f.w.i.w. I personally feel that two datapoints each featuring two people bidding stratospherically (machismo-istically?) do not constitute "market" definitions, even if those two datapoints are for eBay auctions for the same marque.
There is no way to verify the actual sale prices, despite what eBay would have its viewers (and sellers) believe.
I still wonder why market discussions are so readily indulged by our little circle, while "what is my bike worth" questions are considered verboten...
Dale Phelps,
Montagna lunga Colorado USA
From: Martin Walsh <mowalsh@verizon.net> Subject: [CR] Market High for Helyett Speciale To: "CR List" <ClassicRendezvous@bikelist.org> Date: Saturday, October 24, 2009, 1:10 PM
Dear CR list members, I followed a couple ebay auctions for "Helyett Speciale" bicycles that two esteemed list members brought to the list's attention. Peter Kohler outed the first auction and Norris Lockley outed the second Helyett Speciale auction. One auction was sold by a seller in the U.S.A. and the second auction by the son of the original owner over in Orleans,France. Each of the auctions offered a different twist on what buyers want in vintage bicycles. The first bicycle featured "original patina",and the second bicycle featured a "pristine frameset" to sum up the descriptions in two words. The prices were what I consider to be market highs for production bicycles of this time period of late 1950's thru the early 1960's.
Peter Kohler list member from our DC metro area outed the first Helyett Speciale and here's how Peter described it,and I'm quoting Peter. Please see Peter's quote below: ..."entire machine just ouzes "Vive La Tour" originality. " The first Helyett Speciale that was outed by a fellow DC list member,Peter Kohler,can be found by pasting in :The "tinyurl" below or going to your ebay account and pasting in the auction item number: 280405683885http://tinyurl.com/yatltk2I wrote to the seller of this auction and he stated it was a "good auction" and the bicycle was being shipped to Japan.The selling price was $4500.00 dollars plus shipping to Japan.I considered the auction a market high for this type bicycle.But I may stand corrected...... I followed a 2nd auction for a Helyett Speciale that esteemed list member Norris Lockley brought to the CR list attention. The completed auction can be viewed here:http://ebay.com/<blah> link:http://search.bikelist.org/?SearchString=Helyett%20Speciale&SortBy=MsgDate[d]&Scope=classicrendezvousTake care and safe riding!Yours truly,Marty Walsh in Vienna,Virginia United States of AmericaP.S. Make sure you ride a bicycle, "single file" when riding, in Purcellville,Virginia,U.S.A., or the town police may just stop "you".True story!
Marty Walsh
Vienna, Virginia, USA