dannyg1 

A quick picking of your collective collector's brains, if you would please: I've got a Brooks Competition Standard from the 1950's but without the patent #'s on the rear rail. Is this thing worth big bucks? In pretty good, rideable shape as well.

Thanks,
Danny

rhenning

Only worth big bucks if you can sell it and someone needs it to finish a restoration. Pictures would help determine value. Your good and another persons might not be the same thing. Roger

Marrock

It's worth exactly what ever someone is willing to pay for it and not one penny more.

gr23932

I know most of us that frequent C&V have been lately getting bothered by all the "what's this worth" type threads, but we shouldn't really be rude or condescending. If you don't want to respond with an actual answer or good advice on how to figure potential value (e.g. ebay)just don't reply.

Marrock

I spent years dealing with things like toys, comic books, and collector cards of various sorts, what I said is the absolute truth as far as what something is worth.

dannyg1 

With consideration given towards my years of frequent postings here, many very helpful I might add, please allow me to rephrase the question so that some of you might also feel a touch more helpful: Is there an established market for true vintage Brooks saddles, in the same vein as say, there is for vintage British bicycles?

Thanks,
Danny

rhenning

I also stand by what I said. Without a picture it doesn't exist. I wasn't being rude but telling him the truth. I guess I could have added that he could look at E-Bay but to me unless I am trying to do a date matched restoration a 1965, 1975 or 1985 Brooks of the same model has the same value. Roger

cudak888 

https://sporting-goods.search.ebay.co...00QQsacatZ7294

Looking at those prices, I'd say there are...and not just for "vintage."

-Kurt

SirMike1983 

As far as I know (and I don't consider myself the highest expert on this) the main market for older Brooks saddles is to be used on an older bicycle (Raleigh comes to mind). I haven't seen much of a wide market for Brooks saddles to be collected in and of themselves. That said, if I had one that looked okay but couldn't be ridden, I'd keep it and put it on my bookcase. They are nice pieces and well-made.

They fetch a very good price though because of the quality and because they're so useful in refurbing an old bike. You can certainly sell a Brooks saddle on its own for a fair bit of money, but the main market is the bicycle restoration project.

Grand Bois

There was a Brooks Competition on eBay last week. It caught my eye because I had not heard of that model. I don't know what it ended up selling for.

cb400bill

Looks like a little over $50 US.

https://search-completed.ebay.com/sea...fsop=11&fsoo=1

unterhausen

somebody gin up a market for these things, I have a nice Brooks pro team from '82, and it still isn't broken in. And never will be because my behind is way too impatient for that.

dannyg1 

All of the referenced saddles here are much more modern than the article in qyestion, which sports the old, oval Brooks logo and no rear badge.

cudak888 

I'll buy it - where do I send the $3.50?

-Kurt

unworthy1

Rare enough, but maybe only of value for a period-correct restoration of a '50s lightweight or to a Brooks collector who doesn't yet have a B-17 Competition Standard. Impossible to judge condition with no pictures. According to Hillary Stone the rear badge was dropped off this model sometime in the '60s, but since you have one with an oval stamp...maybe '50s is closer...who knows without a date stamp. The only rare Brooks I sold was not this old but went to somebody who actually wanted to ride it on his Raleigh Team Pro, and it didn't make me rich.

Picchio Special

Here's an oval logo B15 that went for a little over $100, including shipping from overseas:

https://cgi.ebay.com/Brooks-1960s-B15...QQcmdZViewItem

That one was NOS. Seller says it's from the 60's - hard to say, since while the keystone logo was introduced circa 1955, the oval persisted for a while on some models.
I believe the B17 Competition Standard was introduced in 1955, based on the Brooks timeline I've seen from Hilary Stone. So an oval logo version could be an early one, or who knows, since the oval continues to show up for a while.
AFAIK, the B17 Competition Standard is a higher end model than the B15 Champion Standard in the ebay link. For someone looking for just the right finishing touch for a high-end bike, it might be worth more. The oval logo saddles do have added value as period restoration pieces, and there are Brooks collectors out there. I've sold several to a Brooks collector who lives near me, and I've seen him bidding on plenty of others.
Maybe that gives some (rough) idea of the value range for your saddle. Maybe not, since ebay is unpredictable, and there could be two guys out there right now looking to finish off a restoration who would knock each other on the head to get an oval logo Brooks. I'm in the market for one myself, but for an earlier bike.

Bogester 

I'm always looking for vintage Brooks' just because I think the older ones are thicker and of better quality than the new ones. That being said I don't think your saddle would bring a high value unless you got lucky and some collector absolutely had to have it. I had a really nice B-15 Swallow from the late 50's go for less than $100 and I rarely see that type of saddle listed. Unless it's NOS I'd bet you'd be lucky to get close to $100.

YoKev

I bought one for $30 in April. Fine saddle.

KvarteretRundt

Here's a couple of pics of the Competition Standard.. Not the oval logo though. It's the late 50's high end Brooks so it should be worth more than many other Brooks saddles, I don't think big bucks though.. I saw one go for 50GPB.

Charles Wahl

Danny, you might try Classic Rendezvous, if you can grovel yourself clear of the NYC taint, and follow the rules set up for everyone except the inner circle ;-]
Better yet, talk to someone on the classiclightweights.uk "club" if you can find a person there, such as peter(dot)underwood(at)tesco(dot)net.

texraid

Not trying to hijack the original question, but does Brooks still date their saddles?

A stickler for a detail restoration may want a vintage saddle of the correct year but, if I am not mistaken, almost all if not all models are still being made.

xiamsammyx

I've got $5 on it.

Grand Bois

You are definitely mistaken!

texraid

Are the new ones still dated?

cudak888 

I believe he is referring to the models still manufactured. Lots of oddballs in the '30s catalogs that most folks have never heard of.

-Kurt