Classic & Vintage - Bicycles from the 1970's ARE indeed collectible

It is interesting to note that some collectors are still seeing bicycles from the 1970's as "too new".

A bicycle from 1970 is 38 years old. Ya, that's right; 1970 was 38 years ago! It doesn't seem that long ago, but bikes from the 19-- anything are from the last millennium.

To put it in perspective, when I started collecting bicycles in the 1980's, a bike 38 years old would have been from the 1950's. THOSE were considered very collectible bikes in the 1980's.

About ten years ago, I suggested that people start collecting the bikes from the 1970's as they were going to the landfills literally by the truckloads. Today, I feel a little better knowing that bicycles are going to recycling rather than landfills, but the good bikes are getting to be rare.

As pointed out in some of the other posts, we are seeing fewer nice bikes from the '70's on the market and those that are available are bringing in values well over $100+.

Now may be the last opportunity to grab the remaining beautiful bicycles made in the USA, England, France, Italy, and even Japan.

... Now may be the last opportunity to grab the remaining beautiful bicycles made in the USA, England, France, Italy, and even Japan. ... or Austria :)

Loves me my 77 Ladies Schwinn Sportabout, made in Chicago.

Found in the trash, she looks better every day!!

It is interesting to note that some collectors are still seeing bicycles from the 1970's as "too new".

A bicycle from 1970 is 30 years old. Ya, that's right; 1978 was 38 years ago! It doesn't seem that long ago, but bikes from the 19-- anything are from the last millennium.

To put it in perspective, when I started collecting bicycles in the 1980's, a bike 38 years old would have been from the 1950's. THOSE were considered very collectible bikes in the 1980's.

About ten years ago, I suggested that people start collecting the bikes from the 1970's as they were going to the landfills literally by the truckloads. Today, I feel a little better knowing that bicycles are going to recycling rather than landfills, but the good bikes are getting to be rare.

As pointed out in some of the other posts, we are seeing fewer nice bikes from the '70's on the market and those that are available are bringing in values well over $100+.

Now may be the last opportunity to grab the remaining beautiful bicycles made in the USA, England, France, Italy, and even Japan.


Well I certainly agree with you. Who said they weren't? I'm pretty sure the bikes are out there but there is something I see happening that might make it seem like they are getting hard to find. It's a sort looking back at the past through rose colored glasses. The bikes that so many on this forum seem to remember as "nice" or "good" bikes were actually ultra high-end custom made to order bikes owned by only a rare few. Masi's, Colnago's, Cinelli's and the like were not the kind of thing you walked into Joe's Bicycle and Lawnmower back in the day and saw sitting in the showroom. There doesn't seem to be any shortage of Peugeot's, Raleigh's, or Schwinn's out there which makes sense as that's what millions of folks were riding back then. That said, prices have gone up somewhat in the last couple of years and you won't get much for $100 on eBay given that even an old UO8 can sometimes be parted out for twice that.

It is interesting to note that some collectors are still seeing bicycles from the 1970's as "too new".

A bicycle from 1970 is 30 years old. Ya, that's right; 1978 was 38 years ago! It doesn't seem that long ago, but bikes from the 19-- anything are from the last millennium.

To put it in perspective, when I started collecting bicycles in the 1980's, a bike 38 years old would have been from the 1950's. THOSE were considered very collectible bikes in the 1980's.

About ten years ago, I suggested that people start collecting the bikes from the 1970's as they were going to the landfills literally by the truckloads. Today, I feel a little better knowing that bicycles are going to recycling rather than landfills, but the good bikes are getting to be rare.

As pointed out in some of the other posts, we are seeing fewer nice bikes from the '70's on the market and those that are available are bringing in values well over $100+.

Now may be the last opportunity to grab the remaining beautiful bicycles made in the USA, England, France, Italy, and even Japan.


Your premise is good, but you need to work on your math skills. ;)

I rode a Raleigh Grand Prix in the early 70s. Wish I still had it, cause it went everywhere, even though it was clunky. Now I am gifted with a Raleigh Competition, only with a small frame...I want to get an idea what it might be valued at so I don't get fleeced in the open market. It is in really great shape in the Portland Or area, and equipped with original parts. Do you have any ideas on how to value it?

Next time you see a Raleigh Competition on eBay, watch it. There might be some still in the "completed listings" pipeline. My recollection is that, depending on condition, those seem to go for roughly $300 - $400, with original equipment (more desirable than being "customized."

