I am reluctant to write this but I am a boy who have found the
King's ears are donkey's ones.
If some of you had another set of Mafac Top 63 and Campagnolo
normal reach brake set , not only you but also I could be happy.
I would sell the former at Japanese Yahoo Auction which you
cannot have access because of the language barrier and I would
take the latter as commission !! I know there is at least one( we
must wish one more)
Japanese collector who won't be able to win the Top 63 on the
auction
going on now. I believe you cannot imagine the price now.....
Seriously speaking , I am also very much surprised to have
found Japanese collectors' enthusiasm for some French parts,
especially Top 63 ,Juy 543, Ideale old light -alloy railed
saddles. I cannot explain it by the difficulty of import till
mid1960s nor 2 -3 times lower value of yen then.
As you know and Ken Toda mentioned, the price of land is very
high in Japan , so we cannot collect as many bicycles as you do
in U.S. Then they aim
to get a perfect bicycle for them as possible. Maybe they aim to
get a Toei which has the same components they have seen on a Rene
Herse or Alex Singer catalog.
And I think one reason is that they have some occasions when
they can show off their bicycles each other; Poly Japon, Toei
owners meeting," New cycling" subscribers meeting .... I have
not heard of that of road-racing bicycles. About 15 years ago I
once competed with a man on a beautiful Masi . He was miserable
85th and I on the Galmozzi was 86th in 105 racers. But absolutely
we were serious and not showing off the bikes on the race !
Takao Noda
Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
collectors
> About a year or so ago, someone advertised on rbm looking for a
set of Top 63
> brakes. I actually had a set I had no plans for and replied I
had no idea
> what they were worth. I sent some pics, they offered me $250.
for them with a
> pair of Tiger calipers thrown in. At that, I threw in the
shipping.
>
> Apparently its fashionable to have a modern, vintage style
frame made but
> outfitted with vintage French parts.
>
> Hey, whatever turns you on. I'm digging out that Huret Luxe
set!
>
> Ted Williams, Berkeley