Just me?

[jamabikes]

I think you have just nailed it. Retro Mountain biking isn't a neich anymore. That's what is making me sad.

 

[john]

Moved to retro mtb chat, think it's an interesting discussion.

Can't help but think you (jamabikes, the OP) are judging value against any other mass produced MTB. This ain't no Kona Cindercone, Pat's point below sums it up well....

What's the old saying---"If you want to hang with the big dogs, you'd best be hanging around the big trees"--- I like old bikes, and most of them aren't that expensive, but there are always exceptions, and this bike is one of them. It's not just a bike, but an Iconic first representation of a purpose built custom MTB that basically started the present era of Mountain bikes, as separate from road bikes. It's also beautifully built, handcrafted by a master designer/builder and they aren't making any more of them! So it's worth whatever the buyer thinks it's worth, and there are some Big Dogs out there! -- Oh, Jamabikes, the owner is out riding it Today, and I rode it yesterday, no reason not to, it is a bike after all- albeit a pricy one.

 

[jamabikes]

For the eleventh billionth time, im sure that this bike is worth the asking price, hell my first reaction was I thought it would be up for more. My reason for starting th thread was that what I always thought of a nice cozy little niche sport could now command such a high price, and that someone would spend more than I earn in a year on a bike that in all likelihood won't be used for what it was made.

 

[suburbanreuben]

So are we at the point of understanding you would want old bikes to cost less to buy now than they did new?

If that is the case, it surely does not apply to all of them? Some of them must be worth more in light of their significance, and if that is not relevant to you you can surely appreciate it might be to others and be somewhat less sad about it?

Personally if I came into the kind of money necessary to start throwing together an MTB collection that Breezer would be right up there on my list of desirable acquisitions, and given its rarity and significance 25k would be a bargain.

Not entirely. It's the fact that any bike can be worth so much money when it cant be ridden. Cos let's face it if you bought it you couldnt ride it.

Why not? Maybe you couldn't ride it, but is that because of it's rarity, significance, etc, or because it cost $25000?

 

[greenstiles]

Worth is in the eye and pocket of the buyer.

Considering you can now pay £10,000 for a new piece of carbon crap that's only worth £3,000 tops in realliy, this sounds ok.

Some people spend thousands on an old car from the 80's ???!!!!

I know one thing i'd rather spend thousands on a piece of MTB history than a crayon drawing of the scream at £74 million...............but saying that it depends on your angle, love, investment, or both.

 

[suburbanreuben]

For the eleventh billionth time, im sure that this bike is worth the asking price, hell my first reaction was I thought it would be up for more. My reason for starting th thread was that what I always thought of a nice cozy little niche sport could now command such a high price, and that someone would spend more than I earn in a year on a bike that in all likelihood won't be used for what it was made.

Cheer up mate!
There is the very great possibility that someone who can afford to splash that sort of money on a pile of old pipes will want to ride it, hard, maybe not every day, but every once in a while when the sun is shining; but how many of us ride our "best" bike every day?
There are some quite ordinary bikes on here that have never been ridden, and never will be, simply because they are rare. They weren't very good, and never won nuffink, aren't very significant, and are rare for that very reason , but their owners think they're special.
Each to his own.
You never know, it might turn up on a group ride one day...

 

[mikee]

right , im having a shed sale
if you have over 10 grand to spend feel free to browse
lots of ordinary mid range (but scarce) bicycles to choose from

 

[jamabikes]

how much will £3.46 and a sherbert fountain get me?

 

[doctor-bond]

I've got some sympathy with the OPs point: there is something troubling about a world where ordinary things become highly valued, especially where that high value makes it likely that they won't be used as intended.

Doesn't matter if it's old MTBs, Guitars, BMXs, Paintings - its the mismatch between perceived value and usefulness that is the issue. It speaks of a world whose values are out of synch, rather than being a reflection on the things themselves.

The retrobike/VRC community should all chip in a tenner, buy the Breeze and then pass it around for it's intended use. World values restored.

 

[mikee]

its just collateral
its asigned a value , then keeps or grows the value

a bit like those cooks q/r's or such like that you have in that special drawer in the shed

i actually think its healthy for this bike to attain that level of worth

and lets face it who wants the grand or so's worth of scrap in your shed to
be worth less than you paid for it ,they are after all luxury items