Spending my spare time building my dream bike in my head while I wait for the frame to arrive, I am completely confused and uneducated as to which componentry I should choose.

I have a vague idea of what I want, but I don't know how to get there.

Ideally, I would like all of the weightlessness, range, and ergonomics of the new carbon record groups, but with the the beauty and simple esthetics of the old alloy groups.

I wish they would reintroduce a retro inspired group. Pipe dream.

Are there any good threads that come to mind comparing the differences/nuances between levels and mixes of campy builds?

I have no knowledge of which parts can be mixed successfully and which won't go together.

Ideally, I would just pick a new 11 speed groupset to base the build on, but they seem to be very proud of those. Even the ones that looked like they've been drug across the pavement a few times command decent prices.

So if I stay within campy 10 speed groups, say mid eighties til present time, is there a reference source I can use to know that the pieces I gather will work?

Any help greatly appreciated.

You can get modern 11-speed Athena in what is IMO a nice alloy finish. Buy from Ribble in the UK, the prices are way, way better than here, and you won't pay the VAT. Veloce 10 speed also comes in silver and costs more than $100 less.

Campagnolo 2015 Athena Silver 11 Spd Double Groupset at Ribble Cycles

Get Athena. It's exactly what you're looking for. Plenty of 10 speed groups came in alloy, as well. The only one they currently make in 10 speed is Veloce, but you can find Record or Chorus easily on eBay in alloy 10 speed with a little patience.

Campagnolo Record 10 Speed Group Triple Carbon Shifters | eBay

I can't believe how inexpensive that stuff on Ribble is.

Good to know, and thanks for the info. So, can a new Athena group go with an old record 53/39 crank?

Less than $500 = very tempting.

Old like Record 10 speed or old like Nuovo record 5/6 speed? I think you can make it work. Campy is more forgiving than Shimano with the indexing on the front derailleur. If it is a really old crank, you might have to respace the bolt hardware so you don't drop the narrow 11 speed chain in between the chainrings.

Athena comes in 53/39 as well.

Strong dollar + weak euro = we win.

Good point, but I notice the Pound Sterling has remained at about $1.55 or $1.60 for a long time.

Euro value affects UK exports in other ways. Ribble is buying Campy from a Euro zone manufacturer and we see the savings reflected. Also, I bet a lot of Ribble's customers are on the continent, so reduced sales from the weak Euro has probably affected prices, too.

Either way, you'd be crazy to not buy a new groupset from Europe if you were in the market right now. A friend of mine just bought a full Athena group from the LBS and paid almost exactly twice Ribble's price.

Record 10

I am seriously considering buying an 11 speed 105 group for no good reason. I don't have a bike for it. I just feel like I will at some point, and it's less than $400!

Me too, though I'm not really a Shimano guy. I think they've really upped their design game with the latest generation. The crankset, while still extremely modern, looks much cleaner than the old liquid metal from the last gen. And the shifters are much nicer too, without the cable running out of the side.

I think it's better to buy a modern 11 speed alloy group (Athena) than to hunt down a used (and maybe 10 year old) alloy Record or Chorus group.

Stay away from anything 9s.

Very good value can be found in both Shimano and Campagnolo 10s groups.

Everything is going 11s so if you go that route it's likely you'll be outdated anytime soon.

Yep. Even zombies need brains.