The thing that amazes me is how successful the company was at selling their Japanese made frames (with unknown builders in the American market) for the prices they were asking in the early days. In '81, when they started selling bikes, USA made Treks started at around $300.00. Specialized sold their built-up bikes for around $1,400.00 and frames for around $700.00. They were priced very close to famous maker Italian brands and through great marketing, they were a success.