# Butchering the past........



## bobcycles (Aug 15, 2013)

A very cool original and rare Colson Imperial butchered for profit on ebay.   

Anyone see this one?   What a shame.........butcher the heaps or pieced together crap...not the bikes with integrity and originality in tact...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281145912864


----------



## bricycle (Aug 15, 2013)

yea, a real crime.... someone had a thread about this a bit ago.


----------



## Bicycle Belle (Aug 15, 2013)

Yes, sadly we all saw it. What makes it even worse is that the seller is listing each part separately for 10 days and is taking his time listing the rest of her. He is doing it to make the most money I suppose but what I see is that anyone who had interest in putting her back together will get good and tired of waiting for all the auctions to end.


----------



## vincev (Aug 15, 2013)

Hey I got one of those carriers.


----------



## bikewhorder (Aug 15, 2013)

Its been a slow motion train wreck, it feels like its been going on for a couple weeks now, oh wait, it has.  This is the thread I posted when the sacrilege began, http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?44963-The-Indian-is-crying


----------



## fordmike65 (Aug 15, 2013)

bobcycles said:


> A very cool original and rare Colson Imperial butchered for profit on ebay.
> 
> Anyone see this one?   What a shame.........butcher the heaps or pieced together crap...not the bikes with integrity and originality in tact...
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281145912864




Yeah, I think more than a few of us have shed a tear or two over this atrocity. Pisses me off everytime I'm reminded...LIKE NOW!!!


----------



## WES PINCHOT (Aug 15, 2013)

*Butchering the past*

Yes, i know the feeling! I had disassembled and completely rebuilt
an all correct b607, including respoking with double butted and correct
spokes and nipples. Carefully touched up chips and made a trophy winning
bike. I sold it at ann arbor to a guy who was going to put it in  a collection.
I found out that he in turn had sold it. And the guy he sold it to, parted 
it out and sold it on the bay for more than twice the price. All my loving
care scattered to the winds of the bay.


----------



## cl222 (Aug 15, 2013)

WES PINCHOT said:


> Yes, i know the feeling! I had disassembled and completely rebuilt
> an all correct b607, including respoking with double butted and correct
> spokes and nipples. Carefully touched up chips and made a trophy winning
> bike. I sold it at ann arbor to a guy who was going to put it in  a collection.
> ...




Any bike I sell is one I have only the work of finding it and greasing it into. Its not worth selling a restored bike.


----------



## fatbike (Aug 16, 2013)

Lame but part of the game I guess... 


38 girls Imperial is a pretty cool bike. Its to bad Bob you were not able to gather it before it was parted. It would have looked great next to your boys original 38 Imperial


I don't think there was ever an option to purchase this one whole. But anyhow I hope it will make a few new additional Imperial out there in the hobby.


----------



## babyjesus (Aug 18, 2013)

*rack*

Most expensive rack ever.

It's rare though.  Never seen another for sale.


----------



## scrubbinrims (Aug 18, 2013)

What a SOB...even parted out the horn from the tank and I am shaking my head somebody paid 71 bucks for it.
I won the badge early on and had designs on winning the painted parts, but had a second thought, unwilling to contribute another nickel to this seller from his email responses and listing design.
Chris


----------



## babyjesus (Aug 18, 2013)

scrubbinrims said:


> What a SOB...even parted out the horn from the tank and I am shaking my head somebody paid 71 bucks for it.
> I won the badge early on and had designs on winning the painted parts, but had a second thought, unwilling to contribute another nickel to this seller from his email responses and listing design.
> Chris




I totally get that.  I think they automated the listings too because when I asked about the rack they gave me a date and time it would be listed. Weird. The rack was the only impossible to get anywhere on earth part on that bike as far as I kknow. I have one on my ladies Imperial but I have never seen one for sale as a serparate part - ever - in my life.


----------



## dougfisk (Aug 18, 2013)

A real sad ending...  I would have paid above market value for this intact... don't know what he cleared after adding it all up.    It won't end until we quit buying parts to cobble together "restorations"...


----------



## babyjesus (Aug 18, 2013)

dougfisk said:


> A real sad ending...  I would have paid above market value for this intact... don't know what he cleared after adding it all up.    It won't end until we quit buying parts to cobble together "restorations"...




The rack went for around 570. I'm not sure what the bike was worth as a whole but the rack was easily worth more than the rest of the bike put together.  I agree - it would have been better intact for 850 or 900 I guess?


----------



## dougfisk (Aug 18, 2013)

babyjesus said:


> The rack went for around 570. I'm not sure what the bike was worth as a whole but the rack was easily worth more than the rest of the bike put together.  I agree - it would have been better intact for 850 or 900 I guess?




