Collin, you aren't missing anything. You are just noticing that your value system is not consistent with some others - a mistake we all make when we assume there is a specific value to a collectible (by example, all of the "what is my super-duper worth?" threads).

We all appreciate a different combination of facets in a collectible. I like the hand-painted logos on my Legnano but for a century ride, the Bottecchia performs better. Why something rides better is a mysterious combination of everything; certainly a function of geometry, probably a function of tube quality, and also including tire quality and pressure. So who knows - I just enjoy what I like and get rid of the rest.