hughwp

Seen a nice 1990s Columbus genius tubed road bike with Ultegra 6500 9 group on FBMP for £150 so thought I would do some research on prices on ebay and was shocked to see how little vintage quality road bikes (531 colunbus etc) were going for things like mercian holdsworths bikes etc seem to go for around £30-90!

A few years ago I'm sure these bikes were making several £100s?

Has the market collapsed, Is it a sign of the times with money tight?

Iride01 

Sounds like maybe the market is getting over the idea that all old bikes are worth something. For too long many old bikes were listed with ridiculously high prices just because they were old bikes and had similar styling to bikes that were actually great bikes of their time.

Though you are in a different market area. So I don't know what the market history has been where you are at.

SurferRosa

People want to be able to eat their cheese stuffed crusts with one hand while steering their fat-tired e-bike with the other.

That is, until they're forced to buy another e-bike in two years after their current one fails without ability to be serviced.

dedhed

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...d-dropped.html

csport

British: the bike is 50 pounds? It's a steal for this price!
American: the bike is 50 pounds? Never seen such a heavy one!

Aardwolf

It would be nice if you linked some of these cheap bikes, I window shop a bit when I'm bored but haven't seen these really cheap bikes.

Quite possibly we're looking on different continents.
I bought a Holdsworth Cyclone frame+forks in march for £127 on UK Ebay.
A really good feature of Ebay is looking at completed deals, but I think it only goes back about 3 months.

DCU1984

Just got a 1995 Colnago Elegant. Looks like I overpaid.

Maelochs

We should ask the C&V folks what is up .....

SW84

It's a fact of life. Values of everything constantly change. In tens years they'll go up again.

Wildwood 

Used bikes have categories, and ranges of condition, and knowledge of buyers:
old and broken, cheap components.
old and working - sentimental?
maybe "collectible"
"Collectible"
Market size shrinks as prices increase. Desirability and market size are the determinants of price. A genuine buyer (not low-******/flipper) is probably always right.

and 'Yes' to the point that the definition of BICYCLE has expanded [by many] to include e-bikes. A big new market opportunity, driven by demand. Lots of used e-stuff coming on the 2&3rd hand market.

*** Maybe this qualifies - Made in Taiwan with splined and triple butted chromoly frame; Yesterday, purchased a used Miyata 300 Elevation = $85, needed a quick screwdriver tune-up on fr der - Yellow [with black splatter on rear triangle] hardtail cyclocross, with above top tube cable routing, in average kinda condition bike. Pedals and bottle with cage included. Small market Grand Junction & neighboring towns.

cheaper to buy than ship one way a bike from home.

icemilkcoffee 

The values of C&V parts and bikes have definitely come down this last half year or so. In fact, the entire bicycle (ie. non-e-bike) market has basically crashed. Even Shimano reported 25% lower sales this year.

Not a good time for people who make a living from this industry. But it is a great and wonderful time to be buying old bikes and parts.

smd4

I don’t know; the components I like have gone up in cost. I bought a pair of DA 7700 25th Anniversary brake calipers for $135 last year; they’re double now; same for a rear derailleur. A titanium rear axle I got a couple years ago for less than $100 is $120 today.

rsbob 

If you have followed car auctions over the years like Barrett Jackson, you no doubt have seen prices on standard classic cars plummet while the true ‘collector car’ and exotics have increased. Part of the reason is that there aren’t as many buyers (could be because they are dying off and young people are interested in cars they knew and lusted for as teens). Tastes change especially with the advent of e-bikes, carbon go-fast bikes and the popularity of gravel and mountain biking.

Sure there will always be collectors out there looking for the hens-teeth and good investments, but the older “classic” stuff, just like with cars, will just be seen as obsolete stuff that grandpa had. Just my opinion.

veganbikes

There is tons of old bikes that are fine bikes but maybe don't have the provenance to them. I won't spend $500 on a Bugorulo but maybe Pinarello because I remember Big Mig riding one. Even if let's say the Bugorulo has the same tubing and similar components, that Pinarello has more provenance and the Bugorulo is a totally fake name I made up and you probably thought maybe I should look them up. It was founded by Vincenzo Bugorulo in Florence in 1956 because his son wanted to compete in the Giro and couldn't afford some of the pricier frames but Vincenzo was a welder by trade and had a friend who worked for Campagnolo...

KerryIrons

It's hard to put a price on sentiment, but from a riding standpoint, there is no magic in these old bikes and parts for maintenance can be hard to find, further diminishing their market value to an objective buyer. So an old bike with old components doesn't offer much from an absolute value standpoint. If somebody thinks it is a collector's item or something they have "wanted all their life" then that would set the "value" higher but otherwise . . .

philbob57

I don't get 'the hard to find parts' idea. It may be hard and/or expensive to find exact replacements for failed parts, and the choice of 27" tires and rims is restricted, but I haven't had any problem finding parts for my 50 year old MKM.

hughwp

Here are a few sold listings of cheap bikes
531 beeza £26
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355063158...Bk9SR6DEitvyYg

Holdsworth £80
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266428437...Bk9SR5zEitvyYg

Raliegh ritmo 531 £80
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196019950...Bk9SR7C00dryYg

Raliegh pro race 501 £25
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186111309...Bk9SR6aHrtryYg

74 Carlton cafe racer £57
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235208629...Bk9SR4z4spTyYg

Youngs 80s 531 racer £52
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175976611...Bk9SR4z4spTyYg

Don Farrell Racer early £18
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285470779...Bk9SR-DYx4zyYg

icemilkcoffee 

Well, the UK did suffer a big inflation shock and stalled economic growth after the Ukraine War. So I am not too surprised that discretionary spending on classic bikes crashed.

e0richt

for the american version of ebay... the vintage bikes look reasonable and for a good price until you check out the shipping...
most do only local pickup and if there is a shipping option, it doubles the price.

Mackers

Picked up a Colnago Elegant for slightly under $350 just the Monday before last.
Just finished stripping it, will flog the Athena group set clean it and build it up with Record 10S to see if I like it.

If not it's out the door and on to another

CrimsonEclipse

"bUt It'S vInTaGe!!!"

Nah.... just old

Aardwolf

Fair point, I mostly look for very old Holdsworth so I missed those.

531 BSA £26 - looks like Campy large flange hubs + other bits
Don Farrell Racer early £18 - Shimano 600 RD and possibly other bits.
Not that I'm suggesting buying them for the bits.

Steel Charlie

So I was looking at a C&V bike on CL. Asking price was (still is) substantially in excess of any reasonable price for the thing. Seller contends that it has great sentimental value. I attempted to explain to him that the sentimental value was only for him, not potential buyers. He was oblivious. That was a year or so ago. It's still for sale.

smd4

Oblivious? Sounds like he was damn smart. He wins whether or not he sells the bike.

hughwp

Here is italian columbus/campagnolo road bike that went for £90 seems a bit of a bargain?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225802384...Bk9SR-DYx4zyYg