[CR] re: Davidson impulse on eBay

(Example: Framebuilders:Dario Pegoretti)

Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:00:31 -0500
Subject: [CR] re: Davidson impulse on eBay
From: "Doug Fattic" <fatticbicycles@qtm.net>
To: 'Classic Rendevous' <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>


I just wanted to add that Davidson was a pretty big operation in the 80's and not a one man shop making custom frames. Their 6 full time workers put out something like 500 frames a year. They had a painter that learned from me. I would find one of these frames more comparable to a Serotta of that era than a custom frame from a one man shop. That said, they were well made. Tange Prestige was my favorite tubing before they quit making it and Takahashi investment cast lugs were of similar high quality.

Bicycling magazine in cooperation with Shimano put on a framebuilding competition using Sante components in 1987. They gave a prize of $3000 to the winner of what they considered to be the best frame to hang those components on. Davidson won that competition. However the winners didn't get much press in the magazine because by the time the competition was finished, Shimano had pulled that group off the market. There were only some small pictures in the back of the magazine with no accompanying explanations. Sante components had a pearl white finish that didn't go well with many frame colors. It was between Dura Ace and Ultegra in cost and targeted to the "yuppie" market.

Another factor probably not in it's selling favor is that this is a racing bike. Most people looking to buy steel frames today want something more relaxed with the possibility to using fatter tires and fenders with a 47 to 57 brake reach. A steel frame of an earlier vintage with long horizontal dropouts would be desirable by the fixed crowd.

I am sympathetic with the seller that he/she didn't get more money out of the deal. They made mistakes in their eBay presentation that are obvious to those that commonly buy and sell there, but not to occasional users.

$350 is the basement price of a decent one color paint job today. Customers expect quality and not something that just prevents rust.

Doug Fattic Niles, Michigan

From: "Charles Andrews" <chasds(AT)mindspring.com>

Harry wrote, in part:

OK. So the paint scheme is dated. So is the hairstyle in your 1989 photo. Your partner's too. For $336 +$150 for new paint, the bike was worth noting. No new quality custom frame is being brazed today for less than $1500 with fork; and steel fork building skills are ever less

*******

Ok. Getting down to brass tacks. the auction was terrible. Not *one* decent picture showing off the workmanship of the frame. That was the first problem.

Second, the parts group was completely forgettable and has no collectible value at all, far as I can tell. I assume it had campagnolo drop-outs, but if not, it *did* have a campagnolo part or two on it, and the guy should have put campagnolo in the title somewhere.

The auction description was barely adequate. Given the relative obscurity of Davidson, even to cognoscenti, more was needed to bring in the bids.

Harry, you are dreaming if you think you can get a decent paint-job for 150 bucks. A decent one-color paint-job from a professional costs over 300 bucks, with graphics, and usually closer to 500 bucks if you want a candy or pearl. A crap paint-job isn't worth the hassle of getting it done. If I'm going to have a frame like that repainted, I'm going to get a nice job, that'll make it look tasty.

and you have to take the whole thing apart, ship it to the painter, wait, get it back, reassemble, etc. It's a big, fat hassle. And by the time you've factored in shipping, you have a significant dent in the wallet. I've done this many times, I do know something about it.

And, finally, the paint really was atrocious. I've seen many otherwise nice bikes go for less money solely because the paint just sucked. This was one of those times..coupled with the other problems noted. Not to mention the fact that lots of us *like* original paint. And when the original paint stinks, you really don't want to bother with it, whatever it is.

Now, I should note, Harry, that, otherwise, I actually *agree* with you. Davidsons are badly undervalued. But this one could have sold for possibly twice what it did, or more, with better pics and a better description. And a little modest keyword spamming in the title.

Charles "ebay auctions are an art" Andrews Los Angeles