[zmtber]

just like cars and other things out there i am sure there are people who collect bikes, and like everything, the collectors value of an item goes down at the begging and back up after a certain amount of time. My question for all you monkeys is, after how many years does a bikes value (if in good condition, and not only bikes, but bike parts) starts going up?

and i know that saying, "its only worth as much as someone is willing to pay", but there are people out there who will pay big money for collectors items.

so what do all of you think?, because the oldest bike i have is a 30 year old Italian road bike (belonged to my father when he first met my mom) and I believe the company is out of production.

 

[sanjuro]

what's the name of your dad's bike?

btw, think your father will be happy when you sell his bike?

 

[jimmydean]

It looks to me like it depends on the collector. I know a few years ago the PK Ripper was worth $500+, then they started making them (not like they did, but that diesn't matter). Now nobody seems t give a damn.

My brother has restored quite a few bikes in the last 10 years, but all his stuff is over 50 years old and is unique or rare in some way.

As for cars, 25 years is the starting point. My truck is 37 and has come of age for collectors.

 

[Bicyclist]

Bikes don't really do that unless they're really rare. They kinda just go down. Look at old Bontragers for instance, they're cheap.

Some things, like my old Cinelli track bar/stem that went for $250, do get really valuable.

What kinda bike is it?

 

[blue]

The price on a rare bike item might be higher than what you would pay for something of similair vintage and quality, but it's probably a one in a million chance that you'd get more than what it sold for (adjusted for inflation) retail.

 

[Ian F]

A bike's possibility of increasing in value is similar to why 60's muscle cars have increased in value - because someone with means now wants to remember their youth by getting the car they couldn't have then.

If there's a neat old and maybe rare bike you like, then buy it, clean it up and enjoy it. Maybe collect a bunch of retro parts to hang off it.... But don't buy it planning on putting your kids through college by selling it 20 years.

I would say to someone looking to collect bikes the same thing I used to tell people when I sold comic books 11 years ago: buy the comics you like, not because they might increase in value. I still had guys who would buy 3 copies of every X-men book and carefully place them in plastic bags - never actually reading any of them. I was happy to take their money.

If you want to invest in the bike industry, buy stocks.

 

[xy9ine]

A bike's possibility of increasing in value is similar to why 60's muscle cars have increased in value - because someone with means now wants to remember their youth by getting the car they couldn't have then.

exactly. which is why cool vintage bmx stuff is selling for silly prices right now (like $500 hutch pedals & $2000 cranks):

http://cgi.ebay.com/HUTCH-BMX-TITRON-HUTCH-PEDALS_W0QQitemZ320005652079QQihZ011QQcategoryZ64644QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Early-Profile-made-Pre-Aerospeed-HUTCH-Cranks-BMX_W0QQitemZ170010379625QQihZ007QQcategoryZ64644QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Ian F]

Can't access Ebay from work, so I'll look later. $500 for Hutch pedals, eh? I wonder how much I could get for my old Hutch Trickstar fork and stem.... neaky:

 

[Nobody]

People forget that bikes have been mass-produced for a very long time. In the early part of the last century, around 1910, for instance, over a MILLION bikes were built in the USA per year!

And what are those old high wheelers worth now? if in perfect condition, mebbe $500. Sure, that's more than the $32 you had to pay for a 'Boneshaker' or such back then, but take into account that $32 in 1910 was about 4 months wages.

Which means that 'collectable' penny-farthing should cost about $6000 to remain the same value. Not $500.

Bikes are only collectable to people who love bikes. They will likely never be 'worth some money' until they are 'antiques'.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>
And what are those old high wheelers worth now? if in perfect condition, mebbe $500. Sure, that's more than the $32 you had to pay for a 'Boneshaker' or such back then, but take into account that $32 in 1910 was about 4 months wages.

Also consider that that $32 invested modestly would now be worth $4,700.

 

[FBTMILF]

its gonna be worth quite a bit of cash depending on who buys it. my dad used to race for a board track team in Detroit. he has a few bike that are old and the companys are out of production. They're worth quite a bit of money to the right person but why would you want to sell them?