# The Future of Bicyle Collecting



## Strings-n-Spokes (Jan 17, 2010)

Hi               I'd like to start with an introduction.  I'm Shane, I have been a member here for a few years, and think that the Cabe is the most accesible and user friendly internet portal into our hobby.

I think that there might be some changes coming to our hobby due to national media attention
http://www.history.com/content/american-pickers

Might be a great thing, who knows.  Personally I feel some validation, I am sure that most of you have had friends or family ask  "Why so many bikes?'  or as we like to quote the Mother in Law - "Don't you think your'e going a little overboard, with the bikes?"


 Best Regards
Shane


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## WES PINCHOT (Jan 17, 2010)

*Sounds interesting!*

Sounds interesting!
I plan on watching program.
Thanks
Wes Pinchot
Fender Doctor


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## jwm (Jan 17, 2010)

National media attention? :eek:
All I can say is NOOOOO. Please, no for the love of all that's mechanical- NOOOOOOO. Tell the TV crew to to go away- take a hike. Beat it. Go do a cover of extreme mountain bikes or something.
*But Leave Us Alone!
*

All goofing aside. There are only so many antique/classic bikes in existence. It is a fixed number. Publicity= more collectors= speculators= scarcity=even more hideously high prices. The old bike thing has always been a kind of a low profile, backwater segment of the collectible & classic vehicle scene. A fad can take years to run its course, and a huge influx of interest in this hobby will serve no one well.

JWM


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## Mybluevw (Jan 17, 2010)

Thanks for the link Shane. It is good to see some media attention being given to something that I enjoy



jwm said:


> National media attention? :eek:
> The old bike thing has always been a kind of a low profile, backwater segment of the collectible & classic vehicle scene. A fad can take years to run its course, and a huge influx of interest in this hobby will serve no one well.
> JWM



JWM...I sort of agree and disagree.
Maybe it will cause prices to go up a bit, but if it causes people to think about reusing old stuff it is worth it in my book. We are such a disposable society that we need to realize the long term consequences of our consumer based lifestyle. I am trying to teach my kids that just because something is new and shiny that does not make it the best choice.


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## militarymonark (Jan 17, 2010)

doesn't mike wolfe collect and rebuild antique motorcycles I think he contacted me back in IL when he drove through quincy IL


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## militarymonark (Jan 17, 2010)

I just found his website, it is him lol


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## partsguy (Jan 17, 2010)

Mybluevw said:


> Thanks for the link Shane. It is good to see some media attention being given to something that I enjoy
> 
> 
> JWM...I sort of agree and disagree.
> Maybe it will cause prices to go up a bit, but if it causes people to think about reusing old stuff it is worth it in my book. We are such a disposable society that we need to realize the long term consequences of our consumer based lifestyle. I am trying to teach my kids that just because something is new and shiny that does not make it the best choice.




I agree! Because NOT MANY people think of Classic Bicycles as holding value, they get scrapped MORE than Classic Cars. My buddy in Indy (brassbusterpc) pulled a Flightliner aside and that helped me and many others who have been looking for parts for a long time. If it wasn't for him, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CRUSHED! This scares me as I think of how many across the nation are crushed with good parts and people like me are left to scavenge like raccoons for months, and for some of my bikes, YEARS! This hobby NEEDS publicity. Besides, I think many people would like to get a return on their restorations if prices go up. ITS A GOOD THING TO HAVE SOME PUBLICITY BUT NOT TOO MUCH!


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## Rus Tea (Jan 17, 2010)

Not to worry, the attention that the media aroses is usually helpful.   I got into restoring antique homes before "This Old House" hit the airwaves.  In those days parts and materials were hard to come by, and your efforts were not always appreciated.  After the show began to air the supply lines improved.  Interestingly, antique homes in need of repair haven't increase in price too much, but the resale on a completed restoration has!  That's a plus. So bring it on you TV pickers.  Unless thousands of people start collecting bicycles, the result will be a bigger inventory for us to pick from.


