I think Mike makes a good point. I have a few "Holy Grail" bikes for me in the basement right now...to me...they are worth it for whatever reason I have or someone else may have but I have seen some FAR rarer imported marques with excellent quality builds brought into this country for what I would consider steals compared with these values. They just don't have the "name" that some others have...
Then again, this is all just my opinion
Walt Skrzypek
Falls Creek, Pa
<classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Friday, May 20, 2005 1:03 PM Subject: Re: [CR]What makes DeRosa ($7220) worth more than Confente ($6550)???
> Actually its Mario Confente frames - post his Masi career that are so
> super rare. But, there are 135 of them out there (OK, a few lost in
> crashes). There were very few of these DeRosa bikes brought into the
> country - they are much more rare! Its supply and demand. DeRosa is by
> anybodys account one of the great Italian bikes, so given that so few came
> here, the value makes sense.
>
> Of course by late 70's, DeRosas were plentiful compared to either - but
> those bikes aren't worth the big bucks.
>
> Now despite the value of the DeRosa, the build quality on the one I had
> and others I've heard about is just plain stinky in places - almost
> comical compared to a Confente.
>
> So maybe in terms of scarcity, the DeRosa is the holy grail of Italian
> bikes from the early 70's period.
>
> Now in my mind none of these bikes are the holy grail - but we all like
> different things.
>
> Mike Kone in Boulder CO
> -------------- Original message --------------
>
>>
>> Well, subject line says nearly all. I was lead to
>> believe that the (Mario) Confete Masi was the "holy
>> grail" of bicycles?
>>
>> What am I missing here with regards to the history of
>> this DeRosa bicycle?
>>
>> Ted Baer
>> Palo Alto, CA