The recent sale of a '73
Raleigh Record Ace on eBay caught our attention, and many here were shocked to see it sell for $3650.
I was not one of them.
Though I am the biggest cheapskate when it comes to buying bikes, the fact that there were TWO well-heeled people who happened to be looking for the same bike
at the same time seems a little more than a coincidence to me.
It showed that there are many others too, who would be interested in what is by now approaching the status of unobtanium, in the way of a few legendary models from a revered manufacturer.
I have seen this kind of a phenomenon before, with old ("vintage") American guitars. For example, years ago, despite that late 50's Gibson Les Pauls had already started their upward price spiral, I could have purchased one for around eight hundred dollars.
- Oh if I only HAD eight hundred dollars back then!
Today, that same guitar is changing hands for $200,000 to $750,000.
Will this happen with bikes?
- Maybe not to the same extent, but I think the potential is there, because bikes share many of the same portents: They are products of art and industry, possess true functional beauty, have not been made for many years, are in limited supply (a supply that is diminishing daily) and they are likely to capture the attention and imagination of a younger generation because they do have a place in popular culture - (not just here in the US, but elsewhere as well.)
I would assert that bikes with a more popular provenance (eg., Raleigh, Schwinn and Peugeot) are the more likely to appreciate: Like the Les Paul (and the Fender Stratocaster-Telecaster), they were a pretty good value to begin with, and thus are much more likely to acquire an iconic reputation in the popular consciousness...
Recent trends such as "vintage" bike shows, Tweed rides, publication of
topical /coffee table books, and even
this forum provide additional evidence that it is
already happening.
It's fun to speculate on which models could obtain this iconic status. I think the RRA is certainly one of them. I'd vote for the PX10 and any one of a plethora of Schwinn cruisers. Maybe the Raleigh Superbe?
Your thoughts.