[CR]things that affect the value, entertainment and otherwise, of a vintage road bike.. (was re: when is a restoration not arestoration?)

(Example: Framebuilders)

From: "Charles Andrews" <chasds@mindspring.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2007 12:37:11 -0700
Subject: [CR]things that affect the value, entertainment and otherwise, of a vintage road bike.. (was re: when is a restoration not arestoration?)

As usual, Lou addressed an essential point:

ant for him, but never ridden. Likewise, a NOS Bianchi from 1951 might be worth a bunch, but a very well worn Coppi ridden Bianchi in F condition  might be worth a lot more than NOS.

**********

Not only would that well-worn Bianchi ridden by Coppi (it would have to come with solid-gold verification, btw), be worth FAR more than any anonymous NOS Bianchi of the same sort to most people, it would be far more entertaining as a piece of history than the NOS bike would be.

At least, in the market I'm familiar with.

Bicycles are a lovely combination of tool, art, and entertainment to those of us who love them. I would be wary of ever assigning great value to any one aspect of a bicycle, since each of us values these things a little differently.

But provenance, of various kinds, is certainly a big, big variable in assessing value. Of any kind.

Charles Andrews
Los Angeles