Retro prices

ovlov440

Senior Retro Guru
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Is it just me, or have the prices for retro parts dropped a great deal in the last 12 months? Parts that would normally command high values, or whose appearance on one of the 'For Sale' threads would lead to a bun fight seem to be going for a song or sticking around for longer than normal (Magic cranks anyone?)
 
And realism. Some mint, rare and NOS kit had gone for big money and every Tom, Dick and Harry took that to mean knackered old tat was also worth a fortune.

Alas, there can only be a tiny market for people wanting to pay top dollar for worn out poop, so the prices for mainstream stuff has rebounded to a realistic level.

He'll, decent frames can often be had for not much more than the scrap value of their metal, and that's how it is.

As NOS dries up I can see their prices rising, but the bulk of the stuff on offer is still too common, to widely available to justify silly prices.

I've notice eBay prices have dropped a lot of late, recently picked up a smart looking mid 90s Deore mech for £8.60, the same week one was advertised on these hallowed pages for £20.
 
Have to disagree, mainly the price of complete bikes is crazy.

Anyone with a 15 year mid range MTB is advertising it for £150+ when a year ago you could buy the
top of the range for half that on a good day.

This winter has been particularly bad, previous years winter prices for bikes, frames, components have
been crazy low. But this year (suspect the mild weather) meant stuff has remained high.

Suppose it all depends what you are looking for.
 
Look at bbc bikes then you would think common sense has left the planet, look at the ads that say "I've seen one of these on ebay for..." and you know the sellers talking poo

nos complete sets always go high but i actually thought most prices were coming down a bit due to a flood of opportunists stipping and flipping bikes..and not just the ones on here :D
 
I agree with the prices of complete bikes going up. For example, about 18 months back I bought 3 Specialized Stumpjumpers, 2 with XT the other a mix of XT /LX, 91/92 models, for £75 to £120. I saw one on eBay towards the end of last year sell for over £200.

Another example, in 2011 I bought a Klein Attitude HLF rigid complete bike, XTR FM, XT wheels, basic parts, few scratches but no dents, £730.

XTR M900 stuff has definitely dropped right off.

NOS still strong though along with anything in excellent condition or boutique.
 
Mainly going on GTs but an Arrowhead which was bottom of the range alloy framed bike £400 new
with rubbish components could be had last winter or year before for about £30-40 in useable condition.
They are now being advertised as 'Retro' for £150 + (and not selling).
A lot of accessories which were starting at 99p and you might get a good deal on are suddenly popping
up with opening bids of £10,20,30.
 
I haven't been into this long enough to see any general drop or rise in retro prices but it seems to me that normal market mechanisms are working here.

If there is a shortage of something exclusive then it commands high prices and they keep rising. Good examples are Paul mechs. It seems to me that they just keep rising to insane levels.

Another example is M900 stuff. NOS rear mechs or NOS cranks are sought after and hard to find. Naturally they go for high prices, even higher than their original retail price. But look at M900 sti's they can even be NOS and still go for far less than they cost new back in the days just because they are more available.

I also believe that what many of us crave for are not necessarily based on rational thinking. Look at Klein frames: The Adroits are impossible to find and I can only speculate what prices these can get. Attitudes are seriously expensive. Used Attitudes in very good condition go for more than what you originally would pay for them. But then you have Rascals or Fervors who are hard to sell and go for much less than original cost even though they are excellent frames and have plenty of the "Klein Magic" in them.

Anyway....I agree with others on this thread. High quality nos or vgc stuff from the "Golden era" will continue to command even higher prices in the future also.
 
Chopper1192":128x9dvd said:
Don't confuse what some people are asking, with what most people are actually getting.

This is an important, and perhaps overlooked, fact the gulf between asking and getting is vast right now.

Here in the States many collectibles, not just bikes, are at a fraction of their value in 2006. That said the truly rare examples still command crazy high prices.
 
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