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## jwm (Jan 17, 2010)

Well, there is a point well taken- increased awareness of the beauty of old bikes could well mean a spike in availability, and that is a good thing. If watching a TV show causes someone to hold on to an oldie rather than trashing it, that's a great thing. Folks who have something sitting in a basement or attic could bring  them out and put them in circulation, and that is also very cool. But, as the song lyrics say- Time keeps on slipping into the future. There are just not too many folks left who were kids back in the forties and fifties and who just happened to hang on to their old bikes and toys. The Phantom in the attic is like the Knucklehead, or Cord in the barn- largely the stuff of collectors' legends, and urban myth. Here in So. Cal, old bikes were a fad with the surfing/ beachgoer crowd back in the late seventies, and early eighties, and it made collecting a royal pain. Everyone who had some rusted out pile of gears in his yard thought he had a thousand dollar bike in hand. I paid almost six hundred bucks for my B-6 back in '80, and I was lucky to even get hold of it. When you consider how much $600. would buy then, you could make a good case for an actual decrease in value now.
I saw the same thing happen about ten years ago with Japanese Die-cast robots. (another passion of mine) The fad never caught on much here in the US, but in Japan, Hong Kong, Italy, and The Philippines they were huge. Sets were fetching higher prices in '99 than they are now. Consider again that a thousand bucks in 1999 would buy you a lot more than it will today. Publicity is a two edged sword.

JWM


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## Freqman1 (Jan 17, 2010)

This is an interesting topic and since I collect a lot of different things, my mother accuses me of trying to start my own museum, I have a few observations. First I think there was something of a renewed interest in old bikes in the mid 90's--Centennial Phantoms, Columbias, Roadmasters, Western Flyers. I believe that did affect prices for a while but things got back to normal after a while. If for some reason the hobby really did take off I would like to see the same thing happen as it did for muscle cars and that's to drive the manufacture of reproduction parts. Now before I start receiving hate mail hear me out. I am all for a totally original bike--and most of my bikes are original paint and correct. There are, however, times when a bike needs, and is worthy of, a restoration and having _high quality _parts to bring them back would be a good thing in my book. If it weren't for reproduction parts there would be far fewer Corvettes, Mustangs, Cudas, etc... for people to enjoy than there are now. Jus my 2c. v/r Shawn


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## partsguy (Jan 18, 2010)

Freqman1 said:


> This is an interesting topic and since I collect a lot of different things, my mother accuses me of trying to start my own museum, I have a few observations. First I think there was something of a renewed interest in old bikes in the mid 90's--Centennial Phantoms, Columbias, Roadmasters, Western Flyers. I believe that did affect prices for a while but things got back to normal after a while. If for some reason the hobby really did take off I would like to see the same thing happen as it did for muscle cars and that's to drive the manufacture of reproduction parts. Now before I start receiving hate mail hear me out. I am all for a totally original bike--and most of my bikes are original paint and correct. There are, however, times when a bike needs, and is worthy of, a restoration and having _high quality _parts to bring them back would be a good thing in my book. If it weren't for reproduction parts there would be far fewer Corvettes, Mustangs, Cudas, etc... for people to enjoy than there are now. Jus my 2c. v/r Shawn





X2!!

I can think of some parts we need to remake! Tanks and racks for 'Liner bikes, light lenses, Radiobike tank trim, and all them other rarities.


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## Re-Cyclist (Jan 18, 2010)

I've collected in many fields over time, and one thing I've found to be consistent is that when an item recieves sudden attention as a valuable collectible and is pursued by the "masses", prices for everything will rise artificially for a short time. This usually results in a few rare pieces and a lot of mid-range stuff surfacing, which is always a good thing. What eventually happens though, is that once the speculators realize that every rusty hulk isn't worth big money, prices will level out again. Like always, the great stuff will always remain great and be sought after by serious collectors. These items will be worth whatever someone with deep pockets will pay. Everything else will find it's own level of value. Anyway, that's my opinion. I plan to watch the show. Sounds interesting.


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## walter branche (Jan 18, 2010)

*reality*

april 11, 1991 - i was interviewed by a newspaper , about my blue bowden bicycle ,signed by ben bowden the designer.......,,the interview was picked up ,and every day for about 3 months it was published in a different venue or location.,in the interview was my address with ,,i buy old bikes ,i got so much responce --i could have told you where every raleigh sport in the  u s a     was located   !!!!  good luck to mike wolfe and his show -tonight on the discovery channell ..i know where a 65 vette and a 63 with air condition, is buried under years of collecting ,a hoarders dream home .. if they want to discover the stash!!,..


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## militarymonark (Jan 18, 2010)

and where is that?


