Am I Missing Something?
 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Brooks-B...ayphotohosting

Bidding (shilled?) at $30 for what can only b e described as the worst looking Brooks saddle I've ever seen. Sure, maybe if I was restoring my old 10 speed to look like it did at the end of it's life, this would be perfect.

But seriously.

Yeah, but it's less painful, time consuming and costly to rejunvenate an old Brooks than it is to break-in a NOS Brooks.:rolleyes:

It still looks a bit odd having the same person placing four bids...

East Hill

Maybe there was a reserve and they were looking for it?

Edit: it says reserve met so I am guessing that is what happened.

As for the saddle I have seen a lot worse. It looks like the surface has decayed somehow and come off. You could probably take a brass brush (i.e. for suede) to it and get a lot of it off (is this called tanning?) and then treat it with some proofide and ride it. It might be period correct for someone. The shape of the saddle looks good, not much sag or splaying so as long as there are no deep cracks it should still be very good functionally.

You could be right--I noticed that the reserve has been met!

East Hill

I've seen a worse one - somewhere on BF no less!

But I'm not searching for it.

Numbskull of the day, if I'm not entirely mistaken :p !

East Hill

Really not too bad a price, as it looks like the actual leather is in pretty good shape and still taut. The surface finish has been hashed somehow, but I'm pretty sure that it can be fixed.

Probably enough time in the saddle would polish it right back up.

I agree .... If sellers would say what the reserve is in the first place, then bidders wouldn't have to play those silly games. If I list something with a reserve, then I put the amount in the listing. If a seller won't tell me the reserve, I won't bid.

Doesn't eBay's automatic proxy bidding make it appear as though one person placed several bids?