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Bike, Collectors, Investors and Hoarders

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Oldbikeguy1960

Wore out three sets of tires already!
I know I am treading on sacred ground here and am not trying to make any new enemies here. But this has been on my mind for a long time and I need to get it off my chest. Thanks in advance for your understanding and courtesy in your answers.

I have built and repaired many of these bicycles in my life, as I remember most were for people who had a couple bikes and always wanted that particular one they never got as a child.

Unfortunately, that is not the case today. Now we have guys that own basements, garages and even pole barns full of bikes. I am putting that group into the above titled classes and explaining my view on these groups. Please be uderstanding and not too offended.

Bike Collectors.
This group I am sure is the largest here on The CABE, but not the largest of the three groups listed.
The Collector sets out to get one of each bike they ever wanted as a kid but could not afford. I understand this and have done this in the past myself. I still think it puts a bite on the hobby, because many people who want a particular bike cannot find one because they are all sitting in dealer style rows somewhere. Their owners had an abundance of cash and could buy ever increasingly expensive bikes most of us could never afford on the spot. Still, like I said I have been there although without the abundance of cash.
Worse to me is the collector of hard to find parts that they hang on the wall and dust occasionally when there are bike builders out there looking for that part. If they are lucky enough to find one it is usually ridiculously priced because there are hundreds of them hanging on walls doing nothing.
I have always wanted a Violet Stingray, preferably a 3 speed bike but flexible there. I see threads where one wasn't perfect enough for their collection so they hang it up as wall art.
Sell the thing man! When you can scour the country for near perfect original bikes and pay exorbitant amounts of money for them what is that frame or seat or fork to you? Another trophy nobody else can ever enjoy.

Then we have the Investor. Out of the three groups this is the one I like the least. I have seen this group destroy more dreams than the other groups combined. It happened in the musclecar market, the old motorcycle market and any other market one could desire something from.
They are there only to make money. They don't care about the product, only how many dollars it will bring. Parted or whole doesn't matter as long as they maximize their investment.
It's because of people like these that it is so ridiculously expensive to buy a nice bike or a part to finish a bike. I wanted to build a copy of my December 1971 Disc Brake Orange Krate. I did about 12 years ago, but had to sell it to help my brother with his dad's funeral. The local investor guy came to buy it for an already lower than market price but insisted on whittling me down by pointing out all the (tiny) flaws the bike had. He knew I was in a bad position and instead of compassion he showed only greed. I ended up selling because funeral homes won't even move the body until they are paid in full with cash or a high interest loan. I did not even get enough for the bike 10 years ago to buy a rear wheel now. I know he parted the bike for a substantial profit or sold it for 4-5 times what he paid me.
Yes, it was my decision to sell but under very extenuating circumstances.
Now a disc brake wheel can cost as much as $2000+ for a nice one like I built from parts for about $300 12 years ago. A decent disc brake bike can bring double that or more. It has nothing to do with the hobby, (or lifestyle as I see it) only another stock in their portfolio.
These people have decimated every hobby or lifestyle or whatever you call it that exists. Hemi musclecars, old British, Japanese or American motorcycles, vintage toys, etc.

The last but maybe not the least is the hoarder. The person who has to have every nut, bolt bracket seat etc of every bike he can find and puts them in a big pile to rot away. Then he hears that a disc brake Krate wheel can bring $2000 so he digs into a pile and pulls out a rusty, bent rim wit some of the pieces missing and Bam! It's on eBay for $2000. When you explain it isn't worth that much in that condition they get defensive or downright rude and violent. No poop, this really happened to me.
I saw a bike on eBay that, while nice enough for a rider was listed as something it wasn't. I contacted the seller to try to explain what I meant nicely and by the 3rd message from him he was accusing me of molesting his child and said it was on camera and he was contacting the authorities. I had no idea who he was or where he lived but regardless I would never do that or allow it to be done while I still drew breath. I reported him to my local authorities and the County Sheriff and court subpoenaed eBay for the sellers name and address. I am sure when they found him they threatened him with prosecution if he filed his false report. I also contacted eBay but they of course did nothing. I probably still have the screenshots of the conversation.
All because he hoarded this stuff up from barns, garages, basements and back yards then saw a dollar sign on a turd.

The moral of my story?
This is a hobby or lifestyle. Nothing wrong with making some money but do it fairly. Consider the person you are dealing with. I am on disability, and probably shouldn't spend any money on old bikes but I cannot afford old cars and I need something to keep me busy. I enjoy building old bikes and always have.
I still want a Violet Stingray, preferably a 3 speed frame. I have a sandblasted (not by me) 1965 coaster frame but I want one with a reasonable amount of paint. I can be happy if I need to put non correct parts on it. I want to ride it while I still can.
If anyone knows of a frame at a reasonable cost you can PM me.

All replies welcome, but please be at least as decent as I was and we can talk about our views like adults. Or very old teenagers.
Done whining now.
 