My recollection is that, depending on condition, those seem to go for roughly $300 - $400, with original equipment

With lesser examples fetching significantly lower prices, of course.

-Kurt

It is interesting to note that some collectors are still seeing bicycles from the 1970's as "too new".

A bicycle from 1970 is 30 years old. Ya, that's right; 1978 was 38 years ago! It doesn't seem that long ago, but bikes from the 19-- anything are from the last millennium.

To put it in perspective, when I started collecting bicycles in the 1980's, a bike 38 years old would have been from the 1950's. THOSE were considered very collectible bikes in the 1980's.

About ten years ago, I suggested that people start collecting the bikes from the 1970's as they were going to the landfills literally by the truckloads. Today, I feel a little better knowing that bicycles are going to recycling rather than landfills, but the good bikes are getting to be rare.

As pointed out in some of the other posts, we are seeing fewer nice bikes from the '70's on the market and those that are available are bringing in values well over $100+.

Now may be the last opportunity to grab the remaining beautiful bicycles made in the USA, England, France, Italy, and even Japan.

After dealing with my modern Schwinn, an '07 Town & Country Trike I'm having something akin to buyers remorse. This past Saturday I managed to snap its rear drive axle. Ever since I bought it I keep comparing it to all the Schwinns I handled growing up in the late 70s early 80s and I can't help recognizing how inferior it is to the good old electro-forged versions. I'm beginning to regret not finding a 60s to 80s Town & Country instead of buying brand-new. I'm willing to bet that I would've been greatly challenged to snap the axle on an Electroforged Town and Country.

All that being said, what conclusions can be made about the next generations (80's) mid to high end bikes.
will the current appetite for those quality steel frames for SS and FG conversions have a impact on factory stock condition bikes sometime in the future?

All that being said, what conclusions can be made about the next generations (80's) mid to high end bikes.
will the current appetite for those quality steel frames for SS and FG conversions have a impact on factory stock condition bikes sometime in the future?

Maybe a little, there are definitely a lot of frames being stripped and fixed and the parts get scattered but they will return to the cycle I am sure. It will be hard to find complete unscathed bikes as the popularity of cycling is high right now and even 70s and 80s bike are very good utility bikes. I know a fellow who is currently riding a 1979 Marinoni with campagnolo into the ground:(. But he knows what it is and appreciates it, it's just his main transportation.

The 1970s high end bike are already hard to come by. I only have one and that is a unknown name so it isn't so valuable but I will tell you as soon as you go pre 1974 there is a huge jump in the price of campagnolo parts and when you go pre 1971 another jump and then pre 1968 again on and on... 70s stuff is pretty valuable especially with the CR crowd who mostly covet pre 1983... C-record is already insane and other stuff like superbe pro and old dura-ace is on the rise... so if you are young snatch up the late to mid 80s stuff now and take care of it... it will be worth something one day.

Thats kinda what I think too. My '72 UO-8 brought big(relatively speaking) money parted out. The '81 Miyata 1000 I got for a song sold for over $650 even though it did not have the correct factory gruppe so it's evident that people even now are willing to put up good money for vintage steel.
Even the entry level '88 Fuji Absolute I had recently sold for over $180. Now, I have only recently been in the hobby as a purveyor and after many years building hot rods, I know quality steel when I see it. Fit and finish is evident when you know what to look for. Over the last few months, studying bikes and the various production methods as well as watching sales and auctions I see the market is generally in a upswing price wise. As the availability of the '70 steel dwindles the newer bikes will only catch more fire.
I recently was lucky to acquire another pristine mid 80's Fuji. and though I enjoy the market end of this hobby I have decided that I will not let this one go. The fact that it fits me to a tee is a real factor in the decision to keep it, I also believe that financially the small windfall I could recoup now will be far out weighed by the future value IMHO

IIRC there was a major downturn in the number of bike sales in the 80's...so there will be fewer vintage machines to pick from, by the time you get to the 90's the market was being flooded by the super cheap WM bikes. Many bottom level 60's and 70's bikes were of a reasonable quality and have survived, by the mid 80's those were starting to be made offshore and the quality dropped drastically. I rebuilt a couple of Huffy Baypoints, one from the early 80's made in the USA and a late 80's made in Mexico there was a world of difference in the frame quality. I have a brand new Huffy cruiser that is basically a bicycle shaped piece of metal. I see no way that it could make it 20-30 years...even if it was never ridden!

