Mark, et al,
I have a collection of classic Motos from the 70's and 80's and I've been following them on eBay for several years.
A year, year and a half ago complete 1974-76 Grand Records were selling on eBay for around $800-$850. I lost out on several of them that I was bidding on for just a few dollars. They were both in mint condition.
I always liked the the black and red paint combo with the Nervex lugs but at the time I thought that ~$800 was an exorbitant amount to pay for a mid level production bike. Moto Team Champions were selling for just a little more money! But as you said, in the heat of a bidding war at the end of the auction, "Reflixexes got the better of me".
In the end I got a much rarer 1972 black and red Motobecane Le Champion. Quality and equipment wise it's just about the same as the 1974-77 Grand Records except it has long point Prugnat lugs instead of Nervex and I paid a lot less than what the GRs were going for.
There have been some extremes occurring on eBay lately - items selling for way under their value and some things selling for sky high prices. The Japanese collectors used to skew the prices for older French items but I haven't seen that lately. I guess that their economy is in worse straits than the US.
I seems that some folks are flush while others are scrambling to make a mortgage payment. Sales of luxury cars in the US was never higher than at the height of the Great Depression in the 1930s.
Some folks are selling off their collections to make ends meet so in some respects it's a buyer's market. On the other hand I know a number of regular eBay sellers who are not listing anything or at least not their valuable items because they haven't been able to get high enough bids. The may still be selling things but not necessarily on eBay.
The end result of the recent high eBay auction prices is that it's going to push some items out of the affordability range of many collectors.
I hope that collecting classic bikes doesn't become "a rich man's sport".
Chas. Colerich Oakland, CA USA
-----Original Message----- From: accobra Sent: Sun, Aug 2, 2009 7:28 am Subject: Re: [CR] Motobecane Grand Record frameset: $1,425
$1425 for this Grand Record frameset demonstrates what happens when two individuals want the same thing in an auction setting, especially on eBay. Looking at the bidding history it shows in the last 60 seconds of the auction, one person bid $1400, and another person (the high bidder) bid $1425 (or higher) to win. The next lower bidders were in the $450-500 range, which a more accurate valuation for this frameset.
Clearly the two high bidders particularly wanted a black & red Grand Record, in this particular size, and they were undoubtedly swayed by the exceptional condition. I'll bet a dollar to donuts that when each of them placed their unusually high bid of $1400+, neither of them expected to have to actually pay that much. They just wanted to make sure they won. And win they did. Sort of......
Mark Winkelman
Dallas, Texas USA
Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 1:34 AM
Subject: [CR] Motobecane Grand Record frameset: $1,425
> Recently ended eBay auction: item no. 310157738411
> Yes, a bit rich for my blood. But, this appears uncommonly well
> finished for that period (or any). Having priced a restoration
repaint
> on a different but similar frameset from the folks at Cyclart several
> years ago (complete with lug masking, outlining, re-chrome, etc.),
> I think this admittedly HIGH ebay winning bid is in fact really not
> so outrageous at all. And, remember, this particular frameset is
> in beautiful entirely ORIGINAL condition.
>
> With all the recent discussion of "re-paint or let it be..." I think
this
> is a good example of the high value of original condition placed on
a
> bike
> - at least by some folks. I have not priced such a restoration
re-finish
> recently, but I suspect the total would be considerably less than the
> final
> auction amount. Especially, since this particular model had only the
> lower
> front fork blades chrome plated - not the headlugs nor any of the
rear
> triangle.
>
> The rather heavy lug lining was really quite typical of the
Motobecanes
> I've seen. However nice this bike (and it is definitely one of my
very
> favorite models - and colors) it is nevertheless a factory production
> model.
> So, one would never expect a very finicky attention to detail when
> painting the lug shores which one of our fine custom builders or
painters
> might lavish on a such bike in their care.
>
> If the buyer is a CR List member, I would certainly love to hear
from him
> - either on or Off List.
> BOB HANSON, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, USA