I can't speak for the people that are/were actively bidding on these two Paramounts, but as a Paramount enthusiast I've been watching/watched both so I'll offer a guess. For starters, I believe blue '75 is benefiting from several people really wanting it, i.e.: it's selling for more than I would have expected.
But why? One, the color is not common for a mid-70's Paramount. It's a very pleasant shade of blue. That could be a lot of the appeal along with the fact that it's a P13 racing frame, versus the more common P15 touring frame.
And then there's this - my most serious riding started & took place in the early to mid-1970's. When I look for bikes to add to my collection, that's the era that appeals to me the most from a nostalgia point of view. Anything from the 1960's (and earlier) and most bikes from 1980's don't do enough for me to want to spend $1000+ to add them to my stable. There are bikes that I can admire from eras other than the 70's, but "generally" not enough to buy them. So, maybe the people bidding on the blue Paramount can relate to the 1975 model more so than the 1966 even though, granted, they are very similar in appearance, in terms of graphics & lug style.
By the way, speaking of graphics, I find it curious that this late 1975 model has the earlier generation decal set, rather than the new style/font that was introduced in 1975. Has it been repainted? The seller claims it hasn't and apparently he's gotten plenty of questions about it given his additions to the auction description.
Here are the two links again: http://tinyurl.com/
http://tinyurl.com/
1975
Mark Winkelman
Dallas, Texas USA
> Can someone explain this to me?
>
>
> 1966 Paramount with Campy brake and Phil hubs upgrade, sold for $1025.00
> URL: *http://tinyurl.com/ybhbju2*
> Eaby Item #: 160411434603
>
> 1975 Paramount frame presently at $660.00
> URL: http://tinyurl.com/
> Ebay Item #: 120543784694
>
> The 1966 was in very nice shape with some nice semi-period upgrades.
> And I've always heard the pre-bike boom Paramounts were put together
> better.
>
> Is the color on the 1975 rare or something? What am I missing? Can the
> Paramount experts enlighten me?
>
> BTW, I thought both auction were well presented with great pictures.
>
> George Allen
> Lexington, KY
> USA
> There's my two posts for the day!