Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Help determining bianchi value

Was going to buy a panasonic, but seller flaked... so...
does anyone know anything about this model?
Black Bianchi 53 cm with full Shimano 600 12 speed, Shimano 600 non aero brake levers. Ambrosio rims laced to Shimano 600 hubs with Vittoria tires, Shimano 600 pedals. All original except for the bar tape which is replaced but also a Bianchi bar tape. Made in Italy
http://claspics.com/420/522105/1286081547-149.JPG.php?p=*full-image
$400 Yes or No?

I love it when I beat Bianchigirl to these fresh posts. It allows me to show-off how ill-informed I am. YES! If you are referring to the black Bianchi in the pic, it looks like an 84-85 Bianchi Limited with 600 Shimano group and would sell for 200-250 in used condition unless you live on the West Coast like I do, in which case it would sell for a little more. IM(ill-informed)O

thanks for the reply. it's extremely difficult to find decent deals on bikes in socal..

That rear derailleur looks like the slant-parallelogram version to me so I was thinking no earlier than 1986. $400 seems a bit high to me as well.

I gave the pic a second look. Thing is, it's so hard to tell from fuzzy photos the tubing type and gruppo. I still think I'm pretty close with my guess of a Limited. Up to about 84-85, Bianchi was using the Columbus 'Special' tubing on some of their mid-level bikes, in my opinion to try and counter some of the inexpensive Japanese frames that were very good and cleaning Bianchi's, and others, clock in the mid-price range. I think it was about 85 that Bianchi capitulated and started having their mainframes built in JP. Don't get me wrong, they are very nice bikes, comparable to Tange & Ishiwata. I think sometimes sellers see a Columbus sticker on a Bianchi and think they have a high-end bike. This is my 85 Limited.
http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww1/rothenfield/P1020020.jpg

thanks for the reply. it's extremely difficult to find decent deals on bikes in socal..
I feel your pain. I worked there for 4 months last summer and thought I would find a good deal in such a large market, but there are so many bike flippers in LA trolling every nook and cranny of Socal, it's nearly impossible. My advice, if you want a good deal on an old bike, is to move to Omaha.

I can't see the pics but it sounds like a circa 1985-1987 Bianchi Limited. We can eliminate pre-1985 because it was spec'd with SunTour Cyclone up to 1984. Non-aero levers and six speed indicate Shimano New 600 EX and would date it 1985-1987. If it has the Colorado Springs decal and SIS, it's almost certainly a 1987, though a very late 1986 model is also a possibility. I'm not sure that Bianchi spec'd the SIS version upon it's release in 1986, so non-SIS could mean 1986, in addition to 1985.

FYI, Japanese manufactured Limited models go back as far as 1981. In the late 1980s, manufacturing of some of the Japanese models, like the Brava and Limited, got moved back to Italy, after the re-valuation of the Yen relative to the Lira made Italian manufacture of these models economically feasible.

If the OP would care to submit the serial number, we can verify the country of orign and may be able to establish the exact model year.

I am in the OP's market and $400 is too much IMHO. It would need to be the Celeste color and have some Campagnolo bits to get the asking price. I sold one of those bikes about 1 year ago. Exact same model I believe. 6 speed indexed.
It was in very good condition except one of the rims had been changed but still had both 600 hubs. With a complete overhaul in ready to ride shape with new or almost new tires = $350 max.
The bike is question has no brake hoods. I put some new Cane Creeks on the one I sold. Nice riding bike for sure. It had a made in Italy decal on it.
http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/zz87/Tbike4/Bianchi%20Black/Side_1-2.jpg
http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/zz87/Tbike4/Bianchi%20Black/Bars_stem.jpg

+10 Price is over market, even for a hot market. Finding good deals can be hard work, and often means looking beyond your local community, perhaps where friends or family live, or somewhere you can drive to. And there are occasionally decent deals on ebay. The last bikes I bought came from Boise, ID and Kentucky. I live in South Carolina.

The other option is to pay at or over market. I guess I am too thrifty for that choice. You decide.

If you are just going to focus on the local C/L, be prepared to launch out of your chair and into your car immediately when a deal pops up. I can pretty much guarantee there are others doing that. Deals do not wait until it is convenient, after work, on the weekend, or whatever. A deal that lasts that long is typically priced at or over market.