OK...here's the deal. I bumped into a guy that has 2 NOS Ross bikes with Shimano 600 Arabesque Derailers, cranks, brakes and levers. The frame and wheels are nothing special at all, high tensile steel and stamped dropouts with typical Araya single wall rims and unknown hubs. But the components are mint. He wants $250 each. They are built up but never ridden except maybe the odd test ride. Should I make him a lower offer for both? Or would that be an insult? What would the NOS 600 stuff be worth?

I know, I know...I ought to just shut up and pay up but I am not exactly made of money so I want to bounce this of someone before I jump in.

Arabesque is sure attractive, but to me not $250 attractive. YMMV. I'm thinking the perceived value is in the NOS bike factor.

Circa 1983, the last year for 600EX Arabesque, retail price was just about $125 US for the crankest, derailleur set and brakeset.

IMO, not worth it at $250 per bike. Not even 250 for both.
The group is a very good set of components, but not that good to part $500 for.
Unless you must have a a NOS set of them.
I started down my slippery slope of biking with a 600EX crankset! In 1980, from Bike Warehouse for $39 new w/ BB. 52x39 and 1-key release.

The 600 cranks look alright but the rear derailleur is mostly stamped steel. the brakes sucks. Arabesque is cheep looking and therefore I find it a grotesque attempt to compete with the beauty of nuovo record.

its still decently put together... I found some in my basement and 'upgraded' my commuter with the shifters etc...

and most of it is cast aluminum too.

Hi!
I've recently watched a guy on ebay Australia selling the set in individual parts. He collected about 120 UDS for the lot.
Cheers,
Guido

Thanks for all of the replies! I am glad I did not whip out my wallet in the heat of the moment. It is, in fact, the NOS aspect that lured me in. I am not really in the market anyway.

I agree 100%.

I have two Raleighs with these components.
1st off, I think the brakes work fine. They have a nice light feel and have great bite. I've even used them touring.
2nd thing, the RD does have some cheap looking steel parts. But again, to my eyes these parts do look very nice, but I do not compare them to Italian parts, but to Japanese era parts.

I have a beautiful old bike with arabesque components.
Arabesque is decent stuff and historically significant because it was
Shimano's first decent complete group. OTOH I'd part with the group for half
what that guy is asking.

BTW, Suntour from that era beats both the shimano and the italian

Paul the Heretic

Arabesque stuff looks great on really simplistic frames.

I quite like the Arabesque group, but prefer the look of the 'lower' and less ornate Golden Arrow group from the same era.

I just got two bikes, one with each group, and I tend to agree that the Golden Arrow has a more appealing look. In fact, I admired the bikes this morning before I left for work...

I love* Arabesque. I think it is beautiful, especially against a black bike.

One cool feature of the group was that you could do a lot of things with a couple of allen key wrenches. I used to ride to the airport and with a small tool: take off the pedals and reverse them, loosen the stem and turn it sideways, turn the handlebars down, lower the seat, and hand the entire bike to the check in desk and they would put it on the plane unboxed.

Good motivation.