What do you all consider to be the state of the vintage bike market?


Are prices elevated, depressed, or flat?


What do you see for prices in the next decade?

Right now might be hard to guage in cold weather climates. I did place a very minty miyata 710 with some campy stuff on cl (Kijiji here) for 350...held it for a guy for a week and then just ran out of time so took it off.
Got some stuff to sell so I'll report back when I do.

I think prices are going to slowly and steadily increase for complete bikes, frames, parts and accessories. This goes for top-of-the-line racers all the way to all-arounders. I think there is a back-lash against exhorbitant prices and the superfluousness of brand-new gear that commands such prices.
Our sub-forum For The Love of Three Speeds should make it pretty clear that people are going more-and-more for vintage bikes. If you're talking 1950's-60's, prices are up. Sellers know that people are scouting these older bikes/parts.
Get yours now, before the prices increase, and moreover, supply dries up.

Depends on what bikes you're talking about. Italian bikes are almost always overpriced and you can get killer deals on Japanese bikes that are just as good. That's why most bikes I have now are from Japan. Prices on USA made bikes are all over the place.

SF seems a bit down from a few years ago when any lugged steel bike with forged dropouts got $300+. It took me a while to sell a couple minty Miyatas ($200 each), a nicely patina'd Mercier ($100), and a clean and original Cannondale Black Lightning ($380).

Nice higher-end bikes than these seem to sit for a long time.

I think this might be saturation around here - - folks like us are looking for screaming deals and will only pay top dollar for out individual grail bukes.

So this is very Craigslist-specific. I don't think eBay prices are lower.

I agree that the trajectory remains upward.

We Always think our bikes are worth what we are asking for them and in most cases, the market tells us differently....Buy high sell lower.
There will always be a demand for CV because there is a finite supply, pristine examples will always be in demand which will move lesser quality examples of the same model up.
However I fear for most of us we will not reap the rewards that we imagined when we told ourselves what a great deal we landed....maybe our grandkids or their grandkids will...so in the meantime I will ride my Gios with all of its paint chips past the deposit box at the bank.
Bikes have never been an investment for me but a hobby....winter the worst time to sell a bike but also the best time to buy.
JM2C's, Ben

What bikes (or what era) do BF members consider to be undervalued at the moment?

It's hard for me to put aside my personal bias. But I'm looking at 90s / 00s steel and titanium bikes. There doesn't seem to be a lot of love for them, yet I can't see them being improved upon with the new carbon, and I can't see newer carbon standing the test of time.

What about the same era (late 90s, early 00s) aluminium road bikes? Are they also undervalued, or are people scared of aluminium road bikes?

it is what it is.

yes.

Some will go up, some will be flat, and some will go down.
Flippers will profit at the expense of hobbyists and, if they're lucky, make somewhere better than the minimum wage.
Speculators will not.

Way undervauled. They have a false reputation of being a rough ride. Maybe everyone blows their tires up to 125psi or somemthing. And they have no "cool" factor. I have to say my Raleigh is one of the most smooth riding bikes I've ever had, stiff in all the right places and only weighs 17.5lbs with a tricolor group and aluminum aero rims. It's like the perfect bike. I'll never consider selling it because I would never get enough to make it worth getting rid of. I doubt I could get $300.

It's not the Bikes themselves I worry about as I rarely buy complete Bikes other than parts Bikes. I worry about the price and availability of Vintage parts. Campag or Dura Ace mostly. NOS items are through the roof. And very good to mint are getting harder to find at decent prices. The "Day of the deal" seems to be behind us.

This

In all frankness, who cares? Is anyone in this to make money? These bikes are not investments, they're just bikes. Nobody wants to go broke or get ripped off, but almost everyone will ultimately lose money on this hobby. That doesn't bother me at all, because I enjoy building, working on and riding these bikes.

Seems to me bikes and frames are down somewhat, but parts (and I mostly keep and eye out for Campy stuff) are up. Example, typical selling price on Ebay for a Campy SR Rear derailleur was about $65 last year but now auctions seems to regularly finish north of that.

I'm impressed with the free bikes that get posted. Do you really want to get bombarded with calls? Just put it on the street with a free sign. As far as CL, parts seem to be holding steady.

fify

This. It's a hobby. Do I try to buy low and minimize the cost, sure.

It's not an investment...and if you think it is, you need financial planning assistance.

Corvettes are not always the best cars but they are collectable and retain their value and sometimes appreciate.
Some Italian bikes are like that too.
Very few people collect Honda Accords.

Changing members words around to your liking is a little childish, stud.

A Honda Accord does handle as good as a Corvette, nor is it as fast. Equating them to bicycles is odd.

+1,000

Complete bikes seem to be suppressed in my neck. Piecing together mid-to-high grade components on frame up builds has gotten pricey though.

I don't want to get into an insult battle with you...but you're crapping on bikes others like and there's no need for it. It's gotten old. Yes - we all know you don't like italian bikes. My rebuke was actually fairly mild compared to what I really think, and your likely motivations. You can enjoy your bikes without crapping on others that aren't your thing...and you are grossly mistaken if you think there's some inherent truth, or right, to your PREFERENCE.

There are also reasons that you may, or may not, understand for why your bike is worth less than some Italians...all of which you lumped together.

I advise being less lazy when it comes to grouping bikes of various countries together as well.

This is wrong in so many ways...

"Who cares"?
I do. These Bikes are investments. Not only Monetary but emotionally. They are "not just bikes" they evoke the "Hunter Gather" in us. I also enjoy "working on and riding these bikes" as you do. I can't remember ever losing Money on this Hobby. I have paid too much for items but when the total is added up when and "if" the Bike is sold I am usually ahead. Mind you lately I have been keeping more than I sell. But I only deal in what I consider Grail Bikes.
So in the future if I sell them or better yet leave them to my Grandson. I will be Happy.

I have an '05 Bianchi Veloce in absolute mint condition. The original owner bought it for his wife. She rode it around the block ONCE, and put it up for the next 11 years.

I paid more than it was probably worth at $465 (auction). But it was mint, Celeste in color, the correct size, and I've always wanted a Campy equipped bike. So, bidding fever probably took hold.

I don't regret it although I'll probably never get my money back. I just don't expect to. It will become wall art before I get rid of it at a loss. It is purty to look at, and a nice ride (once in a while) if nothing else.

We have a local guy who has a business selling C&V. The only way I can imagine making enough money to pay rent and utilities is if you OWN the building and leave the thermostat at 45. On top of that, you'd have to be falling all over SCORE! bikes every day. Or, getting more money for the bikes than they are actually worth.

I think he also might have a decent income from performing service/repairs. For the life of me, I can't imagine making a living at it, so it must be a pure labor of love with minimal expectations on the money factor.

I see a lot of bikes that have maybe 30% more value in individual parts than their complete sale value that sit for many months, even years, before being sold. Seems like $500 is the line (in my market) where you'd be better off breaking a bike up (which I pretty much refuse to do with my own stuff even when it's not "correct"). Strangely though, a number of $300 bikes seem to sell for about what they are worth. These are probably buyers looking for actual riders, vs any sort of collector.

I'm just happy to break even on stuff, or pass along something to a new owner that I know will appreciate it (vs a sob story that gets re-listed days later). Pretty much know who the local flippers are, and their MO's.

I feel the same way about my '88 Cannondale Criterium Series. Very smooth even with the Sakae Fx aluminum fork and 23's. The ride is smooth and handling intuitive.