Aaron:)

Of course everyone decides what he thinks is worthy of collectioning.I myself am sufficiently crazy to have 20 Peugeots and 3 Mosers and 3 Merckxs.
But the big difference with 1950's bikes is that after the war sports bikes were a luxury few people could afford andso remaining good examples are rare and thus expensive.Bike boom racing bikes have lots of charm and qualities but are not rare.I suppose that here in Flanders alone there must remain a 100 thousand UO8 and better bikes,in use as student or local transportation or in the back of the garage.So enjoy old steel but don't count on collectors prices.

Yeah, I've been collecting 70s and earlier bikes since the 70s!

Your premise is good, but you need to work on your math skills. ;)

Oh, Oops. Thanks. I transposed the whole paragraph.:(

I think when you are in a situation where you can buy a '70's or '80's vintage road bike at a garage sale for $20 and flip it on ebay or Craigslist for $100 to $200 within week is evidence that we are now in that narrow window of golden opportunity. It won't be too long before we will be kicking ourselves for not snatching up as many of these bikes as we could get our hands on.

I am seeing fewer and fewer of even the mid-range factory bikes from the '70's. A tremendous amount of them have been sent to recycling and land-fill, thus making the remaining machines even more rare.

My money says there is better investment in the mid-range bikes right now than in the really high-end collectible bikes.

My money says there is better investment in the mid-range bikes right now than in the really high-end collectible bikes.

+1.

I think we are seeing a small but real upswing in the value of used bikes across the board, so in that sense I agree that 70's bikes are becoming more collectible (at least in the sense that that they fetch more money than they did a few years ago).

But collectibility nearly always is a function of rarity. If something was mass-produced (say, like a good quality Nishiki or the such), then it likely will never see a real spike in value in our lifetimes. Market spikes are caused by market runs. If buyers get the sense that they are about the miss the boat, then prices suddenly inflate. But, I suspect that there will always be another dusty old Nishiki hiding in the next garage.

jim

But collectibility nearly always is a function of rarity.
jim

A bit of chicken and egg here. To some extent it's true. But collectibility also involves desirability. It's when desirability and rarity collide that the prices go through the roof. There are a lot of very rare bikes that aren't all that well known that go for relatively little money compared to their quality. On the other hand, prices for nice Schwinn Paramounts remain strong because a lot of folks would like to own one (and coveted them years ago). Yet Paramounts are dime-a-dozen compared to many other makes. Take marques like Galmozzi or Gillott, for example, that are relatively rare, yet didn't fetch good money until people caught on within the recent past. In addition to rarity and desirability, there's also the issue of opportunity. For example, it's well known that there are a relatively very small number of Confentes in existance. Yet in the short time I've been following and collecting vintage bikes (since maybe 2004), I've seen maybe a half dozen available for sale. In other words, if I wanted one and had the money, I could have obtained one by now - they circulate. Eisentraut A frames, OTOH, don't, despite the fact that many more were produced than Confentes. So Confentes are certainly very "rare" in one sense; not so "rare" in the sense of "I'd better buy this one or there may not be another one along in my lifetime." But the perception is that they are both very rare and very desirable, and prices certainly remain very strong.

^"I'd better buy this one or there may not be another one along in my lifetime."

This is why I jumped on a Mclean/Silk Hope when it became available to me (plus it was my size). The only thing really preventing me from getting a Sachs, Colnago, and the like is $$$, not availablity. I lucked out w/ the Silk Hope, getting the chance to buy it + a reasonable price.

I think we are seeing a small but real upswing in the value of used bikes across the board, so in that sense I agree that 70's bikes are becoming more collectible (at least in the sense that that they fetch more money than they did a few years ago).

But collectibility nearly always is a function of rarity. If something was mass-produced (say, like a good quality Nishiki or the such), then it likely will never see a real spike in value in our lifetimes. Market spikes are caused by market runs. If buyers get the sense that they are about the miss the boat, then prices suddenly inflate. But, I suspect that there will always be another dusty old Nishiki hiding in the next garage.

jim

Whoa, Dude. Did you ever see the prices of Schwinn Phantoms or Stingrays (especially Krates)? Those were production bicycles too, now with prices that can easily be $1,000+

I think when you are in a situation where you can buy a '70's or '80's vintage road bike at a garage sale for $20 and flip it on ebay or Craigslist for $100 to $200 within week is evidence that we are now in that narrow window of golden opportunity. It won't be too long before we will be kicking ourselves for not snatching up as many of these bikes as we could get our hands on.


