[CR]Masi and Herse relative values

(Example: Framebuilders:Alex Singer)

Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:14:17 +0200 (CEST)
From: "alex m" <alexpianos@yahoo.fr>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Masi and Herse relative values

Interesting to note that all three RHs went to Japan.

The interest in Rene Herse and French touring bikes is a fairly recent one in the US, whereas the Japanese have been collecting them for decades. In the US "The Golden Age" has done a lot to develop interest in the French bikes, and you now find every now and again an american ebayer outbidding the japanese. The market remains 80% Japan oriented. But in the US the interest is definitely on it's way up. A few years back there was just no market at all for a Rene Herse in anything bigger than 56 cm c to c. You couldn't give them away, except for the parts... The market for French bikes in the US has come a tremendous way in a few years, whereas there has always been a flourishing interest in Italian racers.

There is another reason there were more bidders on the Masi than on the RH, I think that you have to take into account the fact that only a small minority of Japanese collectors actually bid on eBay US. They either don't watch eBay at all, or ask the usual dealers to bid for them. Think things through the other way round : how many Americans are buying bikes and parts in Japan? Just a handful of respected dealers.... When you see a***xe or t***59 or a few others buy up dozens of pairs of maxicars of hundreds of identical model Jos over the years, it's obviously not for their personal collection.

So when you see three Japanese bids on a Maxicar it actually represents a much much larger number of japanese collectors.

My point of view is that you shouldn't oppose (Masi VERSUS Herse, it's like a big title in the tabloids) collectors of Italian bikes with French ones, why not collect both? Bob Freitas and Mike Schmidt have both acquired top notch RH bikes recently, are delighted with them or at least that's what they tell me, but aren't as far as I know chucking out their collection of Italian bikes....

Or maybe they are?

Alexander March Bordeaux France

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