VALUE AND LOCATION

To add to the difficulty, of determining an old bicycle's monetary value, one must be aware of the impact of location, on buying and selling prices.  Generally speaking, a vintage bicycle will sell for more, in a large domestic market.  In other words, the bigger the city and the absence of the need to ship, the more the bicycle will sell for.

The reasons, or dynamics, that drive this situation must be many, but dwell well beyond the scope of this humble set of opinions.  Know only, and compare if you wish, the selling prices of bicycles, in several different cities.

Use Craigslist, or what ever other on-line purchasing opportunities prevail, in your area.  Compare prices, to get a feel for what a bike might cost, in your area, and in other cities.  Chances are you will see a difference.

Next, take a look at Ebay's completed listings pages.  In doing so, you will get a reasonably good idea, of what to expect, if you attempt to sell, or buy, through that vehicle.  Keep in mind that the prices you see, anywhere, are subject to wide fluctuations!

Know also that location comes, dramatically, into play, when a purchase is not local.  Shipping costs, in today's vintage bicycle world, are quite high.  And, these costs will impact the value of a bicycle, at the time of its purchase, and most likely, when it is next sold.  Next sold?  Yup!  The original buyer will seek to get his money back, including his cost to have it shipped to him, and the next buyer will be asked to help.

And, to those on-line costs, add those of international boundary crossings.  Again, the price goes up and is added onto the new owner's idea of what the bicycle is worth.

So, with where the bicycle was made, and by who, out of the way, all that needs to be considered is where the bicycle is being sold or purchased.  Hardly!

NEXT - VALUE AND FRAME SIZE