decide to restore or sell it.
Ray Homiski
Elizabeth, NJ