Interesting discussion. I hadn't considered some of the points re why a seller might refuse local pick-up. For me, it seems that packing a bike and risking that it would be refunded due to damage during shipping would be enough that local pick-up would be preferred. About a year ago, I won an auction for a Duall Colnago w/ C-record--one crummy photo and minimal description led to a very low final price. When I tried to arrange for local pick-up, the seller said he no longer had the bike and cancelled the auction. Mind you, he never informed me about the lack of bike until after the auction closed and I contacted him about pick-up, which was listed as an option. Perhaps I'm still jaded from that experience, but a local seller who refuses local pick-up does at least raise a caution flag with me.

By the way, is it just me, or in pic #7 does the steerer on the Merckx look unusually long for that frame plus have an odd angle at the top? Also, in pic #7, does that DT Eddy Merckx decal look crooked? Does to me. IMHO, the paint has a bit too much sparkle.