Casati Value
 

This frame caught my attention and I was wondering if I could get some input as to the quality of this particular frame and any historical and reputation info on Casati. Thanks!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Casati-TSX-Steel...QQcmdZViewItem

It's a beauty and in great shape, I'd say that if the seller had it listed for a BIN of $400, it would be great but a starting bid of $400 might be too high. However, he doesn't mention NOS in the listing so that could work to your advantage as fewer people will see it.

I don't know too much about Casatis except that they are pretty highly regarded as being very well-built and beautiful bikes. They are not as big-name as Colnago or De Rosa but, again, that works in your favour. They are still in business today and have a larger market presence in Europe than in North America. I think most people would know Casati for their gold line model but that might just be me...

Personally, at that price without the fork it's too much. A frame like that without it's fork is not a whole frame, it's not like today where you can just slap any old carbon fork on a new frame. Which brings up the misleading description in which the seller uses the term "frame set" a frame set includes a fork (as far as I'm concerned) and a without the fork it's just a frame.

Hi,
.
Sheldon Brown has a short appraisal of vintage Casati bikes
in his article on vintage bike value. If memory serves,
it's a a good one. Go to the link below and click on Casati.
.
http://sheldonbrown.com/vrbn-a-f.html
.
I bought two NOS '84 Casati "Monza" bikes as graduation
presents for my twin daughters. I suppose one would call
these entry-level, high-end racing bikes. Their Columbus
Aelle (manganese-carbon) tubeset and Campagnolo "Victory"
groupset suggests that to me. But make no mistake, these
bikes are beautifully built. Not a lot of chrome but chromed
traitional fork crown and concave seatstay caps and other
nice details. And beautiful maroon paint with clear coat.
.
These two bikes were among a large lot special ordered from
Casati to sell in the wake of the '84 Olympics in L.A. The
guy who ordered them went bankrupt and this lot of bikes
ended up in a warehouse for 20 years until American Cyclery
of San Francisco bought them. He wanted $800 each for them
on eBay BIN, but at auction they were fetching around $650.
I offered $450 each plus shipping for two 54cm c-c bikes
and we agreed on $525 each, including shipping.
.
There are some who might think this too much but I figured
since they were NOS they were at least a decent deal. My
LBS agreed and told me to insure them, replacement value,
for $2,000. I think that is too high but $1,000-$1,200 might
be close.
.
I know this will be of very limited if any value to you
in assessing a much later model Casati but at least it's
another little piece of the Casati puzzle.
.
Sheldon (RIP) will give you another little piece.
.
As it happens, one of my twins and I rode this afternoon,
she on her Casati. She and her sister are of the mountain
and hybrid generation and both ride "city bikes" in NYCity,
not a bad choice for city streets. But when they visit
home, they are riding their Casatis and slowly but surely
I'm luring them into the classic and vintage fold. They're
nearly hooked! :-)
.

Not a vintage or steel model, but I owned a 2002 Challenge and it was the fastest bike I've ever owned. I shouldn't have sold it. It was AL/carbon fork and a little harsh on chip-seal, but I didn't care.

Very beautifully finished, too. So smooth in the joints that it didn't even look welded.

it says never built but the dropout looks like the paint could be warn or its chromed, doubt that

Did you guy's all read the final price this sold for? I personally think it sold at about value or just a touch under. In any event a reality check on pricing is still due around here......