I was able to recover my wife's bike - stolen in 1985 - last year because of information on the web. It wasn't listed on eBay but rather a question was posted on some bike forum about the value of a vintage Doug Fattic frame. (The response was that custom frames from "lesser Known" builders didn't fetch as much). This was a sentimental bike for me because I had made it for her before we were married while learning at Ellis Briggs. Fortunately the thief had masked the head tube when he rattle can painted over it so my identifying decal was still visible. One of my friends had actually seen it ridden around by some young kid and - not knowing it had been stolen - told him it was a valuable bike. That is probably why it was rattle caned and head tube masked. It had tubulars and I thought it would be ridden only as long as the tires held air.
The fellow that had it said he bought it at a barn sale 10 years ago. He thought is was an awful nice ridding bike but wanting something with new parts. I gave him a NOS Miele frame I had painted as compensation. I always felt I would find it again but I was really lucky someone had masked the head tube.
Doug Fattic, reunited with his lost love in Niles, Michigan
Haven't heard of any stolen bikes on EBay, but a smart thief would probably
part it out or sell it as a "rattle can" paint job. I had a friend whose 75
Derosa was stolen and it turned up at a local pawn shop. Trouble was that
he'd already claimed his insurance, they took possession of it and later
sold it.
Fred Durrette
Summerville, SC