So before I left work yesterday, I check craigslist and someone is selling two road bike frames and one whole bike for 120 total. The complete bike was a 82 colnago! I emailed the guy but he replyed back saying it became a bidding war and he didn't know these old road bikes where worth anything anymore. I told him I could go up to 200, and didn't hear back.

Man I have wanted one of these bikes since before I even was into road bikes. I guess you win some you loose some. I picked up that 80' Trek 710 for 45 bucks earlyer this year. I just wish this was a win and not a loose. I would gladly trade the trek for this bike. lol

ya win some lose some - yesterday i scored a vinatge colnago mexico pista with all c-record parts for a super low price (not as low as what you listed though).

It seems like there's always someone else out there that would want something more than you. I suggest you list down the bikes that you would really want to have and be more prepared to commit to bid as high as you can for them so when they do come up, you will be emotionally prepared to put your money on the table to bet against those other guys beating your bid. That's how I've been dealing with most of my recent bike related aquisitions. even though I feel that I did not get it at a bargain price, I still feel good about it becuase Iknow I really wanted/needed the thing and winning it over every one else that tried to bid for it becomes just icing on the cake!
Usually just put dowm my highest bid, set at the highest price I feel I can pay for it...if I do lose, I still feel OK becuase I then feel that the winner must have overpaid for the item anyway. JMOs

Chombi

+1 If you want to enter a local auction, better to bid something higher and not based on original ridiculously low asking price. Also better to bid in person, and not by email. Someone in person might have scooped it up for $200 or $300.

I don't participate in informal email auctions myself. But I have gone in person and gotten some good deals. Face to face with cash trumps emails every time.

I missed out on a Cannondale yesterday myself. It happens all of the time.

I rationalize such missed deals as: I bet the bike had major rust and damage. The frame was probably bent. It was probably a Huffy with some Colnago decals, etc.....

One advantage of being retired is the ability to scoop deals while the competition is at work. I scooped a Trek road bike today at 11AM, it showed up on Craigs List at about 10:30AM. Of course, the great deals don't match a good paycheck.

ya' I offered the most I could, with out bankrupting my self(which was a consideration.). I really don't have a lot of money to throw at bikes. I just love them a lot. A steel colnago from that erra is THE bike I am looking for. lol about the rationalize thing. I have been telling my self all day long it would have been the wrong size, or major damage.

It's 60cm and does have a bent fork. Feel better now?

Don't worry, there's zillions of Colnagos around, one for you will show up sooner or later.

It looked like this. You didn't want it.

lol ya' I wonder what the other frames looked like he had but I have not herd back from him on those two.

did you actually check it out otis?

I don't participate in local CL bidding wars. It's an out of control situation and one can't know for sure what is going on with other potential buyers, what they might be offering as opposed to what the seller says.

It's frustrating at times to spy an undervalued bike 3 minutes after it's listed and then get the call that the price is way higher as you are walking out the door. Getting a call is good though as I have read the thread about driving 900 miles for disappointment.

I come up with enough finds to not complain too much.

The seller sent me some photos and I talked to him on the phone. He's a good guy, was just surprised at all the response he got, and had to rethink it.

The bike is rough but still has some good parts. The fork could be fixed pretty easily but I could not determine if the down-tube was affected. I told him what I thought a fair price would be considering the conditon and he's going to run that by the people who made offers or re-list it on CL. It is Eddy orange.