LaChamp1976 

Can't Post pic yet, Almost 95% Campy bike, is it worth $750 to sell?

malcala622

Whoa whoa whoa slow down there champ. Welcome to the forums and we can definitely help you in the right direction. Each post or question has a specific section. We're here to help.

Check out this section for value.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...th-appraisals/

Insidious C. 

This one? It's a pretty nice production bike. You could try listing it at $750 but you may have to come down some to get a sale.

cb400bill

Thread moved from C&V to Appraisals.

Kabuki12

Very vague description. Condition, year, color , and size are factors in determining market value. A picture will help and until then it would be futile.

bikemig 

Agreed with what others have said. We can't value it without decent photos and $750 is likely too high. I've seen those bikes hang on the vine for long periods of time at even at $500 which is likely closer to market value (maybe more depending on condition, color, size, etc.)

big chainring 

Memories. That was my first racing bike. '74 LeChampion. Bought it at Turin when they had just opened in Evanston Illinois. $425 for the bike and a Lutz track suit. Test ride upon pick-up was simply a ride for one block on Davis st. turn around and come back. A week later I would race it in the first running of the Boul Mich Bike Rally. I was 15 years old.

francophile 

OP is posting ":La Champion" everywhere. LaChamp1976 do you me LE Champion? I've never heard of a La Champion. Why does yours need new decals, is the paint screwed? Original paint and decals is always worth more than respray.

zukahn1 

A Le Champion would be a mid level boom era bike so regardless of condition $750 is just not going to happen. Based on current market conditions figure $100-200 in good complete condition needs some TLC .

canyoneagle

Need some more details to assess.

If it is a 531 frame with Campy NR level components, with a basic clean/refurb (and assuming nothing's broken or unserviceable) $450 is pretty easy to hit IMO. Hell, a full NR grouppo in decent shape can go on eBay for $500 on its own, then sell the frameset for $100, wheelset for $75-125 and random bits for $50 or so.

But, need more info to see condition and components before truly able to assess.

francophile 

Frameset is probably worth $150-250 if the BB and headset are installed assuming no dents, dings, tweaks, rust, and decals/paint are fully intact. Don't forget, assuming the OP's bike is a Motobecane, the LC was the best TOTL Moto we could buy domestically until the Team Champion became available.

I'd argue a full NR group would go for $500, maybe if mint and it included everything - headset, BB, seat post, drivetrain, cable guides, brake calipers with levers, hubs and skewers. etc. If some or all parts were NOS or NIB, I can see paying $600-1200 for mostly complete or fully complete but I can't remember the last time I saw anyone with such a group for sale and it would take exactly the right buyer, probably someone with a NOS frame looking to make a NOS complete bike.

I've never paid much more than $100-$125 for a mini-group of levers, cable guides, front and rear mechs included, in VG shape or better. If the OP's bike is in great condition and the brakes and drivetrain lack rust but haven't been rebuilt, I can see them getting maybe $200-250 for braking stuff, crank, mechs, levers, guides. Maybe $300 if the BB and headset are included, but I think they'd increase the value of the frame and fork if left installed and it sold as a frameset.

Very close friend of mine rides a '73 or '74 LC in the coveted black/red combo. We had to replace his drivetrain. BB, crank, levers, mechs, guides. I got everything we needed for $110. His Campy brakes, seat post, hubs were still intact, the rest someone else picked off and he wanted to get it back to normal with date-correct stuff.

Narhay

In beautiful, ready to ride condition I see $750 for a nice example of a Le Champion. Your bike looks like it has potential but needs a fair bit of work and money to bring it up to nice saleable condition. As is maybe $500

LaChamp1976 

I am not ignoring anyone, I have been having troubles replying to everyone responses.
I signed up as a premium member and that has not been easy either.
I am still sorting it out.
I hope this time I can post after many nights not being able to.
Thank you for all the great advice!

randyjawa 

I can't agree with this. The Le Champion, as I recall, was second from top of the line. See what Mark Bulgier's Motobecane catalog suggests. And, I feel that $100 to $200 is pretty low. I will take ten, please, at those prices. That said...

$750.00 US (I assume) would be considered reasonable but might be hard to get unless you have the following to offer...

Decent quality pictures will help a lot with appraising the bicycle. Where it is located will also have a big impact on value. Your marketing skills will impact value. The size of the bike plays a role in determining value. Condition, cosmetically and mechanically, is of considerable importance. Patience is also important and, depending on where you live, time of year is a definite factor. As you can see, a simple question does not, necessarily, have a simple answer.

