Why isn't there much NOS mtb stuff around?

Why isn't there as lot of NOS mountain bike sfuff knocking about?

If any of you are in to retro BMX's, and I'm sure some of you will be, you'll know that that there's several full time businesses ( Alans and Vert-ego, to name but 2 ) selling NOS BMX stuff from the 80's ( that's 20 year old + stuff!! ).

Similarly, on ebay, there is always loads of stuff.

Why not for MTB's?

I had no problem ( although is was 40 quid ) in getting a Kashimax Aero seat for my 20 yr old DB Viper, but could I get hold of a 10 yr old seat for my Kona - NOT A CHANCE!

Discuss

I do not exactly know how MTB compares to BMX, but a possible explanation could be that there was a boom in BMX, a lot investment by businesses, the market collapsed and a lot overproduction remained. MTB market never really collapsed. Furthermore the MTB era was later and by that time companies became somewhat more familiar with more efficient production (JIT for example).

- Melvin

I think the NOS is shifted a lot quicker in the mountain bike scene and people buy up NOS as soon as it becomes avalible at the right price when one of the various big boy mail order company's or 'One day sale' events buys up all the NOS from the manufaturers at the end of the season.

The most desired components are usually made by small companys who cannot make the components quick enough to meet demand. I remember pre ordering an Orange P7 frame and Middleburn cranks in the mid 90's and having to wait a couple of months for them to be made and delivered. Looking at it from that prespective, all the components made were sold so there was never any stock left to stockpile. Then you have the shite or fashionable components that people really do not want to buy now as most people do not remember them as they would not contemplate putting them with in 6 ft of their bikes now or then. I used to work for a comapny called 'Cycle King' when I was a teenager. The chap who owned that company was the king of buying NOS for dirt cheap prices and selling it for dirt cheap prices. In the time I worked there I did not contemplate bolting one component they sold to my bike and spent my wages elsewhere on decent components. Average Joe used to love the dirt cheap prices and did not relise the kit he was buying had a serious design floor or was 3 years out of date, they just saw the price tag.

Yup, sums it up really. You'll probably notice that most of the NOS BMX stuff is from the end of the boom, rather than the beginning.

pete is pretty much spot on.
most of the nos bmx stuff is from 1985 to 1990.
the used bikes, frames and parts from 1978 to 1985 tend to fetch a higher price than the later nos stuff.