Fred - You are right, and that is what I said or meant to say (I'm also into my third week of oxycontin): NOS commands the top price. Fakes or repros the lesser. Big time difference, quality being sound in both examples. But not ALL repros are so clearly marked, (beautifully craft made) rubber moldings being the classic example.
I left a whole line of the topic off earlier, and will for the most part now.... That is where the repros-fakes are labeled and licensed to be so by the original manufacturer. Meaning when the company still exists, like for Ford and Chevy (i.e., Masi and Colnago) collectors, in particular. Sorry....did I say I was drugged? That goes to the legal part of the current turmoil; but is sideways of the issue of quality and price. A judge will not care if yours' is a licensed or pirated fake, but he or she will notice its quality towards perfection.
To your question, what would I say to the guy - like at a swap meet - who says he doesn't know if the chrome bolt and bushing are real or repro-fake? I'd make up my own mind and pay what I think its worth based on my own conclusion. Also, would it satisfy my auto-spiritual needs and would it "show well?" What would I tell someone else who was about to encounter the same guy but who might not know his goods as confidently as I (we're still talking vintage bike haulers and not bikes here....)? I'd tell him to not believe the guy, he's either lying or ignorant, and to pay accordingly, if at all.
"Time's glory is to calm contending Kings, To unmask falsehood, and bring truth to light." Willy the Shake, "The Passionate Pilgrim"
JB Froke, Pebble Beach CA
JB,
In the classic auto restoration world, reproductions are
clearly labeled as such. In cases where both NOS parts and
reproductions are available, the originals generally command a
premium (unless the original parts are all nearly defective.)
What would you think of an sale in which, when the seller
was asked whether the piece was genuine or reproduction, he
answered "I got them from a friend - they are as pictured?"
Regards,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)