Is this guy tripping?
 

Am I missing something here? I love my Paramount, but really? Is the 50th anniversary edition really worth this? Never been ridden, but has a few scratches, needs brake hoods, doesn't appear to even have tires... c'mon!

Maybe, maybe not. Collectable frameset with a collectable group.

"Tripping". haven't heard that expression in a while. :)
Yeah, I think he's on hallucinogenic substances of some sort.

We'll know the answer in a couple of days........

for 6k you can get alot more nicer vintage riders..

For 6k you can get a bike with tires.

Zero bids say a lot. A bike is worth what someone will pay for it. I remember the guy who tried to sell Eddie Munster's bike for $25,000. He received zero bids. Or the dude who tried to sell a Schwinn Manta Ray with a bent frame as a rare factory mistake. No bids.

Let's see what happens.

There have been a number of those listed over the past year or so, and noted here. The asking prices are usually very optimistic, to say the least. I personally think the combo is a gaudy cliche, but that's me.

AS time goes on and our dollar is worth less and less, it'll absolutely be worth $6K. It's probably not worth that right now. Those groups, while collectable, aren't truly rare; I know of someone sitting on a dozen of them, many with low numbers. The frame is fairly uncommon, and they're pretty nice. In this economy though, it's probably worth half of that starting price.

I do question the 500 number often assigned to the frames.

I love my '89 and from the listing description mine is probably in a whole lot better condition than the listed "unridden" bike. Even taking into consideration that mine is the 51st anniversary instead of the 50th, I wouldn't pay anything close to the opening bid. I could be on a Herse or Singer for that.

The Waterford website Paramount history pages indicate a total 1988 Paramount production of 1400 units, some 600 of which had gold decals, the gold plated fork, and a special fiftieth anniversary certificate.

I agree the $6,000 asking price is way too much, but maybe there's a buyer out there that's also tripping, just has to have an unridden 50th anniversary Paramount with that blingy gold fork, and has the money.

I'm sure those numbers are right then - thanks for the info. I didn't realize the Waterford site broke it down.

Agreed. I was thinking the same things. It's also telling when sellers like this put zero information in their description (like the darn size!!). And the darn thing is my size.... I also agree with PS that it's pretty cliché to put Campagnolo 50th parts on a 50th Anniversary Paramount, but many folks did just that in 1988. The parts are worth maybe $2000 or so, (I wonder if the cranks are 175s?) and the frameset is worth perhaps $800, so $3K for the whole thing is about right.

It seems that anything nice on eBay is priced at 2x actual value these days <sigh...>. If it's not nice, it's priced at 3-10 times actual value. What the funk???? Last I looked, the economy still stinks, and unless the item in question is the absolute pinnacle of desireability (some Schwinn-ophiles might argue that this bike is, but I wouldn't), and is quite rare, nothing should be commanding top-Dollar right now.

<rant off>

There, I feel better now. Thank you....

I think so too...and I don't have much interest in either component.

I would agree with the OP who said, it's worth what somebody will pay for it!

The owner can ask whatever he wishes for it. The market will decide if the price is to high!

Missing is the ultimate justification for outrageous pricing: "would make a totally sweet fixie."

and pizza and beer and pole dancers.

With some drugs, timing is everything.

It would be interesting to add these to the registry. I don't expect to get all 500 listed, but it'd be interesting to see if duplicate numbers show up.

-Kurt

It is potentially a collector's item, and the seller is going to be moved towards feeling out exactly where he/she touches the top of the market for such a thing. It is very likely that the buyer will never ride it. It will be mounted in a collection of similar pieces, or displayed in a prominent place. Bicycles that are treated as art objects are often displayed without tires.

Personally speaking, when I see such things I am reminded of the ever widening gap between the working middle classes and the super-rich of so-called 'first world' countries.

I'd drop $800 on a 54cm without blinking.....