Using my built-in-the-cage-in-Chicago '71 Paramount as an example, there was a window of time when these bikes were made. They are desirable bikes to guys like me, and they'll never make those again; not in America, not like that. I didn't pay $2000 for it, but I did purchase it on ebay, and I did pay a lot more than I would have ever imagined that I would pay for an old bike on ebay. In fact, the bike had a very high starting bid (it only took one bid to buy it in the end), and I just couldn't bring myself to bid on it for several days because of the price.

An employee of mine in the bike shop, a young guy who's not really into vintage bikes but who does have a certain wisdom beyond his years, talked to me about it. He knew I wanted it very badly, and he also saw that I was having a problem with the idea of paying that much for a forty year old bike on ebay. In the end, he simply said, "you know, we're getting further and further away from 1971."

That did it. I bid within the next few minutes.