# Are these people insane???



## danny7147 (Apr 5, 2012)

Can somebody please confirm that there's a National Insane Asylum located in Madison, WI? Okay, there was a thread a few days back saying about a Raleigh that sold for $455... WAY too high... and by total fluke tonight I found this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1952-Raleigh-Dawn-Tourist-12L-Sturmey-Archer-dynohub-Brooks-saddle-vintage-/350539134630?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item519dc2b6a6

Now come on... it could be an absolutely authentic Raleigh that's been dry stored since being built and it wouldn't fetch over $300 here in the UK! But THAT much???

I bought a bike with the intention of stripping it a few days ago for £44... say $66ish... and I took pity on the old boy. Tonight I did a little research and found out that it's a Raleigh Dawn Tourist. 1956 to be precise. No huge shock, I knew it wasn't a Superbe which still wouldn't be worth anything like that amount, but I thought "I wonder if there's one for sale". Well to be precise, there's two. That one, and one in England for £150. Am I in the wrong business here? Should I set up a business with the sole intention of exporting old English rustheaps to Wisconsin? If they're prepared to pay that amount for a Raleigh I'd be a millionaire in a week 

Come on WI... wake up. It's a Raleigh, not a Ferrari...


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## HIGGINSFOREVER (Apr 5, 2012)

danny7147 said:


> Can somebody please confirm that there's a National Insane Asylum located in Madison, WI? Okay, there was a thread a few days back saying about a Raleigh that sold for $455... WAY too high... and by total fluke tonight I found this...
> 
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1952-Raleigh-Dawn-Tourist-12L-Sturmey-Archer-dynohub-Brooks-saddle-vintage-/350539134630?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item519dc2b6a6
> 
> ...



Anytime you see a bike being sold by BBCBIKES  do as we all do,just shake your head and move on to the realistic priced bikes.


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## danny7147 (Apr 5, 2012)

*And more...*

And this one... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-1...016?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item519d4a6378 ...$2000??? If you gave me $500 I could get you an immaculate one, INCLUDING the shipping, and still have enough left over to buy myself a nice fancy meal...

This... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Raleigh-Chopper-Mk-3-black-orange-NEW-bicycle-bike-2004-Reproduction-/350511882674?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item519c22e1b2 ...a 2004 reproduction, still sold now brand new for around $360... $800?????

This one... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Raleigh-built-Triumph-Tenerife-5-speed-english-sports-bicycle-bike-blue-/290646827198?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43abe6a0be ...I can get for $50 in every free paper in the country... $400?!?

How does the old saying go? "I'll kick you in the nuts..."... can someone seriously tell me, is there honestly that sort of market for old English stuff in the States? If so, I can give you a supply of them that would make us all rich  I got GIVEN a free 1955 Rudge today, complete with dynohub, lights, Brooks saddle, you name it. Okay, it's rusty, but maybe I should stick a price tag of $900 on it, say it's rare, and stick it in a box marked "Wisconsin"


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## danny7147 (Apr 5, 2012)

HIGGINSFOREVER said:


> Anytime you see a bike being sold by BBCBIKES  do as we all do,just shake your head and move on to the realistic priced bikes.




Tell me about it... so that bike he has in the first listing, the Raleigh Dawn Tourist, what would you say would be a 'normal' American price for that? Here, it would be around $140-$180 depending, as what he hasn't noted is if it really is a Dawn Tourist it's missing the battery pack that straps to the downtube


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## Uniblab (Apr 9, 2012)

Well I don't know about the values of Brit bikes here but can relate this childhood story....

Me and my sis had a couple of Royal Scots which a snooty neighbor kid was always reminding us how they were cheap versions of his Raleigh. Seems that Raleigh had been marketed effectively (here anyway) that they had a upper crust reputation and perhaps that's why the values are higher these days. The opposite is true of old Jaguars and their ilk, you need to find a junkyard that would agreed to sully their operations with one of these Lucas laden atrocities. LOL

Having said that, do you know of any last generation Scootacars? HA!


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## speedy25 (Apr 10, 2012)

What you see on ebay isnt always reality. Its easy to get a shill bidder or two to drive a price up. I seriously doubt if a transaction ever took place for that auction. Add it to your "entertainment" file.

-SP


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## Uniblab (Apr 10, 2012)

Another spin on the shill bidder scam is for the seller to allow his shill bidder to "win" the auction and then tell eBay that they and the winner have come to terms to not complete the deal, this prevents either party from getting in trouble with eBay and the seller avoids the fees......here's where the scam comes in.....the seller then offers it to the highest REAL bidder and gets around paying eBay their fees..


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## danny7147 (Apr 10, 2012)

Sounds like a good plan, when shall we start


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