Re: [CR] motobecane gran record on ebay

(Example: Framebuilders:Alberto Masi)

From: "Charles Andrews" <chasds@mindspring.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 19:39:29 -0700
Subject: Re: [CR] motobecane gran record on ebay


With regard to that Motobecane, I suppose if you ordered something like this from, say, Toei, it'd cost more than $1400 bucks. Even assuming you could get one with that lug-package, which seems unlikely...that lug-set is probably still around, but not exactly common.

Truth is, these days, a hand-built production frame like this, finished the way this one is, would easily sell for more than 1400 bucks new, and would not have the intrinsic interest of something old. So maybe that moto wasn't such a bad deal. Depending on where you're sitting...

http://ebay.com/<blah>

That's why I like used stuff. Much cheaper. I bought a nice old Tigra road frame awhile back, lightly used, with a couple of very mild dents in the top-tube, but otherwise excellent chrome and original paint, for, what? $300 shipped from Switzerland? The paint/chrome/striping alone would cost two grand now, from a good painter. What a deal it was, and very pretty too.

With so much stuff out there, I doubt collecting even top-level bikes from the day will ever be a rich-man's hobby.

Charles Andrews Los Angeles

"everyone has elites; the important thing is to change them from time to time."

--Joseph Schumpeter, via Simon Johnson