It's been my observation that most of the readers of this forum would in fact buy the $20 garage sale bike. No kicking required.

There are still 70's bikes sitting in garages, waiting their turn in the next garage sale. Most of them bike boom garbage but always a diamond here and there.

Now if you really want to have bad dreams, think about buying vintage bikes thirty years from now. One steel frame on eBay, twenty aluminum ones and fifty carbon ones. And the steel one is a fixie conversion of a Bianchi Eros and it's got white Deep-V rims, pink chain, and NJS-certified cranks and stem.

I hope people keep wanting to buy those awful Stingrays; it'll mean fewer dollars chasing my favorite bikes. The people buying them have no intention of riding them, nor do their grandchildren so in a few more years I predict a beanie baby type drop in the Stingray market.

The rising population of the world means there will always be price pressure of some sort on all kinds of things, even Varsitys and Motobecane Gran Tour de Luxes.

You'd have to be blind to not notice the spike in prices, even in the last few months. I sometimes wonder what my little collection, patched together at low prices, might be worth. I'd agree that eighties/nineties stuff is probably the way to go right now, and I think that in all liklihood some of the track and randoneur stuff being produced now will eventually be collectible; it's jsut the nature of the beast.

I'm kind of sad, though, to see the collector and dealers mentality seeping into out little hobby. I liked it more when the value was in riding the darn thing and worry that it may all become about condition and pedigree, and some enthusiasts will be priced right out the hobby by collectors and dealers. Another poster here refered to it as an Antiques Roadshow sort of mentality, which I think describes it pretty well.

Syke and I met up for a ride on Sunday, and we were talking about the surge in value lately. I mentioned I'd seen a Wall Street Journal article about a surge in old tractor prices, and he told me it's pretty true across the board with anything transportation related. Ugh.

I work somethimes for a local comic book dealer, and I often go and assess collections with him. The guy is fair and honest, and gives a good price. Comic books have been through a number of speculative cycles, and people are often convinced-- to the point of being nasty-- that what they have is worth far, far more then it actually is. I went to assess one collection with him: it was worth somewhere between fifteen hundred dollars (my estimate) and sixteen (his). The people who wanted to sell it to us wanted sixty thousand dollars, because they had a price guide and knew the "real" value (alas, they had no clue how to grade for condition). These folks are not unique in that little corner of collecting. I worry we'll be dealing with that in the future, when people start to percieve that UO8 in the garage is worth a small fortune (of course, they'll id it as a PX10, and won't be dissuaded).

Once we see a yearly price guide, the hobby is likely dead for the likes of us.

Comic books have been through a number of speculative cycles, and people are often convinced-- to the point of being nasty-- that what they have is worth far, far more then it actually is. I went to assess one collection with him: it was worth somewhere between fifteen hundred dollars (my estimate) and sixteen (his). The people who wanted to sell it to us wanted sixty thousand dollars, because they had a price guide and knew the "real" value (alas, they had no clue how to grade for condition). These folks are not unique in that little corner of collecting. I worry we'll be dealing with that in the future, when people start to percieve that UO8 in the garage is worth a small fortune (of course, they'll id it as a PX10, and won't be dissuaded).

I'm sorry to say that - save for the existence of "price guides" - this sort of thought is already present. There are enough such examples in the Numbskull of The Day to prove the rather multitudinous existence of these - ahem - folk.

-Kurt

I'm sorry to say that - save for the price guides - this sort of thinking is already here. The Numbskull of The Day thread pretty much proves it.

-Kurt

Trust me, cuda, I have yet to run into anyone as deluded as the comic book folks. And most everyone who has comic books has a very inflated sense of their value-- unlike with bikes.

Yeah, we've got numbskulls a plenty out there. But not quite in that league-- but they're proably coming.

And most everyone who has comic books has a very inflated sense of their value-- unlike with bikes.