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## kz1000 (Jan 18, 2010)

*.*

I too have collected many other items, Lost interest in all of them because of the Sudden Interest and the REPRODUCTIONS that followed. Especially with Gas Station signs, it took the value and desirability out of investing in a rare piece.
If Reproduction Tanks become a phone call away, what joy will there be owning an original, Take a Spaceliner for example, they are sought after and it makes a complete bike valuable and worth collecting. If every spaceliner had a tank and rack, SO WHAT, it would be just another common bike. and the ones that are original and complete will NOT be desirable anymore. PLEASE keep the Mass Reproductions of bike parts to a minimum, They WILL damage the hobby like they have most other collectibles


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## Re-Cyclist (Jan 18, 2010)

You make a good point. I collected pedal cars for a long time, and paid a lot for some only to have them de-valued when the reproductions hit the market. The only ones I will buy now are the obscure ones that haven't been reproduced. Although it's nice to realize a profit when you sell, my personal reason for collecting anything is in owning something that is unique. Not something that has been mass produced.


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## Rus Tea (Jan 18, 2010)

Arrgghhh!  Pedal cars and Bicycles are (were) mass produced, sure early wheels in less #'s and with more hand assembly but mass produced none the less.  If a repro part makes it junk, then all my cycles are junk cuz a ride on new tires, I plan to replace them with , "oh no" new tires when those wear out! Oh, my God, I just realized I'm an apostate! :eek: I've been using new grease on my bearings and fresh air in my tires.....Oh the shame of it all....what have done!  Well, I feel better now and hey, it was cheaper than a therapist, thanks everyone!

Sorry for he rant or If I offended anyone, just having fun.  hope everyone continues to enjoy the hobby their collection and the fine programing available through the History Channel in HD.


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## Re-Cyclist (Jan 18, 2010)

I guess I should have used the term "recently" mass produced. I knew that was going to get a response as soon as I hit the "submit" key. Anyway, point well taken. The only point I was trying to make is that a flood of repro parts would tend to water down the collectibility of some bikes. Also, some unscrupulous parts vendors will sometimes try to pass off the repros to the uninitiated as real. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten calls to go look at "mint condition" Columbia 5 Stars only to find that it's an RX-5.


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## thom (Jan 18, 2010)

Let's see if that show does the same thing for bicycle collectors that Barrett-Jackson has done for the collector car hobby. I know of several cars and trucks that could have been bought for the true value , as a parts donor, for $800-$1000 a year ago. Now the price is $10,000.00 cause "one just like it sold for $15,000.00 on TV." Some people can't seem to tell the difference in the low mileage , big block, four speed , convertible on TV and the ragged four door rusty sedan in their backyard.


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## Re-Cyclist (Jan 18, 2010)

Kind of like the Antiques Road Show syndrome.


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## Rus Tea (Jan 18, 2010)

Don't you just love the send key...should have a 5 second delay ( are you listening microsoft?)  I'm available for a commercial


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## Flat Tire (Jan 18, 2010)

I met Mike about 5 years ago and see him at a lot of the swaps I go to, bought 3 bikes from him last year and made a profit off all three. Hes pretty easy to deal with..I dont think his show will have a lot of bicycles because he deals in everything, of course there will be a few. As for the reproduction parts it didnt hurt the antique motorcycle hobby, course that hobby has a lot bigger following. Ive seen rusty dented original gas tanks bring 10 times more than the repops. I really dont see the bike hobby gettiing much bigger, most folks dont ride them and dont want a bike on display in their house (except for the crazy bike nuts like us:eek


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## redline1968 (Jan 18, 2010)

when i started dealing in antiques 22yrs ago pre ebay it was good plenty of bikes and 10k plus finds. in that time when bikes were a topic in a newspaper they just disappeared and few to be found in a realistic price range.  prices haven't changed much though.  ebay came along and the whole antiques /collectable ( antiques road show effect) market collapses. prices payed in the 90's are getting half and in some cases 1/3.   a show like this might be interesting and sells programs but the reality of it is, it going to kill whats left of those who like to hunt for bargans.   i still deal and i find interesting how so many shows tend to kill the fun out of something.  in the 90's all i heard  from people was did you see that on antiques road show or ill put it on ebay.  its just another program;  but, its deeper implications will arise down the line.  starter collectors and dealers/pickers will feel the pinch the most.


