Last night over dinner I told my wife the story of this Masi Numero Uno and how the buyer at the garage sale and the eBay buyer had agreed to return the bike. Her response: "it renews my faith in people that the two buyers would understand and value the family connection more than the money or the bike". If I were in the shoes of either buyer, it would be hard to return the Masi, but I agree with my wife. This is not about who legally owned it, or who had rights to it. And, I'm not saying that returning it to John's family was to only morally "correct" thing to do. A number of outcomes I can think of are fair and justifiable. But isn't it nice that some people are willing to look beyond their own interests and have big enough hearts to value someone else's interests. So I say bravo! to both buyers and think John is just fine. So, lay off folks and let's get back to talking about vintage bikes.
Best wishes to all,
David
David G. White
Burlington, VT