Dolface wrote:

"which part don't you understand, why a gan well pro costs more than a cinelli?"

Yes.

I have no experience with Cinelli, except what I have read on this forum.
People seem to speak very highly of Cinelli products.
Since I perceive lugged frames as labor intensive, I would have expected a lugged Cinelli frameset to have cost more than $975.
I'd like to know where in my mind to file Cinelli in terms of quality.

But this brings up the whole family of lugged steel track frames, from Bob Jackson, to Mercian, to Cinelli, to Gan Well Pro, to Nagasawa.

How much difference does the rider feel between these framesets, which have a $3000 price spread between them?
In which cases does one pay for a name, in which cases does one pay for aesthetics and glitter, and in which cases does one pay for a refined and fast ride?

Based on my present understanding, I see a custom Mercian frameset, delivered for less than $1000, as the value point.
By value point, I mean the point where quality and price cross, and one gets the most return for his dollar.
Beyond the value point, it seems to me that a person pays more and more for smaller amounts of improvement, until the last tiny increment of improvement costs a fortune.

Regarding the Mercian frameset, Mercian tells me if I will send them my measurements, a picture of me on my present ride, and a commentary about how I would like my Mercian to handle, they will design a lugged frame, open-hearth braze it, paint it the color of my choice and outline the lugs, and ship it to me for $1000.
Bob Jackson will do pretty much the same thing for just about the same amount of money.

I'd like to put all this in perspective.
It would help to see it through other people's eyes.