Barrettscv 

lol

dashuaigeh

(as long as we're talking about investing in vintage bikes) to be fair, I feel like there are other investment options that don't take up space and annoy our roommates and loved ones .

jr59

Swatches have already peaked, about 5 years ago.

Chombi

The only thing that could raise the values of many bikes to iconic levels as mentioned classic cars and guitars is that a well heeled (preferrably sport or show biz industry) patronage forms to become a base for determining bike values. I'm not sure if just having Eric Clapton and maybe Madonna(?) start bidding against each other on rare bikes for auction can drive this enough, but I serously doubt it. Just not enough super rich "bikies" out there to do so. The values will be more determined by basic supply and demand (percieved??) forces in play..... Yes, a nice Hetchins might eventually go statospheric value-wise, but I don't see this happening for more mass produced bikes like Peugeots, Gitanes and Schwinns
Sorry guys, in the context of most things that we buy around us, bikes are still mostly "cheap".
Just enjoy them....and don't expect too much if you want to speculate for future profits (in other words, you won't be retiring soon, even if you dig up some rare bike to flip).
Heck, I suspect I'll might be long dead before my 84 Peugeot PSV becomes a $1K bike!!

Chombi

arimajol

[QUOTE=I've sold 4 nice vintage bikes or frame-sets in the last couple weeks for fair prices. 3 of the 4 were nice young hipsters who most certainly were NOT into vintage bikes up until recently, and, if I had to guess, were lured into the field by interest in the whole ss/fg craze. The fact that I could sell those in November is amazing. It wasn't possible a few years ago. Ebay would've been my only option.
[/QUOTE]
Bob, I got your Rauler and I have never had a fixed gear! ...although it's only been a year or two that i've been into bikes.. i think this is the first time i've been accused of being a hipster..

sciencemonster

What's the fun in that?

jr59

Oh yes,

The very good stuff, will ALWAYS be the very good stuff!

Les Paul guitar, in perfect shape will always be wanted.
The same way with Patek Philippe watches.

Not so sure about Huffys.

bibliobob

Hilarious! No offense intended! How's the build coming?

noglider 

My wife has a Fender bass from the 70's. It weighs a ton. What do you think it's worth? Or do you need pictures and more info? I know nothing of guitars.

arimajol

none taken! it's getting there, mostly just gotta get the cables on and everything adjusted. hopefully i can enjoy it a little before we get buried in snow!

rootboy 

Probably not apropos to this fascinating discussion but somewhat related; I remember a quote from a young, antique Chinese furniture dealer as we hiked the stairs to see his stash of the really rare stuff he kept in a derelict apartment he rented in a village outside of Beijing just for the purpose. I was shocked when he opened the door to reveal a Ming dynasty Luohan bed made from Huanghuali wood, an extreme rarity in China, even 15 years ago when this occurred.
He looked over his shoulder at me as we climbed the stairs and said, "Don't collect money. Collect fine, old things." Much to my wife's chagrin, she translated what he said when I asked her. I'm glad I managed to collect what few items I did while we were in China. Now, that stuff is mostly all gone and the throngs of young, new rich are collecting the stuff like crazy, when they can find it, driving prices through the roof. Supply and demand. Collect fine, old things. But not for the money.

arimajol

depends on the model and year. after CBS bought fender in 1965 the quality, and thus value, slowly faded. if it is either a precision bass or jazz bass in good condition it's probably worth at least 1000.

dashuaigeh

I'm not sure how far the guitar vs bike analogy goes. Clapton and Vai and Vaughan were considered cool for their music, so it's natural that their instruments would be coveted. Even if they rode bikes, it's at best a secondary thing to their music.

Not sure how modern indie music works in this context though. It doesn't seem like we'll have another Clapton Strat type of deal emerging.

noglider 

It's a jazz bass. I'm about to start learning to play it, if my shoulders are up to the task. I'll find out what year. It seems to be of very high quality, but what do I know?

20grit

A drunk friend of mine once told me, "Never sell a guitar for money". I died laughing at the time.

The real meaning of course was don't sell a guitar because I need money. The guitars and bikes I've accumulated have a specific value that I alone assign them. They may have a value out in the rest of the world, and I'll have to pay said value to acquire the things I want. But in the end, the value I assign to them is the one that really matters.

bibliobob

Sounds good. Let me know if you need any help with tools or parts. Feel free to come along for a ride sometime. There are a few of us around that get out at least for the occasional spin down the lakefront path. I'm happy to ride as long as it's dry and above 25F.

dbakl

Well, I've watched prices grow since I started messing with these bikes in the early 70s. Then you could buy almost any high-end bike new for 500. or so, and good used for 200. Now I seem to be paying 500. for a pretty sad bike. The holy grail stuff I think will reach astronomical prices; the ordinary stuff (which I tend to collect) will continue to rise, but not as greatly. That's why I don't sell anything anymore, just hang on to it until I use it.

arimajol

that would be great. i'll let you know if i need anything

redneckwes

Touring is the new fixed???

Cool, I was ahead of the curve! I have my vintage tourers already!!

Andrew F

But not while driving a vintage Mustang II Cobra........Hmmmmmm

auchencrow

Lots of good points from bibliobob... Though the fixie fad may be fading, it served to spark an interest among a new audience - one that will in time, become the next crop of "well-heeled" individuals with an avid interest in the older bikes.

^ I could not agree with this more - I was shocked in visiting a college campus recently, and seeing a stupefying quantity of bikes. (All POC's of course) - Prior to this you were likened to PeeWee Herman if you rode a bike.
There has been quite a resurgence - millions of kids on bikes, eco-conscious individuals, even old geezers getting their second wind, and as aging boomers retire, they'll be looking for a new (old) pastime too.

+1

fiataccompli

Pretty much anything - a car, a musical instrument, a bicycle, or whatever - bought "right" after it's bottomed out on its depreciation curve is going to be a non-looser, in my experience. I usually buy stuff at that point...not with the intent of making money or as an investment, but certainly with the intent of not losing money.

The one vintage bike I was surprised to not see listed in this thread is the Schwinn Stingray. Why not? Mass-produced, crude, heavy, and all that...but they seem to fetch crazy money.

mazdaspeed

I think the price of used durable goods will increase as the economy worsens (or energy becomes more expensive, however you want to look at it), narrowing the gap between a quality used item and a new one. Even higher end vintage bikes like a bridgestone RB-1, while they might sell for $1000, are not a bad deal considering a new bike for $1000 will probably not be appreciably better or longer lasting.

rootboy 

This is a very interesting and entertaining thread Auchen. Thanks for starting it off.