Kurt,
To each his own when it comes to taste, but I wonder why you say the gold medallions are "fragile." They don't fade or tarnish, and I don't believe I've ever seen one fall off. In fact, I tried to remove one from a pedal dust cap and...I'm still trying to figure out how to remove it without ruining it in the process.
I have to challenge your characterization that they are fragile - Et Tu Kurt?
Ray Dobbins, Defender of the Faithtieth Miami FL USA
Kurt Sperry <haxixe@gmail.com> wrote: I'm pretty much with Tom I'm afraid re the Campagnolo 50th gruppo. I distinctly remember thinking the first time I saw one at a LBS, "What a silly thing this is- the consummate racing gruppo festooned with cheesy looking little gold medallions." When the bike shop guy told my excitedly that it came in a special collectors' case with it's own limited edition serial number, I instantly put it into the Franklin Mint "collectable" category where it's been ever since in my mind. Pretty much anything sold complete with special collectors' case, limited edition SN and CoA sets off my sniff meter as somehow fundamentally unauthentic.
If they'd taken that whole year's production of the Record-level components and added some subtle commemoration of the event to each sans the fragile and gaudy gold plate, limited edition CoA and "special collectors' case" I wouldn't have felt the same. I would have probably even thought it was cool. And I'm not sure exactly why.
My 2 cents,
Kurt Sperry Bellingham WA USA
On Dec 13, 2007 4:17 PM, Raymond Dobbins wrote:
> Tom wrote:
>
> "To me any item that appeals to collectors when new, like a 50th anni group, is basically something that was manufatured to be collected. It is thus something doomed to have the enduring appeal of an item from the Franklin mint. Tons squirreled away by "collectors" and no real history of use, in this case of use in racing."
>
> I respect your knowledge and value your opinion Tom, but when you "dis" the 50th Anniversary gruppo, you go too far :).
>
> The 50th gruppo is as functional as a standard Super Record reduced gruppo. Perhaps you don't like the pantographing and the gold inserts, from an aesthetic point of view, but they do not reduce the functionality of the parts nor do they affect performance. Some of the parts may weigh a few grams more, but the difference is negligible. If I am not mistaken, Beppe Saronni won the 1982 World Championship on a 50th equipped Colnago Mexico.
>
> The 50th Anniv is one of those groups that is meant to be both rideable and collectible. I would guess that as many 50th groups are mounted and ridden as are still in the box. I've seen many that have been ridden into the ground, in fact.
>
> To me, the difference between a standard Super Record gruppo and a 50th gruppo is like the difference between a frame with lots of chrome and a fancy paint job, and the same frame without the chrome and the fancy paint job. They are functionally the same, the only difference is which appeals to your taste.
>
> But to condemn the 50th gruppo to the Franklin Mint-dustbin of collectibles is just wrong. You cut me deep on that one Tom.
>
> Ray Dobbins
> Miami FL USA