It is just a matter of time:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/bike_roadshow.jpg

-Kurt

You'd have to be blind to not notice the spike in prices, even in the last few months. I sometimes wonder what my little collection, patched together at low prices, might be worth. I'd agree that eighties/nineties stuff is probably the way to go right now, and I think that in all liklihood some of the track and randoneur stuff being produced now will eventually be collectible; it's jsut the nature of the beast.

I'm kind of sad, though, to see the collector and dealers mentality seeping into out little hobby. I liked it more when the value was in riding the darn thing and worry that it may all become about condition and pedigree, and some enthusiasts will be priced right out the hobby by collectors and dealers. Another poster here refered to it as an Antiques Roadshow sort of mentality, which I think describes it pretty well.

Syke and I met up for a ride on Sunday, and we were talking about the surge in value lately. I mentioned I'd seen a Wall Street Journal article about a surge in old tractor prices, and he told me it's pretty true across the board with anything transportation related. Ugh.

I work somethimes for a local comic book dealer, and I often go and assess collections with him. The guy is fair and honest, and gives a good price. Comic books have been through a number of speculative cycles, and people are often convinced-- to the point of being nasty-- that what they have is worth far, far more then it actually is. I went to assess one collection with him: it was worth somewhere between fifteen hundred dollars (my estimate) and sixteen (his). The people who wanted to sell it to us wanted sixty thousand dollars, because they had a price guide and knew the "real" value (alas, they had no clue how to grade for condition). These folks are not unique in that little corner of collecting. I worry we'll be dealing with that in the future, when people start to percieve that UO8 in the garage is worth a small fortune (of course, they'll id it as a PX10, and won't be dissuaded).

Once we see a yearly price guide, the hobby is likely dead for the likes of us.

It's like that with coins. Everybody wants to sell at red book, buy at grey sheet. At auctions, morons rule/ruin the day.

My son-in-law is into collecting comic books. I think he actually reads the ones he buys but he buys them by the case from other collectors. I remember reading independent comics like "Too Much Coffee Man" and much earlier, "The Freak Brothers" and "Fat Freddie's Cat". As a kid I probably had a collection that now would be worth many thousands but I tore the covers, read them many, many times, stacked them all over the room, used them to make jumps for Hot Wheels cars, etc. I remember my dad and I liking this new comic book character "Swamp Thing". I also had the giant collector's editions of the Star Wars comics. All to the trash. And oh, what I did to baseball cards. Manny Mota would kill me. ;) Where's my Kiss card collection? And my 200 Matchbox cars from the 70's?

Just think how much money we are saving by not buying Britney Spears' used chewing gum or that collection of thimbles from Disney World.

Another thought regarding the increasing value of early 70's and earlier bikes:

If you can remember riding them when they were new, you're probably in your last 15-20 years as a bicycle rider.

Now does their preciousness start to make sense?

Trust me, cuda, I have yet to run into anyone as deluded as the comic book folks. And most everyone who has comic books has a very inflated sense of their value-- unlike with bikes.

Yeah, we've got numbskulls a plenty out there. But not quite in that league-- but they're proably coming.

Agreed. While I've spent a great deal of my life in science fiction, rather than comic book, fandom; we're talking about the same basic group of people (add in the SCA for a complete set): The bunch out of the classic Saturday Nigh Live opening monologue with William Shatner, who's grip on social reality and social reality's constructs is rather tenuous at best.

You'd have to be blind to not notice the spike in prices, even in the last few months. I sometimes wonder what my little collection, patched together at low prices, might be worth. I'd agree that eighties/nineties stuff is probably the way to go right now, and I think that in all liklihood some of the track and randoneur stuff being produced now will eventually be collectible; it's jsut the nature of the beast.

I'm kind of sad, though, to see the collector and dealers mentality seeping into out little hobby. I liked it more when the value was in riding the darn thing and worry that it may all become about condition and pedigree, and some enthusiasts will be priced right out the hobby by collectors and dealers. Another poster here refered to it as an Antiques Roadshow sort of mentality, which I think describes it pretty well.

Syke and I met up for a ride on Sunday, and we were talking about the surge in value lately. I mentioned I'd seen a Wall Street Journal article about a surge in old tractor prices, and he told me it's pretty true across the board with anything transportation related. Ugh.

