Originally Posted by
kingkolotoure
Thanks for the advice miamijim. Unfortunately, I never got to take a look at it.
The bianchi seller finally got back to me, but in sort of bizarre circumstances in which he claimed to have called and left a message (didn't). He then said he couldn't show the bike til Wednesday, but just wrote a few minutes ago to say that he's already sold the bike. I think he got a few more bites than expected and sold for a higher price.
In the meantime, the Trek 400 sold as well. Damn!
That 400 had some odd changes. The bike came with down tube shifters, while the ad showed stem shifters. Not sure how stock/original the bike was, if that makes a difference.
Around here, a basic steel Vintage Trek will bring about $200, and then they go up from there (assuming bike is in ready to ride condition). I have seen a significant increase in pricing on steel Treks in the last year, up around 20% (or more).
Best bet is to know your size, have a target list of several bike brands and models, and then pounce whenever one shows up that meets your criteria at a reasonable cost.