Nick and all,
I can tell everyone if the bike is real or not. It does exist; but it
was about 5 years ago that I saw the bike. Also 5 years ago that I
offered to touch it up to preserve the original decals, and so on. I
will not do the touch-up now. The bike was a "little rough" when I
saw it last.
I don't know this person, per se. He may or may not be a major
dufuss. I actually ran into him one day in a store as I was wearing a
Confente T-shirt. This dude remarks to me, upon noticing my
shirt, "Hey, I have one of those bicycles". We talk for a few
minites, I stopped by his house to look the bike over, and that was
the end of it. I made a note of the frame number, the persons name
and number, and the frame size. It's still stuck to my computer desk
right in front of me now. My note also states there is a small dent
in the down tube up near the shifter and that it's Brown Metallic in
color.
There you go. The bike is real. The owner, can't say for sure.
Brian Baylis La Mesa, CA Long blurb possibly comming tonite regarding life at Vintage Cycle
Studios/ Baylis Cycles. It's a real fun place!
This auction flies against how most of us would market an item for
sale.
However as Chuck states below; it could be a real deal for the person
willing to do proper due diligence and protect themselves from
misrepresentation or fraud by the seller.
Personally I think it is plausible that the item is for real, and if
I had a serious interest; would be collecting information that would make me feel
comfortable about closing the deal or not.
This one requires a bit more effort than gawking at high resolution
pixs and placing a bid on a snipe program.
Nick Zatezalo Atlanta,Ga
-----Forwarded Message-----
>From: Chuck Schmidt <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net>
>Sent: Jul 27, 2006 2:59 AM
>To: CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Subject: Re: [CR]Confente on E-Bay
>
>Sometimes (often?) something wonderful happens when a guy puts up a
>poorly crafted auction.
>
>The CR membership's reaction is, "Hummm, something hinky is going
on
>here! Not interested!" But the guy who really wants a Confente
>goes, "I guess I just need to make an extra effort and find out
what
>this guy's got." Often it results in getting something for a
bargain
>in the end. Over the past 30 plus years I've collected some
amazing
>stories to go with my bargains.
>
>Poorly crafted auctions scare off the dilettantes.
>
>Chuck Schmidt
>South Pasadena, Southern California
>
>
>David Toppin wrote:
>
>> Well, the lack of pictures certainly would make me question it!
>>
>>
>> David Toppin
>> dave@pelletizer.com
>> http://www.pelletizer.com <------ see our complete, searchable
inventory.
>>
>> The Pelletizer Group, Inc.
>> 4 LaChance Street
>> Gardner, MA 01440-2476
>>
>> (978) 669-0060
>> (978) 669-0061 fax
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org
>> [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of
Chuck
>> Schmidt
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 11:42 PM
>> To: CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS
>> Subject: Re: [CR]Confente on E-Bay
>>
>> Not the point actually. Of course everything can be done better
>> with very
>> little effort. But this thread started out with the assertion
that
>> the
>> auction was questionable.
>>
>> Chuck Schmidt
>> South Pasadena, Southern California
>>
>> David Toppin wrote:
>>
>>> But it wouldn't hurt, and probably the bike would bring more money
>>>
>>>
>>> David Toppin
>>> dave@pelletizer.com
>>> http://www.pelletizer.com <------ see our complete, searchable
inventory.
>>>
>>> The Pelletizer Group, Inc.
>>> 4 LaChance Street
>>> Gardner, MA 01440-2476
>>>
>>> (978) 669-0060
>>> (978) 669-0061 fax
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org
>>> [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Chuck
>>> Schmidt
>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 11:16 PM
>>> To: CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS
>>> Subject: Re: [CR]Confente on E-Bay
>>>
>>> I don't remember ever hearing that selling a fairly rare and
>>> desirable
>>> bike required the seller to be polite...
>>>
>>> Chuck Schmidt
>>> South Pasadena, Southern California
>>>
>>>
>>> On Jul 26, 2006, at 6:13 PM, Mike Schmidt wrote:
>>>
>>>> Yo Chuck,
>>>>
>>>> The dude is a rude. I can corroborate Tom Sander's story of the
>>>> seller's
>>>> bedside manner. If you are going to sell a rare bike, a seller
>>>> should be
>>>> able to show photos, not illustrations, that represent its
>>>> condition.
>>>> So far, he illustrates his arrogance better than the bike.
>>>>
>>>> A brown Confente? Barf! Retch!, no wonder he does not want to
show
>>>> photos.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Mike Schmidt reporting live on a balmy July evening from..
>>>> South Stirling, Southern part of Northern NJ
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Chuck Schmidt" <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net>
>>>> To: "CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS" <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 8:31 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [CR]Confente on E-Bay
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> This whole thread is starting to make me laugh! I see no "RED
>>>>> FLAGS"
>>>>> with this auction whatsoever.
>>>>>
>>>>> The seller states:
>>>>> "...local pickup only (no shipping)." and "Cash only (no
cashier
>>>>> checks) will be accepted on buyers approval of item. Wire money
>>>>> directly to my bank."
>>>>>
>>>>> If I was selling my Confente (two numbers before the frame being
>>>>> auctioned) I'd have the buyer (or his representative) look over
the
>>>>> frame and then, upon their approval of the frame, give me the
CASH.
>>>>> There's no way I'd pack up a frame worth $4500 plus and send it
off
>>>>> with a shipper... no way. And yes, if a complete Confente went
for
>>>>> $8,000 on eBay more than a few years ago (a CR member was the
>>>>> buyer), then the frame might actually be worth $4500... if you
want
>>>>> to own a Confente that is.
>>>>>
>>>>> Time for the list to take their chill pill.
>>>>>
>>>>> Chuck Schmidt
>>>>> South Pasadena, Southern California
>>>>>
>>>>> .