Charles:
That Davidson was so nice, and so similar in color to a same-period Proteus I got for my son awhile ago that I sent the listing to him, in hope it would inspire him to maintain the Proteus (from which I should have pulled the NR kit and Cinelli bars and stem and substituted cheaper.)
My thoughts as a several-year student of retail, including 10 of ebay. But not a teacher.
Ebay prices on all but current glitz approximate wholesale. If a bike does not have a grouppo that someone would trouble himself to put together, then it is always better to substantially part the bike out, not least because of packing, shipping and insurance. Include the non-Phil bb and non-King headset. Or list separately, causing the frame-bidder to appreciate that pulling a headset just to reinstall it is an unnecessary $40-$50 shop charge.
But don't include the Brooks pro saddle, even though that bike wants just that saddle which ebays for 10% of the whole package. Which leads you down the slippery slope of parting it all out. ........
Consider how many parts you will remove for safest shipping, anyway, which removal takes all of 10 mintues. (wheels, rear der, pedals, stem w bars,) 5 minutes more and the calipers are disconnected and off, and the crank is carefully pulled.
I'd have liked the Davidson for my son, and considering what touring Treks sell for, the frameset and headset might have sold for $300 -$400. But, not more if likely buyers with deeper pockets wish to repaint it. After all, $2000, say, for new includes new $200-$300 paint, not to mention whatever the difference is between latest and current steel and fashion, or beliefs about better design, including head-tube size.
Packing of everything else to protect the frame eats up $90 worth of shipping , even more if you valued your time to do it right.
Also: Don't underestimate the value of advertising, including ebay advertising. So what if it doesn't sell this week with a reserve or high starting price? You write off the reasonable advertising cost to achieve international exposure, and relist a month later. You lose your chance at an inflated sales price due to a bidding war, and you sell to the person with values who wasn't shopping for his main bike two weeks ago.
Harry Travis Washington, DC USA
On Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 1:20 PM, <chasds@mindspring.com> wrote:
> I just sold my Davidson:
>
>
> http://ebay.com/
>
> I basically broke even on it. Maybe I lost a little, but not much, if I
> did. I suppose had I parted it out I might have gotten a little more for
> it, and since I bought it as a frame and fork originally, and built it up
> as-sold, parting it out would have been no crime, but I'm too lazy to do
> that kind of thing. I much prefer selling whole bikes.
>
> Anyway, it seemed to me that this bike sold for a price that borders on
> surreal. Try ordering a frame like this from any custom maker, and the
> frame and fork alone will cost you over 2K easy. And this was a Bill
> Davidson, who is one of the grand-old-men of custom frame building, and who
> has been doing astonishingly beautiful work for a long, long time.
>
> Finally, the bike really rides like a dream. With some nice fat Paselas,
> it would ride even nicer. The person who bought it is local--I think--and
> they got a great deal. They got an all-purpose road-bike that is as good as
> anything you can buy now, modern or vintage, with a big dash of hand-made
> elegance, for the price of a nice beach cruiser...
>
> I'm happy to pass it along...no regrets about the price. But it seems a
> commentary on the strange little world we all inhabit. This bike, which is
> one of the nicer bikes I own, sold only because I'm out of space and because
> it really is a bit big for me, and because I have other bikes that do the
> same thing, is the equal of any more famous marque you can name, and better
> than most of those for most kinds of riding. And it sold for not much more
> than two pairs of Dugast tires.
>
> I guess I'm a little sad that Davidson doesn't get more regard. This is a
> hell of a nice frame, and every Davidson I ever saw has been the same, a
> superb piece of work.
>
> So it goes. I suppose it's the times, and the bike itself, as built, while
> first-class all the way, is not especially sexy. And, in our little world,
> as everywhere else, sex sells, by whatever name.
>
> I have a very sexy bike coming up next, a beautiful early '70s Pogliaghi in
> Faema colors. Be interesting to see what that one goes for. Functionally,
> the Davidson is the better bike, but, as we all know, function is sometimes
> the least of the matter--which is not to diss the Pog...it's a very, very
> sweet piece, low bottom bracket, long stays, relaxed angles. I'd not sell
> it ever, but it's too big for me... the pogliaghi/faema livery will put the
> price up there. But for sheer function? At best equal to the Davidson.
>
> Not the first time one of us has remarked on this kind of thing, but it
> struck me somehow, as the auction ended. Emotional intensity counts for far
> more than function when it comes to the price of a bicycle.