I work somethimes for a local comic book dealer, and I often go and assess collections with him. The guy is fair and honest, and gives a good price. Comic books have been through a number of speculative cycles, and people are often convinced-- to the point of being nasty-- that what they have is worth far, far more then it actually is. I went to assess one collection with him: it was worth somewhere between fifteen hundred dollars (my estimate) and sixteen (his). The people who wanted to sell it to us wanted sixty thousand dollars, because they had a price guide and knew the "real" value (alas, they had no clue how to grade for condition). These folks are not unique in that little corner of collecting. I worry we'll be dealing with that in the future, when people start to percieve that UO8 in the garage is worth a small fortune (of course, they'll id it as a PX10, and won't be dissuaded).

Once we see a yearly price guide, the hobby is likely dead for the likes of us.

You hit the nail squarely on the head! Thanks for putting it so eloquently. The second paragraph especially. The good bikes may (will) be commoditized until the possiblility of experiencing the magic of riding these will vanish for all but the elite.

Nah, I remember well my stepmother's Montgomery Ward 5-speed. It made the trip from Alabama to Missouri and sat unridden in the basement for 6 years until I started riding it to and from college. I used to leave it everywhere unlocked. Finally, somebody stole it. A year later, I'm studying in a girl's dorm sitting area and I see the bike over with the others. New saddle, new bar tape, same bike. I leave a note on it, saying "cool bike. wherever did you get it?" Bike was gone from campus that weekend, never to return. I wasn't mad, I was really surprised anyone would want the thing and if they did, a good home for the bike.

Now I'm in my 40's and ride with riders in their 60's and 70's who show no signs of stopping or even slowing down. That is really cool.

It's been my observation that most of the readers of this forum would in fact buy the $20 garage sale bike. No kicking required.

No doubt. If there's any kicking required among this group, it's facing up to the realization that what we consider a $20.00 garage sale bike is being valued around $100.00 by just about everybody but us. I'm often amused at the extent of low-ball opinions given in this forum on mass market 10-speeds. It seems like the rest of the world that doesn't know as much as us is happy to pay what we consider inflated prices. And the market has just been driven upwards, again.

Wonderful case in point: Two years ago, another forum member offered me a blue World Voyageur frameset in fair condition for $100.00 - about reasonable for the time. Yeah, the original owner had engraved his social security number in the rear stays as an anti-theft measure. However, my wife surprised me with my Tour de France as a birthday gift at the same time, so I spent my time and money getting that one back on the road instead.

Since that time, I've watched the World Voyageur become the 'almost Paramount', probably get a reputation higher than a late PDG Paramount, and I seriously doubt if I'm going to own one again.

I'm also figuring that, change in monetary condition nonwithstanding, my Rossin collection is going to remain at one - even the modern aluminum framed models are going for much larger money than a couple of years ago.

Turns out I got back into the sport just in time to pick up a few very well priced examples before the market swelled.

You'd have to be blind to not notice the spike in prices, even in the last few months. I sometimes wonder what my little collection, patched together at low prices, might be worth. I'd agree that eighties/nineties stuff is probably the way to go right now, and I think that in all liklihood some of the track and randoneur stuff being produced now will eventually be collectible; it's jsut the nature of the beast.

I'm kind of sad, though, to see the collector and dealers mentality seeping into out little hobby. I liked it more when the value was in riding the darn thing and worry that it may all become about condition and pedigree, and some enthusiasts will be priced right out the hobby by collectors and dealers. Another poster here refered to it as an Antiques Roadshow sort of mentality, which I think describes it pretty well.

Syke and I met up for a ride on Sunday, and we were talking about the surge in value lately. I mentioned I'd seen a Wall Street Journal article about a surge in old tractor prices, and he told me it's pretty true across the board with anything transportation related. Ugh.

I work somethimes for a local comic book dealer, and I often go and assess collections with him. The guy is fair and honest, and gives a good price. Comic books have been through a number of speculative cycles, and people are often convinced-- to the point of being nasty-- that what they have is worth far, far more then it actually is. I went to assess one collection with him: it was worth somewhere between fifteen hundred dollars (my estimate) and sixteen (his). The people who wanted to sell it to us wanted sixty thousand dollars, because they had a price guide and knew the "real" value (alas, they had no clue how to grade for condition). These folks are not unique in that little corner of collecting. I worry we'll be dealing with that in the future, when people start to percieve that UO8 in the garage is worth a small fortune (of course, they'll id it as a PX10, and won't be dissuaded).