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## cyclingday (Jan 18, 2010)

*Its all good, depending on which side your standing.*

I had so much fun just looking at the pickers videos, that it took me an hour just to get back to this thread and in that time there were about a dozen responses. I think that pretty much speaks for how popular this show will be with like minded collectors/scavengers. (If it's any good of course.)
 Everybody loves a good barn find story. There is a great book called;
 "The Vincent in the Barn" It's just a bunch of short stories about finding  rare motorcycles. As for what this all does for the hobby, who knows. This has all been going on for along time. The saturation of repops does kill the buzz about something rare and unique. Sometimes a piece is only disireable because of its rarity. The case with the Schwinn hanging cantilever tank. Im sure that everyone will agree that the embossed tank is much better looking from a design standpoint. After all that is why Schwinn abandoned the plain jane hanging tank. You practically couldn't give away the heavily reproduced embossed tank, but show up with an original hanging cantilever tank and they will fight each other to pay you two thousand dollars for it. I can just about guarantee that the value of an original hanging tank will plummet if it is mass reproduced.


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## Re-Cyclist (Jan 18, 2010)

I focused on muscle bikes for awhile. I started around '89 /"90 and put together a fairly large collection in a hurry. I had every color variation of Krate, along with all the rare variations and options. As soon as I got wind of the reproductions I sold them all. Good thing too because except for the rare ones (disc brake, etc.), prices dropped across the board. However, my main reason for selling was because I felt that once the repro's hit the market the fun of owning something unique was gone. I'll bet this board really lights up after around 10:00 P.M. Eastern.


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## jwm (Jan 18, 2010)

Rus Tea said:


> Arrgghhh!  Pedal cars and Bicycles are (were) mass produced, sure early wheels in less #'s and with more hand assembly but mass produced none the less.  If a repro part makes it junk, then all my cycles are junk cuz a ride on new tires, I plan to replace them with , "oh no" new tires when those wear out! Oh, my God, I just realized I'm an apostate! :eek: I've been using new grease on my bearings and fresh air in my tires.....Oh the shame of it all....what have done!  Well, I feel better now and hey, it was cheaper than a therapist, thanks everyone!
> 
> Sorry for he rant or If I offended anyone, just having fun.  hope everyone continues to enjoy the hobby their collection and the fine programing available through the History Channel in HD.




LOL! Hey, I can get you a good deal on some fifty seven year old hot air. I got lots of it. 
 I put new tires on mine, too. I just paid a visit to Dennison's Schwinn in East Los Angeles. This bike shop is a jolt to the past. They must have one of every Sting Ray ever built hanging from the ceiling in there, plus a matched set of boys' and girls' Panthers in the front window. There is barely room to turn around in the shop, it's so full of stuff. I went in with the painted wheels off my B-6 to get an opinion on their use-ability, and mentioned that several people on-line had told me that the B-6 never came with painted rims...
"You're a fanatic." he said. "Some of you people belong in a mental hospital."
I liked this guy right off the bat.
He pointed out that this was not an exact science. Bikes were frequently assembled with whatever part  the company had on hand, Bendix, New Departure- gooseneck with bolt, or nut and bolt. Painted wheel, or chrome- it also depended on what the customer wanted, and there are few hard and fast rules. It's not like the difference between a '60, and a '61 T-bird. 


Nonetheless, I'm still swapping out the painted S-2's for the chrome ones off the Starlet, and I'm having the three-wing Bendix laced into the chrome rim. And I'm considering a re-pop headlight from the re-issued Phantom to replace the old one that I had to patch up with fiberglass.
Bottom line- sometimes we can take this stuff just a little too seriously for our own good.

JWM


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## mastronaut (Jan 18, 2010)

*That's a dream gig!*

I bet I could find so many cool things if *I* had unlimited funds like these guys..I'm sooooo jealous!


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## Re-Cyclist (Jan 18, 2010)

Pretty cool show. I'm hooked


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## Bikephreak (Jan 18, 2010)

*Pickers-n-Grinners...*

I just watched the show. I flipped when the guy pulled an old H-D crank set out of a heap! I doubt it will inspire many people to flip out over bike & their value. How many people watch America's biggest loser while chowing down a whole bag of Doritos with a tub of sour cream... and maybe some soda... It may make every bike worth more for a few months. It was fun t watch the show. Really interesting people were visited with massive collections of ephemera.


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## redline1968 (Jan 18, 2010)

lets go freestylin...


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## Rus Tea (Jan 19, 2010)

On the up side, they bought a rusty pre-war for $30, and got what looked like a troxel saddle for free. If anything it may have been a reality check for the ebay/craigslist sellers.


