Ditto Brian & Alex. There are lots of theories that relate to why and how m uch will be paid for vintage cycling items. My opinion also; this is a hobb ie, fun, positive; "a good thing" where buyer's define their own value. It goes beyond economics, price guides and sometimes sensibility. Sometimes th e scarcity value is the driver, vintage items can\u2019t be bought on de mand. The actual numbers of highly touted and sought after vintage items is an unknown, generally and it creates an artificial scarcity. Which trigger s value perception, and guides people to a final price they pay. Though the re is a invisible baseline which individual vintage items seem to stays ab ove, price flex's down or up depending on perceived scarcity. That is only one element of value; smallpox is very scarce, but has no value because nob ody wants it. Another attribute which drives price is a buyer\u2019s instrumental or i ntrinsic value. Buyer A: will pay a price due to his/her perception of what the item is worth or what it will be worth should he/she sell or trade dow n the road. Buyer B: defines how much he/she will pay based on the items em otional significance. Maybe he/she had one as a child, a hero rode one, the y like the way vintage lugs and chrome make them feel or, maybe wants these beauties to be around for future generations to see. Whether a buyer is mo tivated from a perception of scarce, or their Instrumental or Intrinsic val ues. It is great to be on either end of this fantastic hobbie no matter if the shifters are of plastic, metal or bamboo.
Chris Plunkett Il godfather di buoni compratori: Bernardo "Il Trattore" Provenzano Chicago Illinois, USA