Just a quick word to ask if I am mistaken in my impression that in the States you are having trouble getting hold of "fat" 700 x 25 c clincher tires in "period correct" appearance ? Because if this is the case, 700 x 25 c (standard fit for "demi-course" and 700 wheel cyclotourer from 1960 onwards) are available over here in all bike shops, and in supermakets for anywhere between 7.50 and 9 euros per tire. This is in black rolling surface and "amber" flanks. Beaded of course, not "folding".
On another note, that of collectible bike prices, there is a double curve. 35-40 years back, penny farthings -ok, if you want to sound elite call 'em " (wrongly) "Michaux"- were the only collectable bicycles over here, except maybe if you had Poulidor's machine. Interest/price rose very sharply as supply went up from barn finds and restorations and there were more buyers competing for the same gear. Prices further rose as supply declined and the interest curve was still rising. Then the market crashed. No interest, no buyers. Some 15 years on, the prices are on the rise again. This is a recurring tendancy with all collectables. Interesting to note that the rarer of the rare (best quality) maintained value. Only my very humble opinion, but the big change is that collectable point shortens as we move forward in production time: 20 years is now enough for a bicycle to be called "vintage". It should follow that today's "utmost collectable" will depreciate very quickly. The factor which disrupts this theory is the performance evolution: the difference between a Penny Farthing and a safety bicycle in terms of rideability/performance is incomensurable. That same factor applied to "steelies" vs. "carbon" is so much smaller that it invalidates the whole theory. So, there is absolutely no basis to assume that steelies will drop in price. Save for the overhyped brands which are selling expensive on a reputation or aura which will water down very quickly as the new generation with differnt experience of cycling starts throwing money everywhere. Intrensic quality will be the winner in the end. Other factors to integrate are durability (carbon 30 years down the road... ashes to ashes), and the emergence of buyers from new countries: the René Herse boom started only because buyers from Japan started flying into Europe with suitcases full of lolly and splashing it everywhere there was a Herse. It is only today that collectors in France are waking up to herses. Unfortunately for them, most Herses have migrated. Please check back on the last Herse to appear on ebay.fr (2-3 weeks back): a not so nice machine with Maillard hubs to 700 rims. Price was 3300 euros, much, much higher than the price on the usual international market place, which is ebay.com
Please note that I do not wish to be nominated for a Nobel Prize in economics.
Nick March, Agen, 47000, Lot-et-Garone, France.
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