We would all like to buy stuff at our price. The market for certain bikes and items has got crazy in the last few years but I don't blame anyone. Very few of us have unlimited funds for our hobby so we buy what we can afford and have fun. Not having fun--time to find a new hobby. For some people having fun means having 10 fender bombs sitting in the showcase or having a piece of wall art. That is how they prefer to enjoy the hobby. I know a lot of people who collect bikes and don't even ride them-say whaaatt! My point is people enjoy the hobby in different ways and it isn't for me to say how they should conduct business. As far as selling stuff goes I would probably rather trade than sell but if I do I want market price. I've sold stuff to people in the past for a decent price only to see it on eBay a week later at a substantial mark-up. I'm no longer leaving meat on the bone! My 2c. V/r Shawn
 
Yep, Your money, your business. A guy on the old forum had a seemingly truckload of nos solo polo seats, plenty of duplicates and, to my understanding, wouldn’t let go of any. I thought it was silly @ the time but thought of some things I wouldn’t part with and I understood him. None of my business what he had or what he did with it.
 
While some people might not believe it, even at 41 I have been in the hobby since the late 1980's when my dad got me into it as a way of bonding together, and have been building, riding and deeply loving bikes ever since. Growing up my dad always had a thing for phantoms but it just wasnt something he could find (pre internet) very easily and sadly he passed away having never owned one. To me, as was the scene in the 80's, phantoms were just about the top-dog of Schwinn bikes and that was before I even knew autocycles existed. I spent at least 30 years of my life wanting one badly and never being able to pull it off.....but now, I have 5, and one of each color and that is something young me would have absolutely freaked out about. ...funny enough, I ride the ones that are road worthy and I ride em HARD and treat them like my babies. I have had local folks offer me double what I paid for them and I have turned down every buyer so far because the idea of having the bike outweighs my need to have the money. After-all, money goes away....the bike is forever! Might seem greedy that i have 5 of them at this point but I ride the hell out of them and half of mine are bikes most guys would part out so I consider myself doing a service to them like a person adopting an aggressive dog so they dont get put down.
I DO understand what you're saying but its something that has been a thing since collecting things became a thing. Its not something thats going away anytime soon so you kinda just grit your teeth when you see the vultures swarming and move on. It does no good to bring it up or even mention it because it will fall on deaf ears in 100% of the cases.

I have a 41 autocycle to finish at some point and Im just praying one of the hoarders has it in their heart to peel off the pieces I need and not rake me over the coals even though they totally could if they wanted to. Free country being that as it may...

That being said, I am not rich, I am a normal middle class, single income, one kid family with an 8-5 job and serious health issues and by all accounts I should not own what I own but by the grace of God I do and if you really push and scrape and fight and stay on the grind, you too can own your dream bike even if the market tells you no.
 
It's not the car, it's the person.
Not the house it's the person.
Not the motorcycle, it's the person.... Etc.

It's the very reason I have so much experience in so many subjects.
I get tired of the collective nonsense and move on...completely.
I'm hoping to balance bikes with experience.
When we start talking Campy, I move on.
I know what will show it's head next.
No "Bike Forums" for me.

Low self esteem and OCD aside...
Money is not the root of all evil. Selfishness is the root of all evil. Money is merely the favorite tool
Lof our ego.

Almost finished liquidating my life long hobby, never to return fo similar issue
 
No different then any other hobby. Look at petroleum, oil and gas. How many signs and pumps do you need ? How many rolls of silver dollars does a coin collector need ? Answer: as many as make you happy, that is what a hobby is all about. And wouldn't we all love people to part with all the hard to find parts. Well in most cases that collection took them years and more money, road time and research then you can imagine. You buy it when you see it, cause you mite need it or trade or cash for something you do need or just enjoy it. There's no rules, just envy. So if you really want something you can't just buy, get out there and search for it. It'll be rewarding when you find it, just like the guys that did that to build their collections, and you'll find the thrill of having a hobby you enjoy. If not, try scrap booking for a hobby. 😉
 
I have 4 "riders" , but don't consider myself a collector. Definitely NOT an investor......I guess it depends on what you want and if you can swing the cost.
I have gotten all my rides from willing sellers here on theCabe. I enjoy the hunt, enjoy the work and sell them as I see fit. That way I have more $$ to spend here.
I'm easily amused. My .02 worth.
Ian
 
I
We would all like to buy stuff at our price. The market for certain bikes and items has got crazy in the last few years but I don't blame anyone. Very few of us have unlimited funds for our hobby so we buy what we can afford and have fun. Not having fun--time to find a new hobby. For some people having fun means having 10 fender bombs sitting in the showcase or having a piece of wall art. That is how they prefer to enjoy the hobby. I know a lot of people who collect bikes and don't even ride them-say whaaatt! My point is people enjoy the hobby in different ways and it isn't for me to say how they should conduct business. As far as selling stuff goes I would probably rather trade than sell but if I do I want market price. I've sold stuff to people in the past for a decent price only to see it on eBay a week later at a substantial mark-up. I'm no longer leaving meat on the bone! My 2c. V/r Shawn
I understand that man. I have had that happen to me as well as you can see by my rant.
Thanks for the courteous response man.
Rob
 
I'm not sure about the three kinds of collectors theory, infinite types really, as many types as there are people.
I am reminded of this thread with the same sorta thought..... maybe? From my favorite user name ever

 
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