I paid $160.00 for my wifes, here's the as found pictures. I think I did pretty well on it but I wouldn't have gone any higher.







Here it is finished,

thanks for the feedback fellas - i feel it is too high as well - basically - i have a bike that i want to move and i am looking for a trade opp - i like the look of the bike (because i like em in that beat up looking state ) - but at the same time - when the price is high i look for the feedback from the forum members - so thanks again - some stuff to think on

Show him this thread and see if he changes his tune.

i dont think it would

+1. There was a lot of trickle down in the shifters, with many common and interchangeable parts. Often, the key was in the grade of finish. During this period, the Record shifters had a shiny, heavy chrome plate on the steel parts like the clamp, screw and cable stop plate. Lesser models typically got a dull, zinc (?) plate. This looks the latter.

i think 350 is high too - but really - i'm on CL daily - and i dont see 25$ bottecchias floating around

But you see plenty of Peugeot UO-8's, and this is roughly equivalent.

i dont know tom - i mean - i have picked up some nice deals lately - i think -
hey my atala and letour were dump finds
and believe me - i always look for that 20-40$ score

but what you can grab on CL - for 25$ - in the vintage road bike dept...
well - those deals arent that frequent in NJ imo
not for anything decent anyway

This argument has gone on for as long as I can remember. While there is always the lucky find for $20 or even for free, I kept records of the sale prices of Bottecchias on eBay from Spring of 2008 to Summer of 2010. The prices for the Special model vary significantly with complete bikes going anywhere from $100 - $330 depending on condition with $125 about average. Frame are harder to say because most people don't bother striping a Special frame for sale separately. The one's I did see went for $50 - $125 or so. The purchase of some of these lower end to mid-range bikes is often driven by found memories of what the purchaser rode as a teenager or young adult more than it functional capabilities which is, I suspect, why they often go for higher prices than what some of the knowledgeable folks on the forum believe they should fetch.

That's why being patient and looking at local craigslist is the way to go. Ebay isn't cost-effective, unless you have your heart set on one particular bike. If all you want is a nice low to mid range vintage 10 speed, you'll find complete bikes in much better condition on most craigslist sites for $50-$150 on a regular basis. I'd rather buy a turnkey bike at that price

Plus, I don't sense that the OP has a particular affinity for Bottecchia, or that this purchase is based on nostaligia. Bottecchia is not a particularly highly-sought after brand to begin with. And to restate the obvious, the bike in the original post doesn't even have wheels or a rear D, and is in so so condition.

Quite true. For the OP's purposes and that frame and the hand full of pieces, $50 max is probably fair.

no you guys are correct - more circumstantial
basically - i'm looking to move a bike
and we have done business before
sometimes its not about the money so much
in this case there would be none exchanged - just bikes
it would just be a case of changing up the stable

anyway - still thinking on it
but that why i wanted to get that feedback here
thanks again all - good info from the group as always