2009/6/21 <edvintage63@aol.com>: " Aside from the item or items in question, I'd just like to point out that the people who pay big money for niche stuff often recognize very fine distinctions. They are in many instances the codifiers and classifiers who provide the taxonomy of vintage bicycles, filling in the gaps and correcting the imperfect collective memory of those who were there "back in the day." A lot of that knowledge trickles down and is claimed cheaply by the less obsessed."
True, but there are times as well when it is perhaps in the avid collectors' economic interests not to share the specifics of subtle distinctions that sometimes can have huge impacts on value. Sharing this knowledge can often create a larger group of knowledgable competing collectors vying for a particular rare or valuable piece. So whereas the botanical taxonomist is presumably motivated by the pure collection and dissemination of knowledge, the collectors' economic motivations may well dictate he not only withhold knowledge but at times even deliberately misrepresent it. Once money enters the picture, perceived economic self interests will often trump their more altruistic motivations.
Kurt Sperry
Bellingham, Washington
USA