Re: [CR] 4K colnago on ebay

(Example: Framebuilders:Cecil Behringer)

From: "Charles Andrews" <chasds@mindspring.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2009 11:19:54 -0700
Subject: Re: [CR] 4K colnago on ebay


I spotted this a week ago, and put in a relatively low snipe-bid on the off chance no-one was paying attention ;> I was left in the dust.

Seems to me there are a few reasons this bike went so high, chief among them that is is now virtually impossible to find the pantografata model in clean, original condition with all the original parts--and from the original buyer! That's big. Plus, this was an older one, with cutouts in all the lugs. No divots in the crown though.

You find some with some parts, but almost never with all of them, untouched, and relatively unused. Sure, they're around, witness this one, but not many, and hardly ever for sale.

I thought the price was a bit high considering the paint and graphics flaws, but not all *that* much too high. Bikes like that one are so seldom seen for sale it's tough to even establish a consistent market price for one. That said, if the current price for a totally original and low-miles sample is between 4 and 5K, that doesn't seem too outlandish to me. There were only so many of these sold, they are an icon of sorts, of that time.

Perhaps more of them will emerge...the original owners, or second owners, would be getting to the point of down-sizing, perhaps.

What that bike does demonstrate is the potential value of complete, original, relatively clean top-end bikes with a reputation. Just as with any other collectible...it's condition, condition, condition...and specific details...and, often, certain intangibles that can be tricky to describe. I liked the fact that the bike was not just totally original, but that it looked like it had been mostly taken-care-of (the graphics flaw on the, what? Left side? was sad, though)..it was just enough of a clean time-capsule bike to be quite appealing.

Charles Andrews Los Angeles

"everyone has elites; the important thing is to change them from time to time."

--Joseph Schumpeter, via Simon Johnson