tsappenfield

Have you seen this bike on ebay? I've been watching this bike since it first appeared. There is quite a story behind it and I'm wondering if all of the story is true. If it is, maybe this bike is worth the price, not that I'm ready or able to buy.

TSAPP

miamijim

Nice bike no doubt. I'm not sure if it's worth a 500% premium over a restored example but its certainly worth more.

repechage

I will not speculate as to why someone would buy a Raleigh Tourist in 1939 and never use it.

Fun to see. I guess one has to start somewhere for a price.
No idea how well off the potentially interested buyers of a bike like this would be.
More along the lines of what a museum might wish to acquire in conjunction with showing the modifications to products made just prior and during wartime.

RPK79

How can an post in reference to a listing on Ebay exist without a link to said posting?

SvenMN 

here

himespau 

I remember when that was first posted and am still amazed with regards to it's condition.

Mr IGH

I will, a wealthy hoarder. The daughter of the original owner (now deceased) is going though all his old stuff as documented in the ebay listing.

Chombi

It's very nice, but I wonder if bikes like these eventually just hits a value ceiling (I suspect the 25K asking price was just grabbed from the air by the seller) and mostly just stay there. It's a very nice antique "touring" bike but would the final value story be different if it was a racer?
Kinda reminds me of the famous NOS BSA Goldstar motorcycle in a crate that was IIRC, offered for sale some years ago, and there was a buzz in the internet speculating it's value. What became clear was the motorcycle was indeed NOS and in-the-crate.....but then the Goldstar was not really that special compared to other motorcycles of that time......

nans

Great bike thanks for sharing. The seller is dreaming a little though. They should at least put a best offer option or they might be waiting the rest of their life for a drunken wealthy collector to press buy it now. Maybe if it was a french constructeur bike it would have a better chance of selling for that price

I like this pic the best I don't know why though

repechage

Certainly not the ALL STEEL transfer on the seat tube.

sailorbenjamin 

Man, that bike has been for sale for at least 2 years. She posts in on CL every now and then, too. Really really nice bike. I used to use that chaincase decal shot for my avatar, or maybe it was my desktop. $25000? No way, but really nice bike.

balindamood

Man! I gotta list this grilled cheese sandwich I just made...

loky1179

That is unbelievably cool. Like someone actually got a time machine working and went back to 1939 to photo it. Love the dynohub.

3speed

Wow. That's pretty awesome and amazing. I don't know that I'd just lean it against something like that. That's one bike that might give me a heart attack watching it fall over as the handlebar turned or something...

bikemig 

Wait until it's 80 or so years old and list it at $25k or so on ebay.

3alarmer 

Mario Confente's Personal Masi Campagnolo Regina Cinelli Confente Bicycle | eBay


....still available and down to $19,500.

markk900

Depends on the collector market - another motorcycle example: for years, the holy grail Ducati was the 1972 750SS ("green frame") - there was one NOS I was aware of (that had provenance, and 33 miles on the odometer from pushing it around). Price seemed to peak in the $30K range for years, then shot up and some restored green frames (not even NOS) are hitting $100K+. So wait long enough and someone will want that time machine and pay even more....but you have to be patient. BTW - the green frame is a lovely bike, but not that much more lovely than a number of much cheaper models.

TuckamoreDew

I think this might be the same seller who a few years ago had listed a 1940 Rudge in similar condition but which had actually been ridden. I think he was asking two or three thousand for that that one.