That rack will never serve a higher purpose than right where it was.


----------



## babyjesus (Aug 18, 2013)

dougfisk said:


> That rack will never serve a higher purpose than right where it was.




Yeah I totally agree on that.  The seller seemed pretty cold and short in the short exchange I had with him/her.  I guess they just don't care - clearly not bike people.


----------



## fordmike65 (Aug 18, 2013)

I first offered the butcher...I mean seller $800 plus ship. I get a short "No". I wait a couple days and offer way more than I can afford, but thought this piece deserved it. In response to my $1200 + ship offer, I get "You're just going to have to bid on all the pieces if you want the whole bike. Thanks and good luck".  Yeah, I'm a little ticked...Looks like I'm not the only one. I was hoping a fellow member might have had the means to do this ol' girl justice. I guess all out greed wins yet again. This piece should have never been touched and put in a museum or a high end collection where it would stay complete to be enjoyed and learned from for years to come. 
Oh well....


----------



## slick (Aug 18, 2013)

fordmike65 said:


> I first offered the butcher...I mean seller $800 plus ship. I get a short "No". I wait a couple days and offer way more than I can afford, but thought this piece deserved it. In response to my $1200 + ship offer, I get "You're just going to have to bid on all the pieces if you want the whole bike. Thanks and good luck".  Yeah, I'm a little ticked...Looks like I'm not the only one. I was hoping a fellow member might have had the means to do this ol' girl justice. I guess all out greed wins yet again. This piece should have never been touched and put in a museum or a high end collection where it would stay complete to be enjoyed and learned from for years to come.
> Oh well....




Well, it sucks that you didn't get it Mike. I wanted it whole for Karla also but by the attitude of the seller it was a no go. I tapped out early on when i saw what the chainguard went for. Greed always wins is the sorry fact of it all. A rare bike indeed to be parted out when it would have looked a hell of a lot better being ridden by some hot chick instead of restored piece to some guys bike that will never be ridden anyways. Very sad day indeed. Whoever got it.....YOU SUCK!


----------



## babyjesus (Aug 18, 2013)

slick said:


> Well, it sucks that you didn't get it Mike. I wanted it whole for Karla also but by the attitude of the seller it was a no go. I tapped out early on when i saw what the chainguard went for. Greed always wins is the sorry fact of it all. A rare bike indeed to be parted out when it would have looked a hell of a lot better being ridden by some hot chick instead of restored piece to some guys bike that will never be ridden anyways. Very sad day indeed. Whoever got it.....YOU SUCK!




Does anyone know who got it?  Did somebody win all the parts so far?  I know Chris (scrubbinrims) got the badge I think?

Would be great if it would be all put back together again.

I tried for the rack....  I actually got up at 430am my time to bid on that darn rack.  It went mega high.


----------



## babyjesus (Aug 18, 2013)

fordmike65 said:


> I first offered the butcher...I mean seller $800 plus ship. I get a short "No". I wait a couple days and offer way more than I can afford, but thought this piece deserved it. In response to my $1200 + ship offer, I get "You're just going to have to bid on all the pieces if you want the whole bike. Thanks and good luck".  Yeah, I'm a little ticked...Looks like I'm not the only one. I was hoping a fellow member might have had the means to do this ol' girl justice. I guess all out greed wins yet again. This piece should have never been touched and put in a museum or a high end collection where it would stay complete to be enjoyed and learned from for years to come.
> Oh well....




By the way 1200 seems like a more than generous offer - even for the crazy price the rack went I think he still wont get as much as your offer.  I spoke to him too and he didn't seem nice at all.


----------



## wuffwulf (Aug 18, 2013)

Old bikes are serious business.


----------



## babyjesus (Aug 18, 2013)

wuffwulf said:


> Old bikes are serious business.




.....did you win the rack?  ...are you the seller?


----------



## dougfisk (Aug 18, 2013)

I have as many Colson projects as (nearly) anyone.  I could have used some parts that were wrenched from this survivor.  But I did not, and will not, bid on parts pirated from a nice survivor original, boys OR girls.  The butchers will have to get by without me...


----------



## fatbike (Aug 18, 2013)

Crazy that the rack went for $565-  Maybe a year ago I couldn't give one rack for 200 and a really nice non bent one with killer chrome slats 400. Ebay is so unpredictable. And I really don't think it is a very good gauge for value, people get in a frenzy and want to out do one another.


----------



## babyjesus (Aug 18, 2013)

fatbike said:


> Crazy that the rack went for $565-  Maybe a year ago I couldn't give one rack for 200 and a really nice non bent one with killer chrome slats 400. Ebay is so unpredictable. And I really don't think it is a very good gauge for value, people get in a frenzy and want to out do one another.




