Hugh-
Kudos to you for your articulate appraisal of one of many tiresome bogus ebay ads.
I agree that the bike looks as to be a re-paint and the seller makes no mention of that.
While there is a chance that this could be a late production Frejus, I find it very difficult to trust this posting for all the reasons you indicate below. Thank you for saying what I have often thought.
RE:
"Anyone who is looking at this listing and wanting one of the nicest and most collectable frames that money can buy will not be disappointed with this."
You were kind enough to call this "flowery", I find it plain gas-bag hyperbole.
I am also of that latter, I feel sorry for the people that hooked by trolls like this posting. On the upside, it looks like it is going to sell for what it is really worth...less than $150.
why? why? why? why do some pull this kind of nonsense? And note this guy is far from the worst.
We all want the best price for goods we sell....nothing wrong with that. But to take advantage of the uninformed, the desperate or overly-trusting is just plain trickery that belongs on the used car lot and not within this noble hobby.
Just my 2 cents.
Nels Cone
Seattle WA
> Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:37:17 +0000
> From: hughwthornton@yahoo.co.uk
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR] Bogus Frejus?
>
> This may be a bit late in the day because the auction is about to end, but I suspect a Frejus on British ebay, item number 250442822626 , may not be what it says. The bike has been repainted and fitted with a miscellany of reproduction decals, but in particular the seat stay treatment and possibly the fork crown look wrong for a Frejus to me - although interestingly not unlike my 1978 Coppi. Also the rear dropouts look a bit like they could be by Vitus, which I would not expect to see on a Frejus. The seller is a regular and sometimes offers some quite good stuff, but his flowery descriptions are often misleading and sometimes incorrect or worse. Nearly everything is very rare, vintage and amazing which tends to result in above-market prices -- I don't know whether to admire him for his business acumen or feel sorry for the people who pay over the odds.
> Hugh Thornton
> Cheshire, England