Well that's about it for me then!

[captaincowelly]

I'm sure we're all thinking the current situation has had a large impact on this with more people having time on their hands and finding their way into the scene.New bikes/modern spares running out (if they didn't months ago).Have mates with a bike shop,having to tell customers they can't get a chain or cassette till December.Not just 10/11/12 speed,same for 9 speed too.Quite possible people are looking at the secondhand/retro market.And if you're willing to spend £350+ for an entry level bike or full current RRP for spares,I'm sure the retro scene offers some very attractive alternatives.Even temporary buys to fill the gap until the desired bike/component is available.
With a bit of luck the madness will ease over time,as I'm sure we all hope,and we get back to more manageable prices.If not,we'll just have to do our bit in educating newbies in the way we like to do things over here,with a big friendly welcome.
And possibly make them a little green when informing them of what we used to pay for items.

 

[BlackCat]

eBay is weird, I see a lot of stuff selling for more/way more/seven times the price of the same thing advertised elsewhere on the internet, it seems that a bit of Googling/hunting is not worth the money saving to some.


(and there's a load of NOS Shark Fins for £17.50 each here btw).

Wow - good spot! I have three or four of these kicking around, so won’t be buying - but I have picked two of them up in the last 12 months at I think about £13.50 each on eBay. You just need to be super patient, know what stuff is worth, and avoid the temptation of overpaying some opportunist just to complete a build.

I know there is a lot of forum chat at the minute about high prices - but I have picked up plenty of NOS stuff in the last 12m at what I think are good prices (BNIB ATAC for £45, BNIB Controltech stem for £35 (x 2), NOS Pace Renthall bar for £56). It just means I’ve had to let plenty of stuff I wanted go that I desperately “needed”. If you pay the speculators then you encourage more speculation..

I should maybe do a thread on current pricing.. with recent real worry examples..

 

[Markybeau]

I don't have much but I can manage with what I've got. If I can't ride it I don't keep it. Yes there are things I would like but I've done without until now, so those things are not missed or really 'needed'. Like Blackcat says, I found a few things I've been looking for at the right price but it's a case of being patient.

Too many speculators at the moment and too much greed. Hopefully things will calm down at some point and short attention spans will move on to something else.

 

[drystonepaul]

The supply and demand issues within the cycling industry caused by current circumstances has meant everything is a bit crazy.
You only have to look at the big retailers to see the impact. If it is in stock then it will be selling at or very close to RRP. No big discounts. Mostly it isn't in stock though.
Prices have generally gone up by 10% - 15% too for new stock.

The knock on effect to the second hand market will be here for a while, but will eventually settle down. It may take a year or maybe more.

I see rescuing/restoring/riding/collecting older bikes as a pursuit which takes a lot of time and patience. It only gets really expensive when you chase unicorns or want things quickly.
That said, the days of swapping a NOS XTR rear mech for a handful of blueberries are long gone.

It may take a few years but stay and play the long game.

 

[vtwinvince]

Agreed, rampant idiotic speculation is killing it for a lot of people. I bought this completely original, near mint Giant two years ago for 40.00 CD, that's about 30 pounds. Oh, and it had a mint set of Panaracer Smokes on it when I got it.....

 

[Tootyred]

Speculation is an excellent term for it. I know the palisades up for £550 on evil-bay at the mo probably wont go, but it makes others ( who never look at the actual completed sales costs), feel their one must be worth that too. Up goes those prices....then everybody assumes thats the right price, coz they is all priced like that.

I completly agee that fleabay may not be the best place to search, but i live in a sparsely populated part of the country, so gumtree etc etc is a pretty fruitless search. Ive honestly found more kit for sale in gardens second hand than ive found on line ( ebay excluded).

I cant blame people for wanting the most cash for an item, but i also cant help being annoyed when its spoiling my hobby in the process.

I also agree that there are some bargains ( pair of 26" nos ma40 from Mercians storeroom clearance last month and a couple of nos xt front hubs from Bicyclist cc were fantastic), but honestly, spending my entire life online is not what im after.

Am i really going to give up? No, of course not, but im not planning much other than finishing my 2 ongoing projects. One just needs a rear hub, the other .......oh....the frame..

So lets all hope for a golden age, when all these people realise they are not 16 and stuff all the kit back up for sale in a fountain of self loathing and defeat.

 

[Woz]

Agree with a lot said here; just wouldn't let it worry you.

Have in mind too, there are many people out there who are just testing how daft the actual market is
in these strange times - they don't really have the full commitment to sell at all and know full well
the prices are unrealistic for the vast majority.