The owner of the LBS from which I purchased the Vitus was a good friend. My memory is vague, but I think I paid approximately $400 for it. (But I also can't remember why I bought it, other than its low price. I had a Guerciotti at the time. Oh yes, it was the 80s--the decade of wretched excess and greed.) However, I meant to convey the average cost of a new frame today and in days yet to come. I admit my taste in frames has become a bit more upscale, too.