A NOS Ideale 59 with tags went for 1310 Euro on ebay.fr a few days ago.
Kurt Sperry Bellingham, Washington USA
2009/2/18 Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>:
> Apparently there are some still around with disposable income. Check out
this alloy rail Ideale:
>
> http://ebay.com/
>
> Now at $935 with 13 bids and 4 days yet to go. This is a very dependable
seller, in fact one of the French CR members I believe. This one may top a
grand, as it is probably the perfect saddle for that superlight Herse or S
inger. The model 57, probably the alloy model most used in the Technical T
rials, near NOS condition, somewhat rare honey color, old stamp with F&T, p
re-Berthet. Probably headed for Japan. Wonder if this will wind up on a T
oei. Maybe not, that saddle at that price probably belongs only on an actu
al French randonneur from the 30's to the 50's.
>
> I'll not be bidding myself - my last two Ideale purchases are a lot more
pedestrian, a Model 45 for $50 and a model 40 I just bought for $11.50 - th
e $26 shipping from Belgium was more than double the item price. Too bad e
Bay now disguishes the bidder names - it used to be amusing to she which tw
o (or more) heavyweight Japanese collectors duked it out over an item like
this one.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, Texas, USA