Anyway, get your ten posts, spread over two days, and then show us what you have. I, for what it worth, am a Motobecane fan. Having owned a Grand Record and a Grand Jubilee, I can attest to the very fine ride quality. My old and long gone Grand Jubilee...

SurferRosa

francophile 

Fun to see such a high over-valuation followed by such a low under-evaluation, with the truth squarely resting at an average in between.

Wildwood 

@LaChamp1976 - Get your pics up in this thread.
Almost guaranteed you will get some Private Message offers.
Then you get to decide what it is worth to you.

Welcome to BF.
C&V is fun.
Participate for the long term if you like bikes.

LaChamp1976 

I am starting to clean up the bike, stay tune for the finished product!

horatio 

Thank GOD it's too big for me.

LaChamp1976 

The frame is 58cm, I could put the seat down, if you would like me to?

repechage

that seatpost can only drop 10-12mm
Any lower and the aero section is going to mess things up.

be reasonable regarding sprucing up.
condition is a tricky thing, get it wrong and it will hurt value

BlueDevil63 

Just my .02. When asked for a valuation a lot of people seem to give what they would pay for it which isn't quite what is wanted.

I recently bought a '74 Le Champion. It is definitely not a mid-level bike. With a Reynolds 531 frame and full Campy NR group (except for the Universal 61 brakes) it was a top line bike. I did a fair amount of research when I bought this bike on current prices. Now my market is Ebay so if you are buying selling locally only that is a different story and heavily depends on locale. But let's look at current Ebay prices (actual sold prices not asking prices) for the components that would come on a mid 70s Le Champion. These are actually median prices and you can certainly find outliers but these prices would be a pretty easy and quick sale on Ebay:

Cinelli handlebars $35.00
Cinelli stem $40.00
Campagnolo headset $50.00
Campagnolo brake levers $75.00
Campagnolo seat post bolt $20.00
Campagnolo seat post $60.00
Brooks/Ideal saddle $75
Campagnolo Record brake calipers $100.00
Campagnolo bottom bracket $60.00
Campagnolo Record crankset $125.00
Campagnolo Record (not SL) pedals $100.00
Campagnolo Record fd $35.00
Campagnolo NR rd (NR) $70.00
Regina freewheel $30.00
dropout adjuster screws $10.00
Campagnolo Record hubs/skewers $100.00
Super Champion rims $50.00
Reynolds 531 frame/fork $250.00

Total part out value ~= $1300

The Le Champion has Universal 61 brakes which are getting rare and the hangers are very rare. About $100 for a set with calipers and levers. Decent hoods another $35 on top of that.

Silver Le Champions like the OPs are selling for ~$750+ on Ebay. The OPs frame and components appear to be in excellent condition and this bike has Campy sidepulls (which were a common modification but were not stock on this bike, the Le Champion had Universal 61 centerpulls, the Team Champion had Campy sidepulls) which are more valuable. So $500 asking should generate a very quick sale. Less than that and I would just part it out. I think there is an easy $1000 if you part out and are patient and sell on Ebay, minus 10% for Ebay and Paypal fees of course.

francophile 

Seeing that one pic in larger format, I stand by my original call:

In the condition I'm seeing from that one pic, and knowing the bike is my size, I think it'd fetch $650-750, maybe as much as $850* for a motivated buyer. Because it's my size, I know I'd absolutely give someone $250 for that frameset, all day long! It's not the "best" color LC out there, I think the red/black combo or the powder lilac are at the top of that list, but silver is cool too.

As far as parting it out ... money doesn't drive my world or my decisions, so my opinion may be in the minority here. I personally feel like it's a bona-fide a-hole move to part-out a mostly-original bike just to net a few extra bucks. No insult intended to anyone who does this, we're all our own person ... I know the parts end up on bikes that need them, but there's something to be said for original stuff.

​​​​LaChamp1976 if it's all-original, the PAT date on the rear derailleur should tell you the year of the bike. I reckon it's mid-late 70s.

BlueDevil63 

To be clear I was not really suggesting the OP part it out but to some people the money does matter, especially now, and I wanted to be clear on what the "book" value of that bike is given the low numbers some people are throwing out. I think most people here know I don't part out bikes unless the frame is trashed. If the OP wants to sell this bike for $600 or less I would certainly be buyer because I am pretty sure I can sell it for $750 or more. Like Randy said at $250 I'll take 10 please 😁

SJX426 

yeah, 71 and 72 it was the top of the line and looked pretty good:
1972 Motobecane Le Champion 24" on Flickr