Value - What's Up With It?

[billyjones]

yep.

 

[rustjunkie]

A large majority of the population just like new stuff.

It's good for the conomy

 

[billyjones]

Brawndo..

 

[MrColumbia]

A different object but the same concept.

My father owned a music store from the 50's to the 80's. One of the main sources of income was renting band instruments to students. These insruments were used and often not shiny but were of high quality and great sound. It was a functioning business model until Chinese made band instruments started coming in. These Chinese instruments were cheaply made and sounded like crap! But... they were shiny and cheap. Someone could buy one for the same as 3 months rent for a high quality insrument from my father, and it came with a case! No kid wanted to play in band after that with anything but a shiny new trumpet or whatever. Needless to say it put my father's store out of business in less than a year.

Moral of the story is most people want shiny and new, not old and great quality. certainly not old and rusty with paint faded and worn off (patina). We collectors of history are in the minority if you really want to do the numbers. But that can be a good thing as there is less competition to attain the great old stuff. Always look for the good in the bad.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

most people want shiny and new,

You could not be more correct, just ask Bill Belichick

 

[fattyre]

I’ve been commuting exclusively by bike to work for 17 years now. 5 miles of that is on a fairly busy bike path. I live outside of Chicago, a major metropolitan area with roughly 9.5 million people. In the summer I’m riding vintage bikes 90% of the time. I think two or three times someone has shown interest my old bikes. That’s it. The vintage bike world is minuscule at best in my opinion.

 

[byke!punk]

This past summer I was riding my 51 Schwinn straight bar Klunker. It has a frame bag on it. There was a kid probably 13-15 who called me out, said it was cool and asked if it was battery powered. I said no, it was just a frame bag. He studied the bike for a moment, I could see his gears turning. That’s cool he said. Thanks, and we went about our separate ways.
My neighbor’s son, 15, has also shown appreciation for my bikes, again the Klunkers with more relatable parts on them- forks, bars, saddles, ect. But it is the vintage frames that seem to grab the attention, force a double take. So there is interest there somewhere, maybe in the mixing of the old with the new.

 

[Sportyworty]

Mixing of the old and new is very much alive in my world of muscle cars. We hated to see these resto mods when it first started but the quality of the cars and the younger crowd enjoying them has really given the hobby a shot in the arm. I will always prefer dead stock as delivered but can now enjoy and appreciate the new takes on the old.

 

[Nashman]

I used to think that no Honda would ever be considered a classic.
I thought wrong!

I have this little Gem on route from Toronto Canada to Winnipeg ( 1000 miles). 1960's Honda Super Cub 50. I bought it sight unseen ( except the pictures) trying to nail the year down, hoping the odometer is accurate!! Ha!! The area it's coming from ( I have a reliable fellow who transports such items) is expecting LOTS of snow and a blizzard, he picked up yesterday, hopefully he's cleared the weather into the west where it's bitter cold but no blizzard. His safety 1st, the Honda 2nd.

 

[Nashman]

New Chinese bikes are turn key ready to roll. People can just put them on a charge card and be fine/done with it. A lot of parents don’t care or even have the time. A lot of people are clueless, unskilled and lazy to take the few hours it takes to get a classic made in USA bike going even though it’s built to last forever. Plus they don’t even use these crappy Chinese bikes they don’t even wear the nubs/flashing off of the tires. It’s laughable as kids back then wore out the tires and even the cogs riding the shyte out of their bikes. But I completely agree that if that garbage at the store is worth $3-400 any and every vintage/classic USA made bike should be worth at least the same.

I think you nailed with one word. LAZY. People are not prepared to work for anything anymore. Turn key pleasure, whether it be a greasy burger, cheap off shore bicycle, or a chemical buzz. The work ethic and pride of quality items made locally ( lets Say North America to include Canada, but there are lots of quality items made worldwide) by skilled craftsmen/women are being ignored and forgotten. It's all about convenience and FAST EASY pleasure. Shamefull really. We have created this monster. Not Cabers, but society as a whole.