Once we see a yearly price guide, the hobby is likely dead for the likes of us.

Damn good day, that was. We need a lot more of them like that.

Watching the bicycle market is the third time I've gone through this. Back in the late 1960's, I got a 1937 Buick Special in clean original condition for $400.00. At my first antique show, a gentleman let me take his Duesenberg J phaeton on a drive down the Pennsylvania Turnpike at prevailing traffic speeds. Of course it was only worth about $5000 then.

A couple of decades ago, I picked up my 69 Triumph Bonneville (completely original and running) for a bit over $1000 with 7k on the odometer. Last year I turned down $6000, even though it hasn't been restored, has 30K on the clock, and if anything it's gotten shabbier, although it runs wonderfully.

Now I'm watching the bicycles.

Thank ghod I've gotten in to all three areas slightly before they took off. At least I could get a couple of nice toys before the prices skyrocketed.

I think what worries me most is that in a collector's market, the price of the items being collected gets divorced from the item's utility, and in fact the utility becomes a non-issue. But initially, it's the utility that determines the price.

When I was a kid, I liked comic books drawn by Neal Adams, and went out of my way to find issues he had drawn. I was willing to pay a little more, but it was because the art was so much better. Readers such as me drove up the value of the comics, collectors and dealers noticed, and eventually people started buying the books not to read, but to seal away and collect, hopefully as an investment. The intial value is based on the books readability, but eventually, it stops being read and simply collected.

Most (all?) of us here pick up bicycles to ride. And to wrench on them, because that's part of the fun. I worry that as more money moves into the hobby, people will be buying them as showroom bikes. We're not there yet, thank goodness. I don't think there's many, if any of us on this board who don't ride our vintage stuff.

But the speculators have moved in. For years, I went to a local auction, and I would regularly pick up bikes cheaply. I'd fix them up, give them to friends, strip them for parts. Syke's prize Magneet came from there; it was five bucks. My UO8 bar beater came from there, five bucks. When I bought them, that was the local value. But recently, dealers who neither ride nor care much about bikes have moved in, sensing value. They make a lot of mistakes, often grossly overpaying because they get in pissing contests over bikes. It's almost amusing to watch: there was a bike there last week, and I was looking it over; no fewer than four of them were hovering over me, asking questions about the bike's value. Sheesh.

We can still find them cheap with a bit of luck and looking, but the time is passing.

And if I find that Rene Herse, it get ridden.

Another thought regarding the increasing value of early 70's and earlier bikes:

If you can remember riding them when they were new, you're probably in your last 15-20 years as a bicycle rider.

Now does their preciousness start to make sense?

My friend Johnny rode and fixed bicycles every day well into his eighties. Folks who road bicycles in the '70's are now in their forties. That gives them at least forty more years of bicycling.

I used my boxes of comics as a backstop so I could shoot my 22 in my bedroom when my parents weren't around. I was into DC superheros and Classics Illustrated. Funny thing is, I guy I knew in the day who still sells comics is said to be the inspiration for the comic guy on "The Simpsons".

But there are thousands and thousands of 70s bikes rusting away in backyards, garages and basements. I doubt anyone will corner the market anytime soon. I'm more surprized when good 50s and 60s bikes turn up.

So do I sell the 1982 Trek 720 on ebay now, or treat it like a slowly maturing bond?

So do I sell the 1982 Trek 720 on ebay now, or treat it like a slowly maturing bond?


Sounds like your kid's college education fund to me - into the attic she goes! (sprayed with cosmoline and vacuum wrapped, of course)

My friend Johnny rode and fixed bicycles every day well into his eighties. Folks who road bicycles in the '70's are now in their forties. That gives them at least forty more years of bicycling.

I was figuring on the average age back in the bike boom to discover the kind of road bikes we now cherish was pretty much college age (18-22). Which means we're now talking late 50's through early 60's.

And while someone riding into their 80's is certainly possible (we had to take the Indian away from Patti's dad at age 83 because he was too shaky, but wouldn't quit), I'm guessing any kind of nicely physically active life after around 75 to be a bonus.

So do I sell the 1982 Trek 720 on ebay now, or treat it like a slowly maturing bond?

You treat it as it was meant to be treated - ride it.

I always think back to that wonderful Duesenberg. 40 years ago, the owner could let a teenaged kid (properly supervised, of course) drive the car. Nowadays, the owner himself doesn't dare drive it. It's gotta be kept perfect because it's almost worth millions.

