Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Why do so many people consider downgrades Upgrades?

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zukahn1
05-16-12, 06:42 PM
Just a interesting value question. On vintage older road bikes why do so many people consider downgrades like Single speed or simple 1x gearing, or ugh strait bars upgrades. I have had some great classic proper road/sport bikes seem almost unsellable while a iffy single speed sold in 3 hrs. Here are some examples with pics OK rebuilt 64 Gintane with rack took a couple of months to sell at the dirt low price of $200.

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc430/zukahn2/Gitane%20531/Gitane%20Finished%202/Larger.jpgWhile not so great downgraded bikes like this Itoh conversion 7 speed sold in a couple of days for the same price.
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc430/zukahn2/ITOH%202/DSC00587.jpg
Or this thrown together Fuji as a single speed which sold in 3 hrs.
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc430/zukahn2/Fuji%202/DSC00612.jpg

IthaDan
05-16-12, 06:48 PM
Less complication = less scary and less likely to become a horror story because of the cost of having a shop fix something the buyer can't wrap their head around.

A lot of people are scared of fixing their bikes.
zukahn1
05-16-12, 07:18 PM
Less complication = less scary and less likely to become a horror story because of the cost of having a shop fix something the buyer can't wrap their head around.

A lot of people are scared of fixing their bikes.

I can kinda get that while part of being a cheap skate I did the Fuji as a minimum bike least possible parts cost to make it work good as a bike. Also the Gitane had really nice wheels Wolblers with 600 hubs the others had junk the bike's just didn't merit good wheelsets in my build sense sell or keep.