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I think its time to start hoarding early DH Race bikes.

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bikewhorder

Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
They say that no matter what it is you want to collect you're already too late but I think I've found and exception to the rule in the early DH race bikes of the late 90's / early aughts. Look at this deal I stumbled upon last night

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335809022&icep_item=121316398859

A good friend of mine had this same bike and it was the snizzel dizzel back in the day. Pretty sure the retail was like $4000! These bikes have all the same qualities that old school BMX bikes have. DH racing was a hot new trend in bikes and there was a lot of innovation and experimentation going on, many of these were hand made in the good old USA. These were bikes that guys lusted after and that kind of lust resurfaces as we Gen-xer's approach middle age. I'm going on the record as saying that April 28th 2014 is the bottom of market for these bikes. 10 years from now the prices will be out of reach for all but the wealthiest collectors.
 
They say that no matter what it is you want to collect you're already too late but I think I've found and exception to the rule in the early DH race bikes of the late 90's / early aughts. Look at this deal I stumbled upon last night

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kona-Stab-D...-Max-MRP-Small/121316398859?campid=5335809022

A good friend of mine had this same bike and it was the snizzel dizzel back in the day. Pretty sure the retail was like $4000! These bikes have all the same qualities that old school BMX bikes have. DH racing was a hot new trend in bikes and there was a lot of innovation and experimentation going on, many of these were hand made in the good old USA. These were bikes that guys lusted after and that kind of lust resurfaces as we Gen-xer's approach middle age. I'm going on the record as saying that April 28th 2014 is the bottom of market for these bikes. 10 years from now the prices will be out of reach for all but the wealthiest collectors.

I doubt that Kona will ever be worth much. It wasnt that great when it was new. It didnt have anything exceptional about it. No new technology or anything.

Where you are seeing prices starting to skyrocket is on old components. Around 1994/1995 there was a movement to create a 100% American made mountain bike.

This is when we started seeing American made derraillers (paul, proshift, precision billet). These old derrailleurs can fetch an easy $300/each.

Old V Brakes - Avid Ultimates, for example. Stuff from Grafton.

If you find old bikes with this stuff - buy it.

As soon as Shimano started producing XTR this cottage industry of American-made bike jewelry died.

I bought two bikes last year - each for $300 - and I made over $2,000 parting them out - and kept one of the frames - a 1994 Foes LTS. Keeping it as garage art.
 
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I love my kona, it has some good stuff on it. This bike is so nice to ride.
DFC3B6D959904663AB2BD5082FF3DAF724900000-1.jpg
 
That kona was a very high end bike of course. The 'technology' in old mtbs was almost nothing. Technology moved slow back then with mtbs. Most companies had no engineers even believe it or not. It looked good, they built them. I dont think it will be worth too much in the next 10 years but ya never know. I love those old frames though!
 
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