I've been looking for a road bike for my wife. Not a piece of crap, but not the latest, greatest either. I stumbled acorss this and was considering bidding, but it got too crazy. Is there any reason a mediocre frame with lower level (but cool) components should go for this much? Am I missing something?

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...2683&rd=1&rd=1

I'd say it's #1 attribute is that it's black. (goes with anything)
2nd it's "showroom" condition.
3, it's a Bianchi~!
4th, what are you able to get for $350 at the LBS that's that nice, much less a Bianchi, in showroom condition.

5th I must admit I'm half way guessing (based on shift levers), but if the rest of the grouppo is Shimano 600 "Golden Arrow", then that's a fairly prized set.
12 Pictures, and they are all almost worthlesss!! Great shot of part of the 4th cog!
and the top view of the saddle really told me alot!

Still, overall a nice mid-line Bianchi for a "fair" price. To side with OFG, it's way more than I would pay for it, even if it IS a Bianchi!~

I guess the winning bidder "just had to have it"!

That's 105 golden arrow dr. D!

6. Road bikes are really cool right now, especially as transport for younger people in the city. I have a friend who commutes on an old apollo and switched from the flats it had back to drop bars for aesthetics only.

7. it a 48cm, small bikes always seem to be in demand. I finally found the perfect bike for my girlfriend. a 49x49cm Guerciotti, her other bikes are 48STx52TT and 50STx51TT, she feels to stretched out on both the other bikes and she is 5'5"!

bianchi sells.

Something is fishy, because although it isn't a "bad" bike, it's not worth more than $250.
It makes me feel beter though, because when I sell my Bianchi, which is all Campy, I know I'll get a fair price:-)

I know it's 'Golden Arrow' (old Shimano 105), I know it's in good condition, I know it's a low level frame set. The small chain ring doesn't seem quite right, and it really is $415, counting the shipping. For $400 I would think I could do MUCH better.

I paid $675 for a NOS Bianchi Viggorelli with full 10 spd Ultegra that is her AZ bike, this hardly seems worth half that!

I guess I'm asking if the prices are going up for old bikes & parts now, or is there something I'm missing about a mediocre frame with old, low grade (works & is attractive, but not DuraAce) Shimano on it?

Heck, the Rossin SL frame, pantographed Campy SR gruppo bike I bought in early Spring only cost $100 more delivered.

Perhaps East Hill could pipe in as to if she's seen smaller frames go for a premium.

If anyone has a decent 48-49cm road bike they would like to trade/sell, please PM me.

It does seem high, especially during the summertime lull. Component prices are way down right now.

I think it's a combination of the Golden Arrows and the small size. I would have thought about picking this one up if I were just starting out looking for a vintage bike, but I always take shipping into consideration.

Even though small bikes are not as uncommon as I thought when I first started, they are still not to be found on every street corner. Could be that the price is just a combination of a small person looking for a bike 'ready to ride' at the right time, who wants a Bianchi and Golden Arrows.

East Hill

Something along the lines of . . .

Ooohhh... he got a new carport for his Vintage Granada!

I believe this seller has a following. I've bought a couple bikes from him. They're almost always interesting, have an honest description (if not better than described), packed very well, and shipped for a reasonable fee. He's on my favorite seller list!

maybe go for this one, OFG...

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ype=osi_widget

Summertime lull? Bikes are selling like hot cakes on CL.

You never know with eBay - I recently saw a complete early 70's Bottecchia Special in decent shape go for $100 while the identical frame which is just high-ten steel with pretty chrome went for $250. Go figure. My friend has a complete late 80's Dura Ace group and all the components to build a bike that he stripped off a Panasonic Team America with a dammaged frame and he thought $66 was too much for a DX4000 Tange 1 frame. I thought that was a fair price and all he needed to build up a nice bike. You just never know what people are thinking.

I found the perfect old Bottecchia Giro d'Italia on eBay, same color, decals, everything as the one I owned back in the 70's - I got it for $175 which I thought was a bargin. Then there was shipping which made it closer to $300. That was still OK with me. Then I found that although it was in great shape, a previous owner had replaced the original Fiamme red label rims with crappy steel clinchers. Another $250 to get the correct rims and have wheels built...and so it goes. But I'm still happy because it's what I wanted.

Where'd you find an NOS Bianchi Viggorelli for $675? That's an incredible deal!

ha ha ha . . . The bike sold for $355 and "it's not worth more than $250 . . . I love the American Free Enterprise system!

It's ben in the watch list for a few days

We got on eBay just after last Christmas. The seller had two, the second one was listed with a $1000 starting bid. I think we got VERY lucky on the one we bought, the auction ended a day or two after Christmas, and fell through the cracks, so to speak.

It's ebay. Ebay produces crazy prices sometimes.

Point in fact: I sometimes sell cycling gear I pick up at local thrifts. Often they appear unworn, but I always advertise them as used. I sold a pair of Descente shorts for 110$ on ebuy; two bidders decided they had to have them, one entered an increment less than 110$, the other entered god knows what, both bidding in the last twenty seconds.

You can buy a new pair for less.