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## jwm (Jan 19, 2010)

One of the great ironies of collecting, whether it's bikes, or whatever, is that people who get into it because _"people pay a fortune for this stuff"_ often end up being the ones who pay the fortune, not get the fortune. Poetic justice? I who just spent over seventy bucks for reflectors am not going to get smug.:o

JWM


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## HIGGINSFOREVER (Jan 20, 2010)

Bikephreak said:


> I just watched the show. I flipped when the guy pulled an old H-D crank set out of a heap! I doubt it will inspire many people to flip out over bike & their value. How many people watch America's biggest loser while chowing down a whole bag of Doritos with a tub of sour cream... and maybe some soda... It may make every bike worth more for a few months. It was fun t watch the show. Really interesting people were visited with massive collections of ephemera.




What gets me is did he look to see if the rest of the bike was there.


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## cyclingday (Jan 20, 2010)

At one point, when he was up on top of the pile where the crank set came from he picked up what looked like it could have been the rest of the H-D.
Then he set it back down without another look.
 The bike that he did buy for $30.00 bucks was a total morphodite. I think that the front hub was from a post 1940 Schwinn. The plus side is that the hub alone is valued at way more than $30.00. 
 That old guy with all the stuff was great!


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## Re-Cyclist (Jan 20, 2010)

Yea, the old guy was great. How about when Mike spotted the Vespa and offered him $50. The old guy accepted his offer before telling him he would have sold it for $25. Nothing like shooting yourself in the foot. Earlier in the program, didn't they say to always let the seller set the price before negotiating? Anyway, it's a cool show and I plan to watch every week. It's a way of picking vicariously through someone else during the cold months, and it gave me more incentive to get out there once the weather breaks.


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## Flat Tire (Jan 20, 2010)

Re-Cyclist said:


> Yea, the old guy was great. How about when Mike spotted the Vespa and offered him $50. The old guy accepted his offer before telling him he would have sold it for $25. Nothing like shooting yourself in the foot. Earlier in the program, didn't they say to always let the seller set the price before negotiating? Anyway, it's a cool show and I plan to watch every week. It's a way of picking vicariously through someone else during the cold months, and it gave me more incentive to get out there once the weather breaks.




I dont think that guy put a price on anything did he? I cant remember, he was a hard one to deal with but seemed like a cool dude. I thought it was funny all the stuff he said he didnt want to sell! Thats like my luck, I tried to buy an old riding mower once, sat in this guys back yard for years and he mowed around it, the grass was taller than the mower. When I finally stopped to ask about it he said no, he was gonna fix it up some day!  haha...I think its still there:eek:


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## HIGGINSFOREVER (Jan 20, 2010)

*pickers*

I believe that pulling up to someones house with a whole tv crew has a lot to do with it.To some people this is there moment of fame.Look everybody i an on tv.I will bet my s.s check that all of that has been all ready set up.


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## Classicriders (Jan 20, 2010)

Anyone who is on that show has to sign a letter of release.  
The main problem I had was when they showed the price paid versus the value and then the profit difference.
Should anyone who was on the show, or their family members watch and realize what happened there could be some backlash.
That being said, the person doesn't HAVE to sell it.  They can always refuse.
That guy who sold the Harley crank said no a lot more than he said yes.  Did you notice that he also had a bidder number in his pocket?  So the guy knows the auction scene and while he may not know what some things are worth, I would bet he knows what the majority of what he has is worth, i.e. tractors, automobiles, etc...
As for the WWII vet, I don;t think he had a clue what any of his stuff was truly worth... too bad.


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## Re-Cyclist (Jan 20, 2010)

I'll bet the buzz from this site did more for the show's ratings than all of the commercials they ran. Had it not have been for CABE, I might have missed the show entirely. Ahh, the wonders of the internet.


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## militarymonark (Jan 20, 2010)

i haven't found the actual show on the internet if anyone has a link that I can watch the full episode I'd love to the history channel does not have anything like that


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## 37fleetwood (Jan 20, 2010)

Re-Cyclist said:


> I'll bet the buzz from this site did more for the show's ratings than all of the commercials they ran. Had it not have been for CABE, I might have missed the show entirely. Ahh, the wonders of the internet.



imagine how many other forums like ours that deal with old stuff are buzzing with this show!:eek:


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