Do you have the same rack?  I'll buy it if you want to sell it..  They are impossible to find.


----------



## fordmike65 (Aug 19, 2013)

*I've been looking too*

I have a whole project planned around this rack. Pretty solid, though corroded a bit like others I've seen.


----------



## babyjesus (Aug 19, 2013)

fordmike65 said:


> I have a whole project planned around this rack. Pretty solid, though corroded a bit like others I've seen.





Aw nice... lucky you!  If you ever wanna sell you know where to go


----------



## stoney (Aug 19, 2013)

I saw that slogging on and on. The bike had some pretty nice paint on it. I actually liked the French's mustard yellow paint. Girl's bike , boys bike whatever---I hate seeing a really well preserved bikes parts scattered all over the country.


----------



## Bicycle Belle (Aug 19, 2013)

stoney said:


> I saw that slogging on and on. The bike had some pretty nice paint on it. I actually liked the French's mustard yellow paint. Girl's bike , boys bike whatever---I hate seeing a really well preserved bikes parts scattered all over the country.



It's still going on. That is the most drawn out auction I've ever seen.


----------



## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Aug 19, 2013)

wuffwulf said:


> Old bikes are serious business.




Really captain obvious?... No way!? We didn't know that. Thanks for clearing it up with all of us! You all feel better knowing this tid bit of information he has provided?? Awesome that another person on this site is ok with destroying a complete bike that is now lost forever.


----------



## OldRider (Aug 19, 2013)

dougfisk said:


> I have as many Colson projects as (nearly) anyone.  I could have used some parts that were wrenched from this survivor.  But I did not, and will not, bid on parts pirated from a nice survivor original, boys OR girls.  The butchers will have to get by without me...




Atta boy Doug


----------



## vincev (Aug 19, 2013)

I got my rack for free when I bought an old wood wheel 1911 Elgin for 4175.as we were leaving the owner called out and asked if I wanted an old rck his dad painted to put on the Elgin but never did.I accepted the free rack and the rest is history.....LOL


----------



## bobcycles (Aug 19, 2013)

*butchering*

I contacted the seller and you know what they told me?  That yeah, they had offered it to the "Bike Collecting" community but no one would pay the 300 dollars they were asking...

riii-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ght!!!!!!    I told them I'd go 450 then and pay shipping..

they then told me TOO LATE!  Had already sold some of it on ebay ...and were at 1000 range as it stood.

sad to see that bike parted as with any rare bike.

--------As for parting bikes......I think some are fair game.  I am currently liquidating an estate of bikes that were all "parted together" mostly with incorrect parts and pieces but all the chrome/bright work done.
No sin no foul........and hopefully new life for good parts to the collector community.

watch my ebay listings for no reserve 99c auctions on a lot of pre and post war junk.  NO rezzzzzz








fatbike said:


> Lame but part of the game I guess...
> 
> 
> 38 girls Imperial is a pretty cool bike. Its to bad Bob you were not able to gather it before it was parted. It would have looked great next to your boys original 38 Imperial
> ...


----------



## Bicycle Belle (Aug 19, 2013)

bobcycles said:


> I contacted the seller and you know what they told me?  That yeah, they had offered it to the "Bike Collecting" community but no one would pay the 300 dollars they were asking...
> 
> riii-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ght!!!!!!    I told them I'd go 450 then and pay shipping..
> 
> ...




That is a blatant lie by the seller. They were contacted by more than a few members from here the same day the parts were listed and well before anything sold. I know for a fact they were also offered more than 3x's their so-called asking price of $300. The bike was NEVER offered whole but they were well-schooled on how to list it as parts.


----------



## vincev (Aug 19, 2013)

i offered to buy the bike if he would give me a price.


----------



## fatbike (Aug 19, 2013)

*I ve had seven of them total...*



babyjesus said:


> Do you have the same rack?  I'll buy it if you want to sell it..  They are impossible to find.




And the hardest rack slat to locate was for my 37 Commander.  Photo enclosed. But all hard to locate. I only concentrated on Colson stuff there for awhile only.

Three of them came on bikes... 37 Imperial my first one, 38 Imperial and a 39 Imperial.   

Yes they were all the same rack, they are all the same except on how they mount and the 37-39 Commander braces are different, they are curved.



No... I sold them two for 400 and one rough one for 200. I'm actually after one more for a 37 Imperial project. And them I should have one for every project currently unless I find or decide to build a 1940 Imperial than I will need ONE MORE...Augh!!!


But $565 is a bit much even as tough as they are to come by.


----------

