Where'd you see this retro thing going?

Tc

Retrobike Rider
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I was into old school bmx for ages & got priced out of the hobby (so to speak) is this where retro mtb is heading? Is it just treasure hunters/opportunists pricing the true enthusiast out of the hobby? I see it happening here as it happened to the 80's bmx collecting scene fortunately I got out with my dream bike!

Tc
 
Even if it did go that way it won't last - once prices get to the point that the average Joe cant or wont pay it. then prices will plummet again. It's a cyclical process in the classic car world and I daresay it'll be the same here.
 
It's still early days yet.

I see some stuff going for silly money in the future, most craftsman-made stuff worthy of Shimano XT equivalent being "an old bike" that keeps an OK value but anything lower-end will just be "an old bike".

The trends are already there: Potts, Breezer, Ritchey, Klein, Square Paces, Mountain Goat, Ibis etc etc etc....are all keeping their value or increasing even - whereas made-in-Taiwan-by-a-robot stuff is never going to be worth much.
 
Well, if retro prices do increase then just move from 80's/90's MTB stuff to 00's MTB, give it another 5 years or so and the stuff from 2000 onwards will be increasingly popular to retro MTB'ers.... if you get priced out of one decade then just move along to the next decade, buy loads of stuff at low prices, and wait for the prices to skyrocket :)
 
One thing a for sure. Because of alloys much lower ductile limit the frames tend to have a finite life. Early alloy framed models of any interest will have the added issue of extra rarity due frame cracking. This will either make them desirable due to rarity, or make them something no-one will touch.

As aforementioned, the bag names of yore are already very collectable, but rising prices there will kindle renewed intended in the less exotic and more usable metal. Supply and demand, and if demand can't be met then attention will turn to alternatives.

One things for sure - NOS will increasingly denote something further and further away from "undamaged, unused and still in its packet". It's already being used to describe anything that's simply fairly shiny, and the term looks set.to be increasingly misused as the unscrupulous, misguided and plain old ignorant stretch reality with their ads.
 
highlandsflyer":9rt6csa6 said:
Klein collectors may soon be looking beyond the Trek takeover for their wares.

Oh, wait!!!!

Ten years ago nobody would consider paying any real money for a non 2" downtube MC2 Adroit, now they're selling for $2-3k with a strata. Back then you could have an ARC for $300-400 and FROs and Ultimates were in fairly decent supply. I remember buying an NOS Specialized Epic Ultimate for $900 and a Tomac Raleigh going on eBay with no bids for $1200. Yo Eddy's didn't even really register on the collector scale.

Fast forward to today, all those things are much harder to find and when they hit the open market the prices are sky high. Maybe it's a bubble or maybe the hobby has turned a corner into more mainstream.
 
same as anything retro, there's collectibles and there's non collectibles but they're all still retro. lets face it an old raleigh lizard is retro but they make about £30 on a good day. take a kona from the same period and add a couple hundred onto that price. whilst they may not be the best ride or quality, some of the old raleigh mountain bikes are the only affordable retro to people like me.

but know what you mean about the old school BMX scene. the old skyways and GTs (my favourites) make stupid money. I ended up just buying a 1994 ruption with skyway MAG wheels for a tenner :LOL:
 
highlandsflyer":2khjsjvx said:
Klein collectors may soon be looking beyond the Trek takeover for their wares.


ZING! (not to get sucked into another Klein debate... I don't get it, and I owned one).
 
retro will be like any collectable it will be for the rich. i see the loverly nos parts being sold and its just a matter of time till there gone.then only the rare garage queens will remain.for us average people they will once more become the childhood dream we saw in a magazine.
but that begs the question do we keep them as time warp beautifull pieces of craftmanship locked away to be looked at or ride like the devil.both options are beautifull in there own way

THE END IS NIGH !!!!!! LOCK UP YA DAUGHTERS :) :) :)
 
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