Aside from the item or items in question, I'd just like to point out that the people who pay big money for niche stuff often recognize very fine distinctions. They are in many instances the codifiers and classifiers who provide the taxonomy of vintage bicycles, filling in the gaps and correcting the imperfect collective memory of those who were there "back in the day." A lot of that knowledge trickles down and is claimed cheaply by the less obsessed. I'm one of those who enjoys the history of vintage bikes as much as the machines. In the 19th century, I would probably have been a amateur botanist or entomologist, always on the lookout for the rare butterfly or beetle, like Dr. Maturin in the Patrick O'Brien novels. These folks often have a very keen and active, even restless, intelligence, and more than a touch of OCD. More power to 'em. They are often major contributors to the de facto Encyclopedia of Cultural Memory. Without them, I wouldn't know the difference between the different versions of the 1951 Campagnolo Gran Sport rear derailleur. You may not care; I delight in the discovery. Can't contribute much to the Encyclopedia myself, however, 'cause I ain't got the coin.
Ed Granger
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA