I suppose "enough", or rather "too much" is when the size of the collection intereferes with the pleasure of owning, tinkering and riding them. It will be a different number for everyone. I was approaching two dozen machines with about a dozen big boxes of assorted parts when I changed jobs and moved to the east coast (a "temporary" action that's now into its third year). All of a sudden there was simply no room for everything and I was tripping over cranks and derailleurs everytime I turned around. Not a good scene. So it was time to thin. If I couldn't remember the last time I rode the bike, or had no good memories of fine days in the saddle, out it went. I'm now down to 7 bikes + the tandem and they're all my "extra good" ones, and there's some room to turn around in the basement. Several trips to Westminister and Trexlertown have trimmed the parts supply to a manageable size, and now I only buy a part on eBay or otherwise if I have a specific need for one of the bikes. No more buying and hoarding for future projects, because I found that once you have a nearly full vintage build kit, the pressure to buy a frame to try out the parts becomes overwhelming.
Oh sure, I'd love a 62 cm Jack Taylor single (I've just missed the last two that went through the list), and I was trying for the brown tubed Masi that recently was on eBay, but if I had gotten either, something else would probably go out the door to make room.
I suspect that those with the truly massive collections have (besides a lots more room for storage than me) somewhat of a curator's character, and enjoy having so many different items to preserve, maintain, observe and occasionally ride. Excellent, their collection is entirely valid from their point of view. But you know, I'm just as happy with my much smaller herd. Oh sure, I won't experience the thril of having Mark Poore peek into my basement and going "Oh my God!" as he did to Charlie Young ( a fine memory of a past CR ride), but it's also just as satisfying to be on a more intimate basis with my machines.
In other words, it's all good, and you should live like you wanta live. If you feel you got too much stuff, sell some till the amount "feels right". If you need some more, that's good too. Just ride lots, so we keep ya around a long time.
Tom Adams, Shrewsbury NJ
"richardsachs@juno.com" <richardsachs@juno.com> wrote:
snipped: wrote: "Why doesn't the subject of ______ frames ever get discussed on the list?"
why not, indeed!? here's one for ya'... how do you when enough is enough? when to quit? when to cash out? my interest in the vintage "thing" is omnipresent* but i am long since bored with "acquiring". i bartered, horse-traded, and bought my way through the 90s, and now, when i look at all this stuff, it's there, but i don't see it. it wouldn't be a stretch to say it's ballast, like a noose.
i don't really need the money - but a collection eventually accumulates and represents a fair amount of equity. does anyone have similar issues regarding their vintage hobby? has anyone resolved a situation like this? as i noted earlier on THE FILE THREAD, it was poignant of harris to write:
"It wasn't until I "let up a bit" until much of anything,or anyone pleased me.It wasn't until I "let up a bit" until much of anything,or anyone pleased me."
to put it another way, i feel like my future is hindered by holding on to so much of my past. i'd like to know if any listees have a parallel situation. e-RICHIE chester, ct *means omni always here.
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