Steve: I offered a $1000 for the bike to gauge the owners reaction, and he emailed back that he had a higher offer. Essentially your paying a very high price for the frame, as the rest of the parts probably have little value. The Hetchins site lists over 100 still surviving, so it's not extremely rare. I overpaid for my 1938 Hetchins Anglo frameset with seat tube, BB, and headset included only because there are only five surviving with mine being the second oldest on the register. The Anglo went for over $1000, but I wanted it badly. How much you want to pay, and how badly you desire the bike are individual decisions.
At this point, personally my feeling is, it's overpriced. Get a membership to the VCC, get a subsciption to Cycling plus and watch the ads. It was explained by a friend from the UK, that owners of older frames are also getting older, and as they do framesets from the 30s-60s will be surfacing for sale. So be patient, the frames from later years will become the more difficukt to find.
AS for payment to the UK, send Amex Travelers Checks. If they get lost, they are guaranteed. The owner should have little objection. For safety, I would ask the owner to have a cycle shop pack the bike, and double box it for safety.
I've included the URL from the Hetchins site for the Vade Mecum line. Check it out, looks like a 50s Latin series Phase I. Email Len Ingram at the VCC to verify the cycle being what it is.
http://www.hetchins.org/
Regards, Hetchinspete Peter Naiman Boston, Mass
>
> From: Steve Maas <smaas@nonlintec.com>
> Date: 2003/02/13 Thu AM 12:09:40 EST
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR]Suggestions re a Hetchins
>
> I could use a few suggestions regarding this bike. If the suggestions go
> something like "You're totally nuts! Forget it!" that's OK, too.
>
> I found a Hetchins Vade Mecum for sale. The seller is in the UK; I'm in
> the Los Angeles area. He does not quote an asking price, but just asks
> me to make an offer.
>
> The pictures he sent me are at http://www.nonlintec.com/
>
> The questions:
>
> 1. What would be a reasonable and fair price for this bike?
>
> 2. What is the best way to handle the business end of the transaction?
> How does one complete a sale like this securely? (I'm not asking about
> the mechanics of money transfer; I know that. I'm understandably
> reluctant to send a pile of cash to someone I don't know.)
>
> 3. Any other comments on the bike?
>
> Thanks for your suggestions.
>
> Steve Maas
> Long Beach, California