Anyone remember what happened to baseball cards several years ago? Or beanie babies? Or collectable plates? Or tulip bulbs? Or California real estate?

Speculators invariably drive the market too far and the retraction/collapse sets in. These bikes that are getting snapped up by speculators to flip aren't getting ridden or abused and eventually their prices will settle to a more reasonable level; one dictated by people that will actually enjoy the bike as opposed to simply buying it as an investment.

BTW, I've got this 1972 Raleigh Ltd.-3 that I'll let go for only $399!









(kidding)

First time purchaser of a classic bike, i just acquired a 1976 Schwinn Varsity...from the original owner. The thrill, i suppose, is that I have a bicentennial baby.I thought perhaps a birthday gift to him. The bike is all original, having been stored for decades. I was told the bike is easily worth $300. I have been unable to find a bike like this on any site, and wonder if any of you can share information?

Thanks,
passingphase

^
:roflmao2::roflmao2::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao2::roflmao2:

Words need not describe the irony.

-Kurt

I was figuring on the average age back in the bike boom to discover the kind of road bikes we now cherish was pretty much college age (18-22). Which means we're now talking late 50's through early 60's.

And while someone riding into their 80's is certainly possible (we had to take the Indian away from Patti's dad at age 83 because he was too shaky, but wouldn't quit), I'm guessing any kind of nicely physically active life after around 75 to be a bonus.

Sorry to get off topic, but I was thinking, if you keep riding the bike until you're 80, you might still have a few years of riding left at that point. Exercise does a body good. It's what got me back into riding after a few years layoff. I'm pretty heavy right now relative to what I've been recently but I'm still 20-lbs lighter than when I first got back on that bike around 8 years ago and only 5-lbs more than when I completed Army basic 22 years ago. Most folks in my family have kicked the bucket in their 80's but they all died of things that could have been prevented with exercise and an overall healthier lifestyle. I might eventually have to say that I owe my life to my bike so how much is that worth?

It is just a matter of time:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/bike_roadshow.jpg

-KurtI just cannot stop laughing......

Sorry to get off topic, but I was thinking, if you keep riding the bike until you're 80, you might still have a few years of riding left at that point. Exercise does a body good. It's what got me back into riding after a few years layoff. I'm pretty heavy right now relative to what I've been recently but I'm still 20-lbs lighter than when I first got back on that bike around 8 years ago and only 5-lbs more than when I completed Army basic 22 years ago. Most folks in my family have kicked the bucket in their 80's but they all died of things that could have been prevented with exercise and an overall healthier lifestyle. I might eventually have to say that I owe my life to my bike so how much is that worth?Best excuse I've used so far is, "honey, you'd begrudge me spending $400 on my HEALTH?"

I just cannot stop laughing......

I thought the same thing :D And exactly what qualifications does that woman have to price vintage bicycles anyway?

I thought the same thing :D And exactly what qualifications does that woman have to price vintage bicycles anyway?

Credentials: Has a pleasing TV personality, works for some hole-in-the-wall antiques shop, and has her own dedicated fan club of apprasalites. All completely sufficient background required to tell someone how much they can unload their (previously) inseparable heirlooms for.

All joking aside, a good deal of their appraisers are given far more fields to cover then they would know with any reasonable detail. Not that you cannot get around that when you're running a TV show under a certain budget, but it isn't good practice either.

Case in point, the fellow who appraised - along with some autographed photos and programs - an admittedly well worn "The Buddy Holly Story" LP record as bringing, "unfortunately, no more then $50," particularly "in [that] condition." The lady who owned the lot thought that it wasn't worth more then $5. An eBay search shows that you can get as many as you want, in virtually any condition, for 99 cents + shipping.

Then there was the fellow who - in a lot of various "railroad [pocket] watches" appraised a reasonably common, excellent example of a Bunn Special pocket watch at $1,000 minimum. Excellent examples of the variant of that watch shown on the Roadshow (from what I saw, it matched the Special 21 model on the nose) rarely exceed $500. I only saw one watch listed as a Bunn Special that hit the $1,000 mark; that one was a far spiffier variant which looked nothing like the example shown on the Roadshow.

Sure, and a Schwinn Varsity should be appraised under the same general value guide as a Paramount. Right.

-Kurt