# What is the highest price you have seen for something that needed total restoration?



## Sped Man (Feb 28, 2013)

I talked to an owner of a bike that was made in the 30s or early 40s. It needed to be completely redone. The chrome was crap. The seat was junk. The paint.....what paint? It looked like someone dragged the bike for miles on each side. The rims were pitted. It would easily cost over 2K to restore. He wanted over $2k for it. I was shocked. I asked the guy if he would take less. He wouldn't drop the price. I checked online and found another one for way less. Even on Ebay I saw cheaper one that sold recently.  What have you come across lately where the owner wanted a fortune for a project bike?


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## Andrew Gorman (Feb 28, 2013)

I just smile, nod and move on.  Plenty of bikes in the sea.


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## cantaffordem (Mar 2, 2013)

*Swing Bike*

I came across a Swing Bike like that recently...terrible shape. The frame didn't move freely, no wheels, the chrome was shot, a few gouges in the frame, the drive side crank arm looked to have been run over, and on and on. I'd just bought a pretty decent JC Higgins from the guy for $75 the week before, so I figured he'd deal. I asked him what he wanted and he said $1000. I told him that fully restored I might be able to get $1200 and I wasn't sure the frame was any good. He said he'd take $900. I told him no thanks and left without making the offer of $25-$50 i thought it was all worth


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## Dan the bike man (Mar 2, 2013)

One day these bikes will be passed on to their kids, and they will toss them in the trash.


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## Sped Man (Mar 3, 2013)

Dan the bike man said:


> One day these bikes will be passed on to their kids, and they will toss them in the trash.




Very true. I was once in a home where the owner was 85 years old. The house belonged to his parents. The furniture was from the turn of the century. I thought I had gone back in time. He had beautiful stain glass lamps in several rooms. I fell in love with all the things I saw. While I was talking to the owner, his son walked in. He wanted me to take it all. I would have but that wouldn't have been right. His son hated antiques. He was a leach living off of his father. He never got married and lived in the basement. This was over 20 years ago. The moment his dad passed away I bet you that he donated all those expensive antiques to charity. The Salvation Army must have made out like bandits.


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