I’m a bit perplexed some by some of the most recent comments on this thread, which appear to have concerns that this bike has not yet found a buyer, and that the thread has continued for a long time.
I have no quarrel with anyone who has a difference of opinion about the bike or its price. I’ve demonstrated that with respectful responses to questions about the bike, our thinking about pricing it, and so on. And while there has been some friendly debate & discussion, I think it’s fair to characterize the overall trajectory of this thread as pretty “middle-of-the-road.” There’s been a lot of curiosity and discussion, and that accounts for a good number of the posts.
I think it’s also fair to say that no one – including the seller -- knows for sure what is the magic number at which the bike will find a buyer. And we have been responsive to that dynamic, by reducing the price more than once to try to calibrate it with the market, and to garner feedback from reader responses. If we need to keep doing that, we will do so.
As I've said in other posts, the challenge in this instance -- for seller and buyers alike -- is finding an appropriate comparable. And if someone has a concrete, comparable data point that can provide insight into the appropriate pricing, I’m all ears. (Again, a data point...not simply a "feeling.") I would love to see comparable examples of essentially new, unused, 18 year old titanium Kona bikes that have actually sold. (There’s been discussion along these lines in the thread, so I won’t repeat it here.)
Having said all that, it’s also clear that despite the back-and-forth and the uncertainty around finding the right price, there has not been a broad outcry that finds the price radically unreasonable. Do some have a different perspective? Yes. But even those folks grant that it's tough to know for sure. Even those who see things a bit differently have been nice enough to say things like “good luck with the sale…I’ll be interested to see how it turns out.” Yes, the bike has not found a buyer yet -- and that’s why we have not stonewalled on price. One can probably also speculate that at least part of the reason the bike remains for sale is because there are a limited number of people who have thousands of pounds or dollars burning a hole in their pocket.
In short, to me, the iterative process of markets, sellers & buyers figuring out the right price at which a unique bike will ultimately sell is unfolding in a pretty typical fashion. And that’s where we are: in a “wait and see” frame, with civil, even-handed discussion. Prospects provide feedback, seller provides feedback, price reductions are made, no one seems to be able to provide a clear price based on a close comparable, and readers continue to be curious.
To those who find that bothersome, I’ll kindly say that you always have the choice not to contribute to the length of a thread whose length bothers you.
For our part, we’ll continue our efforts to be respectful, patient, and responsive throughout this process. The culture of Retrobike has always seemed that way to me, and it's why I like the community so much. I hope we can all continue in that spirit. Thanks for reading.
