Re: [CR]Re: Now list rules...

(Example: History:Norris Lockley)

Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:23:38 -0400
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "John Betmanis" <johnb@oxford.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Re: Now list rules...
In-Reply-To: <c3d.1886c1ad.33c7d958@aol.com>


At 03:22 PM 12/07/2007 EDT, LeMansGTMAN@aol.com wrote:
>On another discussion forum I recently held up Dale's requirement that
>posters have to ID themselves fully at the end of every message as a shining
>example of an excellent rule that largely prevents the mis-use / abuse of said
>forum* - suggesting that it was one that they might usefully adopt...
>
>*Most typically the use of personal invective / brainless humour etc.,
>
>To this another member of that list replied that would be an infringement of
>UK Data Protection Laws, his human rights & his right to privacy!

I can see where people could be paranoid about revealing their identity and location on the Internet. That is one rule here that I overlooked originally because I just assumed the "rules" were the usual stuff about no flaming, profanity or personal attacks and didn't need to read them because I'd participated in mailing lists for almost two decades. However, in this particular hobby of ours, names and locations actually mean a lot. We rely a lot on historic and anecdotal information and it's so much more credible when coming from a real person from a real location, rather than someone hiding behind a pseudonym in cyberspace.

As for trying to determine a fair price for a vintage bike or part, that's a little tougher. As was already mentioned, a large portion of the "market" is right here on this list, and you still wouldn't get a reliable answer from people who are looking for the very same item, hoping to find a bargain, or others trying to sell the very same thing for a profit. The trouble is (maybe fortunately) that the vintage bike market just isn't big enough for price guidelines to be established. A certain bike may be worth $2000 to a collector, but an insurance adjustor would only see $2 worth of scrap metal. I wonder how many bike collectors actually have their stuff insured and how it was appraised.

John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada