Es1111

rps20160812_103148.jpgI have a Galibier racing bike I bought at an estate sale it looked pretty cool so I bought it. I did a little research but couldnt find much. Ward Vissers was a Belgium racer and he raced in the Tour De France. Does anyone know what the bike is worth? I will post the pics tomorrow once I can resize them.

Thanks in advance.

big chainring 

Wow, that is really cool.

Looked up Ward Vissers. 1937-8 TDF and the Belgians are getting pepper thrown at them, getting in their eyes. Oh the French.

That bike is worth some money. Adjustable stem is really valuable. I wish I knew more about it. Never seen one before.

Es1111

Thanks for your input I really appreciate it. I know I read the same thing the French were throwing rocks and pepper at the Belgium riders that's crazy. Taking "whatever it takes to win" to a whole new level.

big chainring 

Looks post war, late 40's. Wonder if Ward Vissers had a bike shop and sold bikes under his own "brand"?

Lug less construction, box lining. Very nice. That's a time capsule. Looks like you could pump the tires and go for a ride.

big chainring 

It would be nice to see close ups of the hubs, crank, pedals, etc.

To me that's a $800-1000 bike. More history would validate those numbers.

rootboy 

And interesting that, if it is a Belgian-made bike, they'd name it after a Col in the French Alps.

Really cool find there. Yes, please!...more pictures.

Es1111

I uploaded more pics. Looks like the bike was made in Antwerp it has an address and phone number or the bike was custom made for Ward and he put his address and number on it??

randyjawa 

When I offer an appraisal, I quote what the bike is worth to me. I would not let that one go for less that $1500.00. It is something special and my guess is that a serious collector, or two, will express serious interest. Of course, I could be way off the mark, simply because it is unusual.

Es1111

Yes, I understand. Things are only worth what people are willing to pay. Hopefully a few serious collectors pop out of the woodwork.

Thanks for the opinion.

randyjawa 

Only if they know about the bicycle. If selling, the one you have should be listed world wide on Ebay as an auction item, with a starting price of what you think it to be worth to you. I would start at the mentioned fifteen hundred and then let the market decide. The bike might prove to be worth more than I suggested.

big chainring 

I would bet that's the house brand of Ward Vissers bike shop. Very common for retired cyclists to have a bike shop business. And perhaps like Greg Lemond his bikes bore the name of the famous climbs of the TDF.

In Chicago we had AL Stillers Schwinn. It was a real treat going to that bike shop. He had pictures and trophies from his racing days in the 50's. And he and his wife would be in the stands at the thursday night Northbrook bike races along with Othon Oschner, Babe VandeVelde, Jim Rossi, and all the other old racers.

repechage

Not from the 30's
More later 40's -50's
Nice lugless construction, no tubing decal, mismatch later front wheel.
Cannot tell the brand and model of the rear wheel, if a Campagnolo Gran Sport the locknut faces of the cone, locknut should have a date code, that may give a decent pointer.
Chain may be stretched.
A fun track bike, fewer collectors of track bikes who spend big dollars.

repechage

I think that is too strong a starting price.
Been watching a number of bikes or frames listed at what should or could be the transaction price lately.
No bids, no sale. There is something about momentum, or the reassurance that someone values it nearly as much that does not happen when the price is too high.

KonAaron Snake 

+1. The strategy suggested above is wrong...if you want to name a price, you do it as a buy it now with make an offer. This works better for bikes with a more established value. For a bike like this, you either let it roll, or you decide what's a fair price for you and use buy it now. Bikes like this with a high starting price are not usually the best way to go.

Also - once a bike has gone through an auction once, it's usually less attractive to buyers the second time.

exxongraftek

>>> VS <<<
My advice FWIW is to use a hybrid approach combining these - With an item such as this, begin with randyjawa's advice. Either you will get your price or you won't.
Then use KonAaron Snake's approach if no one bites. Decide a price (if different), let the offers come in, then you decide how much you are willing to discount your price (or if you are).

Respectfully disagree - in my experience, these are often bikes I will watch because it becomes obvious that only a few have any interest & maybe I can snipe that bike for cheap!

KonAaron Snake 

The snipe it for cheap is exactly what the seller doesn't want! Your approach is exactly why it's not a good idea to have multiple listings; it creates a lower ceiling and a lower perceived value/interest.

exxongraftek

If it was one of my grail bikes, I would put it up for auction with a start price of what I want for it.
If no sale the first round then maybe lower my start and re-list if I can stand to do it.
More than likely if I don't get my start, I'm done trying to sell - unless I NEED to sell.
That's when I would do your BIN - if I can't get a price out of my head but NEED to sell the item.

It's all about getting the buyer and the seller to a place where they are willing to do an exchange.
The dance, if you will, between a seller who sees max $ and a buyer who sees min $. Maybe it happens, maybe not.

KonAaron Snake 

Agree that it's, ultimately, a dance and a meeting of the minds between two parties...but there are things you can do in the dance that affect where you finish, or which have a likelihood of benefiting one party.

Generally speaking, having an open auction twice benefits buyers IME. If something goes up for sale once...and doesn't sell...the observers are thinking like you indicated above...opportunity! Others are thinking maybe it's not as desirable as I'd hoped. You COULD get two deep pocket bidders who bth missed it last time, but, generally, I've suffered when an item goes up a second time.

Es1111

Wow thanks for all the great replies and information very helpful and a lot more than I was expecting. I think what I have concluded is I still have to get more info on the bike to be able create an appealing story to sell it. Who knows what I will get for it in an auction setting. Maybe I will put it on ebay very soon.

Thanks again to everyone!

non-fixie 

Galibier was indeed the house brand of Ward Vissers' shop in Antwerp. He started the shop shortly after WWII, which had effectively stopped his racing career, and ran it for 32 years.

Bikerider007

Appears 40's, neat bike but brand is pretty much unknown which affects value. I like track type bikes but would not go more than $400-500 if it called to me. The stem is cool but unknown as well, if it were a big name like the old school Schwinn ones on the Paramount Racer or a later Cinelli, then it would be much more. If ornately lugged it would generate more interest as well.

Ebay international would be the way to go if trying to get every dollar and just see how it plays out, or sit on and do a BIN.

alexihnen 

Glad that I found this thread. Here's a second Galibier. Perhaps with these two a listing can be added to Classic Rendezvous and make the brand more discoverable.